As we study the Gospel of Matthew, it’s helpful to remember that Matthew wrote this gospel for a church that was suffering persecution and internal struggles.
On one level, Jesus told the parable of the sower to remind the church that the kinds of soils mentioned in the parable represent different responses to the gospel within the church context.
Jesus interpreted the parable and outlined three responses to the kingdom of God.
“Hear, then, the parable of the sower.
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path” (Matthew 13.18-19).
To understand Jesus’ message about the different types of soil, we need to remind ourselves about the kingdom of God. Jesus proclaimed the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth.
He said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mark 1.15).
The kingdom of God is God’s rule. This world is under new management and God is in charge.
With that said, we are easily distracted and influenced by all that takes place around us. As a result, we can easily misunderstand what He is doing, fail to repent or be left hopeless because of all the conflicting issues around us.
Many people fail to understand the reality of God’s kingdom. It is easy for the evil one to take away that message from their hearts, resulting in no response of repentance and faith.
Rocky Ground People
The parable of the sower explains what is obvious to many who have been around the church for a while. Jesus explains the rocky ground sort of person.
“As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,
“Yet such a person has no root but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away” (Matthew 13.20-21).
There is an adage in sports that is true of athletics as well as the spiritual life: “You play like you practice.”
Our response to God in crucial times will either rise or fall based on how we have practiced our relationship with Jesus in ordinary times.
If we choose to neglect obedience to the Lord in small matters, when the more difficult issues come, we will almost always fail.
The hard ground reflects an unwillingness to give God all of our lives. Jesus’s call to discipleship is complete. He is the King and we are His servants.
When we fail to give Jesus our all, persecution and hardships will reveal the weak spot in our discipleship.
Thorny Ground People
When Matthew remembered this parable and related it to his church, I am sure that he, like many other church leaders, had experienced people who allowed the worries and cares of this world to snuff out their vibrant relationship with God.
Jesus said, “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing” (Matthew 13.22).
We do well to remember God’s word through the prophet Isaiah.
For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57.15)
Our culture idolizes the rich and powerful who dominate social media and the interests of our culture.
God dwells far beyond the interests of America’s infatuation with riches, beauty, and power. Yet, he comes to sit in the dirt with people who have been broken by oppression or their sins.
The surest way to miss God’s presence is by striving for the American dream of popularity, wealth, and power.
The best way to encounter God is to recognize God’s holiness and our need for him. A daily reflection on the cross will ground us in our faith and open the door to a relationship with God.
Good Soil People
After three stories of bad news, we finally reach the place of good news. Jesus tells us there are good-soiled people, and we certainly want to be among that crowd.
But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty” (Matthew 13.23).
Hearing in the Bible always implies obedience. If we understand, hear, and do the gospel truth, we create a place where God’s kingdom message can bear fruit in our lives.
I have been very influenced by Henry Blackaby’s book, “Experiencing God.”
How do we experience God? We cultivate a humble relationship with Him, study the Bible, pray, and then do what God reveals to us.
If we do that, we can count on being the good soil that lives a Jesus-kind-of-life and influences others to do the same.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 