A Seed of Truth-Part 2

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.”  Matthew 13:18

In yesterday’s blog, we listened as Jesus told the parable of the sower, the seed, and the four different types of soil upon which the seed fell: the wayside, the stony ground, the ground filled with thorn bushes, and the good ground.  The disciples questioned Jesus as to why He spoke to the crowds in parables.  He replied that the people were not willing to understand the truths of God, but the disciples were blessed because they were able to understand.  He then began to explain the parable to them.  They had some understanding of His message but needed a little more clarification.  (It is better to ask someone if you do not understand what they are saying rather than pretending that you do understand, and consequently miss the message.)

The seed is God’s word which always triggers a response.  The sower is symbolic of Jesus and those who spread the gospel.  The soil represents all people.  Those in the crowd were representative of the four different types of soil.  The wayside is the highway of life on which those travel who have hardened their hearts to God’s word.  Some of them even attend church but leave just like they came in with no real knowledge of the One in whom they claim to believe.  They have done their “religious” duty for the week and then return to their secular lives.

The stony ground had a little soil, but mostly rocks which represented the folks who heard the word and followed it for a while, but when troubles came, they had no root or foundation upon which to rely.  These are the folks who claim to have received Christ, but fall away, returning to their old sinful way of life.  The third soil that is filled with thorn bushes, weeds, and other things that distract represent the folks who heard the word, but became more concerned about all those other distractions, material possessions, fame, careers, etc., that they forgot all about the truths that they had heard.  Jesus said that folks cannot serve God and mammon (money) because they are diametrically opposed to one another.

The first three soils only produce misery and hopelessness.  But wait.  How about that fourth soil, the good ground?  What was different about it than the other three?  What made it good?  It was good because it had been prepared to receive the seed.  The folks represented by the good ground were the ones who truly heard the word and received it into their hearts.  The age-old question is:  “Why do some believe, but many others do not?”  I can’t answer that.  The only thing that I know is that pride keeps folks from humbling their hearts, repenting of their sin, and receiving Christ as Lord and Savior.  Those of us who know the Lord understand that all people are born with a sin nature, and the basis of that sin nature is pride.  According to Mr. Webster, pride is an excessive belief in one’s own worth, merit, or superiority.  I guess one could say that pride can cause one to think that he or she has no need of God.  How many times have you heard unbelievers say that Christianity is nothing more than a “crutch” that believers use to get through life?

One other thing that I know is that those who truly hear and receive the word will do what Jesus says thereby producing fruit in various amounts, like the seed that produced thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold of fruit.  Every believer has their own work to do and will see various results.  Christianity is not a competition; it’s a team effort made up of individuals who love the Lord and desire to see others know Him, too.  If people are not willing to forsake their sin and respond to the Lord who will forgive their sin, then they are hopelessly lost.  Those who are willing to leave their sin will have their understanding opened, will receive Jesus’ words, repent, believe, and bear fruits of righteousness by the seed of truth.