According to Jeremias1 the parable does portray a deviation from reality when it speaks of seed that yields a thirty-, sixty-, and hundredfold increase. Normally, a kernel never yields an ear with a hundred grains. Thus, according to him the parable points to an abnormal harvest of the kingdom of heaven. Just like White,2 but with more detailed argument, Lohfink3 has shown, however, that the parable speaks of grains that are not sown together too closely, that they grow out so that various ears eventually go back to one grain. In that case it is possible to call a hundredfold harvest of grains from one seed normal. Connected to this is the fact that 4:8 speaks not solely about the “growing up,” but also about the “increasing” of the seed.4
8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”