Read Luke 8:4-21
Here we see the very famous parable of the sower. Jesus is demonstrating the different types of people that hear the gospel and how they respond by the illustration of the different types of soils on which His seed will fall. In his day everyone present would understand the different soils because farming was prevalent in their society. Today, the percentage of people in America who understand farming is shrinking each day. I will attempt to put this parable in language for today.
It is worthy to point out why Jesus decided to tell this parable at this time. Read in verse 4, a large crowd was gathering and people were coming from town after town. Obviously Jesus was becoming very famous and people were flocking to him. This is good and bad. It means that there were many who were caught up in the fever of the day; Jesus. Many that were just following the crowd. Jesus gives the parable to place a mirror in front of the listener. Use this parable to examine your own heart. Which soil are you?
Jesus says there are four types of “soil,” or conditions of the heart, that the word of God can fall to. Note that of these four soils, only one produces fruit in the end. Don’t read this and just assume, if you are a Christian that you are in category four. This is a message to the person’s heart as a whole, but it can also be a message to the Christian’s heart at different times in their life.
Heart condition 1, the seed that falls on the path: Notice in this example that the seed falls on the path and is trampled on. Then…the birds come and take away the seed. The path would be the place that gets walked on all the time, or in today’s words, it is the world view. We all live in a place in America where we are constantly bombarded with sex and lies and sin and people who hate God. These are the things that cross the nightly television, papers, and radio. You cannot turn on the TV without seeing some scientist who has “discovered” the answer to a question about the universe that explains how the world works without a God. If you hear and believe that “In the beginning God…,” you are instantly beaten down by society, friends, family, people at work who think you are a simpleton. You are a fool if you believe that God created everything just like the Bible says. You have not “thought things through.” If you allow yourself to be walked on like a seed on this path of popular opinion, you will be ripe to have Satan come and take away the word (seed) that was planted.
Heart condition 2, the seed that falls on rock: Here we have the people who get swept up in the latest “religious” craze. Walk into a revival tent with the music and the crowd. It is exciting and people all around you are seemingly “finding” God. This can be newest “spiritual” thing. It can be a popular preacher, a million dollar selling book, or God forbid some trend that you see on Oprah. In all of these cases, the “religious” fever is present on day one, goes to the heights of excitement on day two, and fades away on day three. There is no root of God’s truth. There is no mention of why you needed “religion” in the first place. The root is that you are an awful sinner in God’s eyes, and you cannot save yourself. You must have Jesus pay your penalty for sin.
Heart condition 3, the seed that fell among the thorns. This one is quite simple. This one does not need to be changed to words for today. This is the same now as it was then. This one is where you find the love of money, position, popularity, and material goods. This seed would produce but all this other worldly stuff chokes it out. This one is very common for the believing Christian to fall susceptible to. You must guard against taking your eyes off of the real prize. It does not say that you cannot have these things, but it does say that you cannot love these things above God.
Heart condition 4, the seed that fell on good soil, AND YIELDED A CROP: I highlighted this last part because it can be overlooked at times. Why does a farmer plant a seed? Why does God plant the word in your heart? Same reason; to produce a crop. If the farmer plants a seed and waters it and tends to it and in the end is returned a seed, what was the point? God saves you for you. After that, he wants you to work to the salvation of others.
All of these have one thing in common: it was the same seed that was planted in each case. Notice that the seed never changes, just the place where the seed falls. Don’t believe any new thing you hear on TV or the “spiritual” flavor of the day. God’s word is timeless. It is the same today as when Jesus said these words. If it is not in the Bible, don’t believe it.
Written by Chris Vasecka