Good speakers find ways of relating their message to their audience. Jesus understood this fact. That is what made him a good speaker. Consequently, he often used parables.
On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. - Matthew 13:1-8
I took the attached picture last September while I was in Nazareth. Just like in Biblical times, agriculture is still used throughout the country. That is why we can understand Jesus' message. He is encouraging us to sow the seed. Just like in the parable, it is not always going to fall on good ground. But we must continue to sow.
How much seed did you sow in 2012? Do you need to sow more in 2013? Remember, the more you sow, the greater chance some will fall on good ground.