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Matthew 13.1-23 is the RCL Year A assigned reading for Lectionary 15 / 7th Sunday After Pentecost. Actually, it's only vv1-9 and 18-23. This is such a disservice to the text, since vv10-17 are the critical center explaining what's going on. Preacher, I recommend you read all of vv1-23 and shorten your sermon if you have to.
Attached here is my translation of the text. There is a lot going on in the Greek that escapes notice in the English, so after my translation I have included some notes.
Tldr: I hope no one preaches a sermon encouraging people to be “good soil.” (How is that even possible? I can only picture dumping manure on the soil to enrich it! Can a person choose what soil to be?) The people are the plants, and Matthew’s version of this parable both accounts for the rejection of Jesus’ message and the encouragement to be and the promise of being extravagantly productive followers of Jesus.
My translation and notes: Matthew 13.1-23 mgvh notes
