The Latin Sower Square
Examining the Condition of Your Heart
Stephen Armstrong, a gifted pastor and Bible teacher, was renowned for his insightful, verse-by-verse teaching of Scripture. In his series on the Gospel of Matthew, Armstrong explored the book’s uniquely Jewish perspective, highlighting its role in connecting Old Testament prophecy with its fulfillment in Jesus Christ. While teaching on the Parable of the Sower, he offered profound insights that challenged listeners to examine their own spiritual condition. In this study, we focus on this powerful teaching from Jesus (Matthew 13:1-23), which calls us to reflect on how the Word of God takes root in our hearts. Armstrong’s use of a conceptual framework, the Latin square, sheds light on the deeper truths within this parable.
A Framework for Understanding: The Latin Square
The Parable of the Sower describes four distinct responses to the Word of God. While it’s tempting to analyze each condition exhaustively, Armstrong reminds us that doing so may cause us to lose sight of the bigger picture. To better grasp the parable’s message, he introduces a helpful framework: a Latin square, a grid that organizes variables to reveal unique combinations.
In the parable, the two key variables are:
1. The inward reality of the heart: Is the person spiritually dead or alive after hearing the Word?
2. The outward appearance of faith: Does the person outwardly display faith, or is their unbelief evident?
By crossing these two variables, we uncover the four possible conditions Jesus describes.
The Four Conditions
Condition 1: Spiritually Dead and Outwardly Faithless
“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up” (Matthew 13:4, NIV).
This represents a hardened heart. The individual rejects the Gospel entirely, showing no interest in spiritual things. Satan, symbolized by the birds, snatches the truth away before it can take root (Matthew 13:19). This person’s spiritual death and outward unbelief are unmistakable.
Condition 2: Spiritually Dead but Outwardly Faithful
“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow” (Matthew 13:5, NIV).
This describes someone who outwardly responds with enthusiasm to the Gospel. They may attend church, join a Bible study, or even be baptized. However, their faith lacks depth and spiritual root. When trials or persecution come, they quickly fall away, revealing their unchanged, spiritually dead heart (Matthew 13:20-21).
Condition 3: Spiritually Alive but Outwardly Fruitless
“Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” (Matthew 13:7, NIV).
Here we see a person who has genuinely responded to the Gospel and is spiritually alive. Yet, their life becomes consumed by “the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth” (Matthew 13:22, NIV). While they are saved, they fail to produce the spiritual fruit that glorifies God. This condition challenges believers to examine their priorities and guard against distractions.
Condition 4: Spiritually Alive and Outwardly Faithful
“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:8, NIV).
This represents the ideal response to the Gospel: a heart that is transformed and bears abundant spiritual fruit. Jesus explains, “But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matthew 13:23, NIV).
The Big Picture
Armstrong emphasized that the Parable of the Sower is ultimately about self-reflection and the call to spiritual growth. Jesus challenges His listeners to ask: What kind of soil am I? Are we allowing God’s Word to transform us fully, or are we distracted by worldly cares? Are we bearing fruit that glorifies God?
Paul reminds us of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These fruits are evidence of a heart that has been changed by the Word of God.
A Call to Action
Jesus concludes the parable with these words:
“Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matthew 13:9, NIV).
Armstrong encouraged believers to take this as a personal challenge. Hearing the Word is not enough; we must understand it, apply it, and allow it to shape our lives. As David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24:
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
May we strive to be the good soil, faithfully receiving God’s Word and bearing fruit for His Kingdom.
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