When I was in High School, I worked at a Farm Store and helped on the owner’s farm. During that season of life, I learned a lot about farming and soil. Keith had a cattle farm and used some of his fields for growing hay. What I learned is that for good hay to be produced, it took more than just some rain and sunshine. Each year, Keith would test the soil to see what kind of fertilizer was needed. The soil test told him all he needed to know about what was required to produce good hay. In our scripture passage today, we find the Parable of the Sower. In this parable, as in all parables, we find an eternal truth that must be applied to our lives. Let’s take a dive into the parable.
To begin with, we need to understand a couple of key ingredients of the parable. First, the seed is the message of the gospel. The gospel of Christ is to be sown or spread to all people and nations. Secondly, the Sower is the followers of Christ (Christians). We have a responsibility to share Christ with all types of people. The picture Jesus gives us here is that we are to sow the seed by simply throwing it out, without worrying about its destination. The gospel message is for all people, and we are not to be the ones determining who receives it, but we are simply to be the ones spreading the message! So, let’s look at the soils that the message of the gospel can fall upon.
Soil 1 – The Path/Road
The first soil that we find in the parable is something like a concrete street. The seed that was thrown on it is quickly gathered up by the birds of the air. This seed had no time to take root or impact the soil at all. This kind of soil represents the person who hears the gospel but is extremely combative against it. Their hearts are rock hard, and they have no desire to hear from God. A great example of this type of person is Pharaoh when Moses requests the release of the Hebrews. Pharaoh not only says no, but his heart is hard, and he makes the life of the Hebrews more difficult. This kind of person who has this kind of heart and mind is one who not only rejects the gospel personally but also desires to see the gospel and Christianity removed from society.
Soil 2 – The Rocky Ground
This soil is one that immediately receives the seed but never truly takes root. The seed quickly produces a plant, but the moment difficult weather comes, the plant is destroyed. What looked like produce quickly turned to nothing. This kind of person says yes to the religious idea of Christianity, but once difficulty comes, they reject it and move back to their former way of life. I have often called this an emotional response to an event that only lasts while the event is ongoing. The gospel never really soaks into a person’s heart and mind. What they experience is emotional joy and happiness, but when they are tasked with truly seeking the Lord and delving into the Word, that joy fades. This fading away often happens because the gospel requires them to change their lifestyle, and they refuse because the sin has its roots in their hearts. They have no desire to turn from their sin, and with that, the immediate joy that came from hearing the gospel fades away.
Soil 3 – The Thorns
In this third soil, the seed takes root a little more but is ultimately choked out by the desires of the world and the flesh. The influences around them impact how they allow the gospel to soak into their hearts. Their lives are more influenced by those outside of Christ than by those in Christ. The surrounding society influences them to walk away from the gospel. Oftentimes, these types of people will be involved in church for much longer than the previous soil, because the seed is starting to take root. But the roots never fully develop, and as a result, gospel transformation never happens. The roots of sin and the societal impact upon their lives keep them from being transformed, and they ultimately reject the gospel.
Soil 4 – The Good Soil
The last soil we find is good soil. This is the heart that receives the gospel, and the gospel takes root in their life and begins the journey of transformation. Not only does the soil receive the gospel, but it is one that begins to produce fruit of the gospel. It is like a fruit tree that has been planted. The first year or so, the tree produces little to no fruit because it is growing its roots, but in year two or three, it begins to produce and produce in abundance. The person who hears and receives the gospel and in short order begins to produce fruit as the roots of the gospel transform them. The impact a person has on the Kingdom of God will be seen in the way they live their life! The gospel just flows from the way they live everyday life, and the longer they live, the deeper the roots of the gospel go. No matter what happens in life, the gospel drives them and their life. It is truly a transformed life.
Conclusion:
This parable is one of concerns and challenges. The concern is that we find that 75 percent of the soils Jesus mentions ultimately reject the gospel. Receiving the gospel is not neutral; it has an impact on our lives. We either reject it as the first soil does, or we fully receive it, and it transforms our lives, as we see in the last soil. The challenge as believers is that as we sow seed, we must do so with a heart of prayer and a willingness to invest in those we are sharing the gospel with. Another challenge is that the harder the soil of the heart, the more investment we need to make. As believers, we do this because we love people, and the gospel that pours out of us is the gospel that speaks of God’s love for humanity! When we speak gospel truth into the lives of others, we speak the love of God into their lives! It is up to them whether they will respond to that love or reject it. Just keep throwing the seed and loving others
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