MARK 4:13-20 – And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
THEME OF THE DAY: THE SOIL IN OUR HEARTS. Parables were a marvelous teaching tool used by our Lord Jesus. They are effective for multiple reasons. One is their ability to paint vivid word pictures driving home divine truth to the heart. Just ponder for a second today’s scripture. Don’t you immediately see someone going about a yard or field spreading seed? Maybe a Johnny Appleseed-type of guy. Also, parables cause us to take the picture and personalize them. Again, today’s parable. As we read of the various soils in the heart, we should be prompted to examine ourselves and to see which one describes us. And that bring us to the “meat” of today’s nugget.
Jesus describes four types of soil that received the seed of the sower. In the spiritual application, He is pointing to the four different responses to the Word of God proclaimed and heard. Though we know that only one of the four describes the true believer, the principles found in each of them may be applied to us for self-examination.
The first heart hears the Word and it is immediately dismissed or ignored. Apply this to us. Ever come to church, sit through, maybe even endure, a sermon and after the service, never once ponder, consider, and pray for application of what we just heard? That is bad soil in the heart which is not impacted at all with the Word.
Next is the heart that hears the Word, receives the good news and is impacted . . . for a brief time. When the call to identify with Christ in suffering, persecution, or difficulties, the Word sown becomes the Word rejected. Apply this to us. We hear the Word on a Lord’s Day, we are moved by the Word, seek to apply the Word, but the inevitable difficulty of doing so comes into our lives. Maybe a relationship challenge in a family or workplace. The pressure is great, so we compromise and the Word does not bear fruit.
Now the third soil in the heart of the believer. The Word is heard, but a choice is made, a bad choice – the world overrides the Word. Apply this to us. We hear the Word and God’s call to us is loud and clear – “If anyone would come after me, let him deny Himself, take up His cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). We weigh the cost briefly but are so attached to the pleasures and things of the world – a life of ease and comfortable Christianity (which is no Christianity) that the Word does not bear fruit.
Then we come to the soil in the heart that is healthy and ready for fruit bearing. The Word is eagerly heard and just as eagerly obeyed, and the Lord is pleased to bear much fruit from such a heart and life.
So, parables are wonderful teaching tools. Get alone with the Lord who taught today’s parable and ask Him to reveal the soil in our hearts. Then strive to be soil number four – the one pleasing to Him and bringing joy to us.
PRAYER: “Father, may the soil of my heart be healthy and fertile to bear fruit for Your glory.”
QUOTE: “Strive for a tender heart that eagerly and quickly responds in obedience to God’s Word.”
Because of Him,
Pastor Jim