Matthew 13.1-9 18-23 Mark 4.1-9 13-20 Luke 8.4-8 11-15
Responses to the teaching of God’s Word are varied from
person to person. The parable of the
sower describes six different types of soils on which the seed of God’s Word
falls. The main thing that all of them
have in common is that they all hear the Word of God. Three of the soils in the parable are
unproductive. The other three soils are
productive at different levels. This
teaching about typical responses to God’s Word is important for everyone who
proclaims the Word of God to remember and for everyone who hears the Word of
God to evaluate. Each of the three
unproductive soils have a different enemy that hinders reproduction. These principles are vital for every teacher
and hearer of God’s Word to understand.
HEARING WITH DISTRACTION: The wayside is soil that has been
compacted by equipment or people repeatedly stepping on it. The enemy of this soil are the birds that
come and eat the seed before it even has a chance to germinate. The birds represent Satan who comes and
snatches away the understanding of God’s Word from the person who hears
it. One of the most common tools Satan
uses to prevent us from understanding God’s Word is distraction. These distractions come in many forms. Many people allow their minds to wander as
they read or hear the Word of God. They
have the opportunity to be exposed to God’s Word but because they lack
concentration the truth just goes in one ear and out the other. Phones ringing, dogs barking, people
whispering, being too hot, being too cold, a long list of things to do, being
hungry, thirsty or sleepy, boredom, bugs, bats, butterflies, frogs and
countless other things can be used to keep us from understanding God’s
Word. Concentration is vital to the
transformation God wants to bring about in our lives through the teaching of
His Word.
FEARING OF DESTRUCTION: The stony soil is shallow soil that
does not allow the roots of the plant to grow down and get the moisture it
needs to survive. The enemy of this soil
is the sun the comes out and burns up the young plant just as it starts to
grow. The sun represents persecution and
hardship that is associated with applying and obeying God’s Word in our
lives. This person hears God’s Word and
has an emotional response to what they hear.
They come away from their time in God’s Word saying: “wow that was
really a great message or powerful passage of Scripture.” They may even raise their hand, go forward or
make a commitment to change an area of their life. However, once they start to make some changes
they face criticism from others or maybe they simply lack the discipline to
follow through on their decision. Fear
about what others might be thinking of them or persecution from friends, family
members or unbelievers can all be ways that people become discouraged from
following through on their commitments.
Satan wants to destroy the image of God on the face of the earth so he
is actively looking to intimidate or even kill those who try to obey
Scripture. Courage and discipline are
key factors in the productivity of God’s Word in our hearts.
FEELING OF DESPERATION: The thorny soil is relatively good
soil that has been contaminated by seeds that compete with the seed that is
being planted. The enemy of this soil
are the thorns that grow along with the plant but grow faster than the plant and
end up making it unproductive. These
thorns represent the cares of this world and the love of money that is so
prevalent in the hearts of men. In
essence, this a problem within as opposed to the external pressures of the
thorny soil. These people hear God’s
Word and begin to apply it to their lives but then there are some desperate
“needs” that just seem to come up that make the person feel like it is
impossible to follow through. The
persons knows what needs to be done but simply does not have the will to follow
through with what needs to be done.
There is a price that is associated with obedience. Following God’s Word may mean the loss of a
job or some other form of financial loss.
God’s Word demands that we be willing to make those sacrifices in order
to be pleasing to God. Commitment is
vital to producing fruit for the glory of God.
PRODUCING WITH DETERMINATION: The final soil is simply
called good soil in that it produces fruit.
There are three different levels of productivity in the good soil. We are not told why some of the soil was more
productive than others but it stands to reason that there may have been some
rocks and a few thorns in some of the less productive soil. We saw that the first soil was not productive
due to a lack of comprehension of God’s Word, possibly due to a lack of
concentration when hearing the Word. The
second soil was unproductive due to the lack of courage while applying God’s
Word. The third soil was unproductive because
of a lack of commitment while living the Word.
It would be logical to conclude that our productivity as believers will
be proportionate to our concentration, courage and commitment while hearing,
applying and living God’s Word. Not all
believers have the same level of productivity.
We also may have different levels of productivity during different
phases of our lives. We must strive to
be as productive as possible as we seek to order our lives according to
Scripture.
APPLICATION: Every time we open God’s Word, hear a message,
attend a Bible Study or receive Biblical counsel we are one of these six types
of soil. Pray that God will help us
concentrate, give us courage and strengthen our commitment to Him through the
power of His Spirit so we might be as productive as possible while living out the
truths of the Bible. When we teach God’s
Word we should do all we can to help prepare those who will hear but not be
discouraged when the results are not completely what we expect them to be.
Comments
Post a Comment