The Parable of the Sower--Broad Lessons

Lesson #1:

"It is no light thing to hear the Scriptures preached and taught. Those who hear are made more responsible than they ever were before. If they shrug off the message, or consider obedience an optional matter, they do so to their own loss. But if they hear and obey, they put themselves in a position to receive more light from God." -Believer's Bible

Lesson #2

II. AN HONOURABLE OCCUPATION MAY HAVE DISASTROUS RESULTS.
l. Unsuccessful results do not lessen the value of the seed.
2. Unsuccessful efforts should not be taken as the measure of the sower’s capacity and faithfulness.
3. Unsuccessful efforts must then be studied in relation to the sphere of operations.
4. The best seed will do no good on some lands.
5. The most skilful workman cannot turn a rock into a fruitful garden.

III. AN HONOURABLE OCCUPATION MUST HAVE BLESSED RESULTS, There will be patches of good ground in every farm. There are honest and good hearts in every community. No true teacher will have entire failure. -W. Burrows, B. A.

These are good reminders---our faithful work will bear some fruit, but we should not take the results as a direct reflection of our efforts.

Lesson #3

"The broad outstanding fact of the parable is tragic. Three failures and one success! It may be somewhat lightened by observing that the proportion which each ‘some’ bears to the whole seed-basketful is not told; but with all alleviation, it is sad enough. What a lesson for all eager reformers and apostles of any truth, who imagine that they have but to open their mouths and the world will listen! What a warning for any who are carried off their feet by their apparent ‘popularity’! What a solemn appeal to all hearers of God’s message!" -Andrew MacLaren

I think this applies to teaching and parenting too.  Jesus did not take his mission lightly, but neither did he romanticize the people's response or become personally offended by the poor results.  If it is our job to preach, to teach, we should rest in the value of our broader mission, not our learners' responses.