Jesus was a teacher of rare ability. At the close of the Sermon of the Mount, Matthew tells us: “… the people were astonished at this doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). On another occasion, temple guards dispatched to arrest him returned empty-handed. They defended their failure by saying, “Never man spake like this man” (John 7:46).
He was especially effective in his use of parables. One of his most familiar parables was that of the “Sower and the Seed” (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-8, 13-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15). The seed represented the Word of God, and the soils stood for the hearts of men (Luke 8:11). Obviously, the productivity of the seed is determined by the type of soil in which it is planted. The same can be said regarding the Word of God. The impact of the Word is determined by the nature of the heart in which it enters. In the parable, Jesus identified four types of soil (hearts) — the wayside, the rocky, the thorny and the good. All of us can see ourselves somewhere in the parable.
The wayside represents those hearts which are hardened by sin (Hebrews 3:8, 13). There are some among us who have completely closed our minds to the Gospel. They refuse to give the Lord a fair hearing. They will not examine the evidence. Their ears are stopped. Their eyes are shut. Their minds are closed. Their hearts are hardened. Remember, the fault lies not with the seed, but the soil.
The rocky ground is shallow. The seed penetrates the soil, germinates and sprouts, but soon withers and dies because it has no depth. These are those who never get beyond the first principles of the Gospel. Shallow hearts prevent deep roots. When the trials and temptations of life are brought to bear, faith wanes and then dies.
The thorny ground stands for those whose hearts are open and receptive to the seed, but in time the cares, riches and pleasures of this world crowd out the Lord. Priorities change. Jesus is dethroned. Money and other matters drive the heart and guide the steps while the Gospel is forgotten. The love of money is still the root of all evil (1 Timothy 6:10).
The good ground represents the good and honest heart which receives the Word with gladness. The seed extends deep roots and brings forth a thriving plant. The end result is a bountiful harvest, a life of faithfulness, devotion and service to the Lord.
All of us, if we are honest, will see ourselves in this parable. Which soil are we? If not good soil, are we willing to do what it takes to correct the problem? That’s the question we confront each day.
