Types of hearts: The Wayside The Stony Ground The Thorny Ground The Good Ground
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
“And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside: and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. ‘” Luke 8:4-8.
Of all the parables spoke, The Parable of the Sower is perhaps the best known. Perhaps this is because it is explained, or it might be the message it portrays. Whatever the reason, it is worthy of some attention. With that in mind, this article as well as the next few will deal this parable and some lessons we can learn.
What was the purpose of this parable? The fact that it deals with different types of hearts would suggest that is could be called ‘the parable of the soils’ or ‘the parable of hearts’, but Jesus Himself called it, “The parable of the sower” (Mt.13:18). The reason, is that the message was directed at His apostles and perhaps other disciples. They were the sowers He was referring to.
He was warning them that as they endeavored to spread the gospel they would run into all different kinds of people. Not everyone would accept the truth. In fact, the majority would not. Only one type of soil, was truly good and receptive. Three were not. Thus they were not to lose heart, but rather they should keep trying until they found those who would be receptive.
What about the seed? There is no doubt what it represents. For Jesus Himself says, “The seed is the word of God.” (Lk. 8:11). And that is what we are to be sowing. In Gen. 1:11, as Moses describes the creation of the world, he records a command of God. “Then God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit ACCORDING TO ITS KIND, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.’” The expression, “According to its kind” is used at least 10 times in Genesis 1. Thus we see that it was a law God set in motion. And to this day, it is still in force. It is one law that renders the theory of evolution false. And while this law is true in the physical world, it is also true spiritually. When Jesus said that the seed in the Parable of the Sower was God’s Word, then that is the ONLY thing the sower needs to be sowing. Why are there so many different religions today? It is because a different type of seed is being sown. They take God’s Word and add to it or take away from it as they please. The result is a different seed or gospel, which Paul says cannot be (Gal.1:6-9) if God is to be pleased. This is why we reject any creed book, other than the Bible itself. For example, one might ask, “How does one become a Methodist?”. The answer is, The Bible, PLUS the Methodist Discipline. What does it take to be a Mormon? It takes the Bible, PLUS The Book of Mormon, PLUS The Doctrine and The Covenant, PLUS The Pearl of Great Price. If in searching for the Lord’s church someone hands you a book that they consider equal with the Bible or necessary for their religion, then that is a pretty good indication that it is NOT the true church.
Back to our parable. Who was Jesus looking for? Christians, And Christians ONLY. Those that need only the Word of God. They are described as “good ground”. We will discuss their attitude in another article.
Now, let’s consider the seed that is to be sown. As already pointed out, it is the Word of God. In Heb. 4:12 it is described as, “...living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,a and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Paul said of the gospel, “...It is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes...” (Rom.1:16). James refers to it as “the perfect law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25) and as “that which is able to save your souls” (1:21).
Do we have the confidence we should have in this Word? Too often brethren fail to “sow” to others because they do not have the confidence in the “seed” they should have. They take rejection personally or are afraid they might anger a friend by pointing out error. Yes sowing the seed will be met with resistance, rejection, and on occasion stronger results, but that does not change the fact that we are expected to still sow the seed. Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gives the increase.” (1 Cor.3:6-7). Showing that we must still learn to trust in His Word. It can accomplish everything. It changed Paul, and as anyone who has been a Christian for a while can tell you, it dramatically changes lives. It IS that powerful. Jesus suffered rejection and resistance and He told His disciples to expect the same too. (Jn.15:20-21). But He, as an example for us (1 Pet.2:21-23) continued, desiring to please His heavenly Father, just as should do also. We have “the seed” before us. When sown in purity it will yield a godly crop. Do we have the confidence in His Word that we ought to have? In our next lesson we will examine the wayside as described in the parable of the sower. TATJR
The PARABLE OF THE SOWER (2) - The Wayside
“A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside: and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it....Now the parable is this:...Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.” Luke 8:5,11-12.
It has been pointed out that this parable was taught by Jesus as a lesson to His disciples to teach them that as they went about trying to increase the kingdom (sowing) by spreading the Word of God (the seed) they would meet rejection and resistance. Each of the four types of soil described in this parable refer to different types of hearts. We now want to examine the wayside.
The first thing Jesus says is that they hear the word. This is said of all four types of hearts. While it can be said that everyone in the world fits into one of these four categories, those who are specifically referred to are those who are presented the Word of God. This elaborates upon our responsibility to plant and water (1 Cor.3:6-7). We MUST sow the seed because that is the ONLY way we can determine what type of heart (or soil) one has. How often do we find ourselves deciding who will and won’t be interested in the gospel without actually presenting it to them? If we do, then perhaps we ought to study James 2:1-13, especially verses 2-4.
Matthew explains of the wayside heart that they hear, but they do not understand it. The idea does not refer to their inability to hear or understand but their refusal to do so. Often the scriptures refer to hardened hearts, and the attitude is always one of rejection. When Pharaoh hardened his heart, he was presented with God’s message and rejected it. (Ex.7:22,8:15,...). John refers to Isaiah saying, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” (Jn. 12:40 [Isa. 6:9.10]). This is a description of the wayside heart. When the seed falls upon such a heart, the word is audibly heard (unless they refuse to de even that) and then immediately rejected.
Perhaps the majority of the world fits into this category. They have no interest in the gospel. Any mention of God’s word brings a snarl or a look of indifference. This type would include the atheist who denies the existence of God and closes his eyes to the evidence that cries out His name ( Psa. 14:1). It includes the materialist who is so wrapped up in his things that he refuses to accept that there is a better life than the one we are presently in (1 Jn.2:15-17; Mt 6:19-21). It also includes the immoral person who loves pleasure to the point that he is blinded to the blessings of a restrained and modest life (1 Cor.6:18). It includes the believer in another God, who rejects the Holy Bible and replaces it with some other creed (Eph. 4:6). In includes the believer in God and Jesus who when presented with the truth rejects it for his own ideas of what God should accept (Gal.1:6-9).
It also includes the one who hears the truth and for the time being puts it off intending to obey later (Acts 24:25). When one puts off obeying the gospel, they run the risk of never obeying it. Because each time one says “no”, or “later”, his heart becomes a little more hardened. If one puts off what he knows he needs to do long enough, eventually he has no desire to respond anymore. Hence the heart has become hardened to the truth.
It also includes the one whose conscience has been seared with a hot iron to the point that they cannot be turned back to the truth. (1 Tim. 4:2). Just as a good field can be neglected to the point that the ground becomes hard and cannot receive seed, so it is possible for one who at one time had a good heart but due to neglect it has become hardened. Just as hard as the one who refuses to ever hear God’s word, perhaps even more. It is to this type of person that the Hebrew writer refers to saying, “It is impossible...if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance,...” Heb. 6:4-6). It is this type of heart that prompted James to warn, “For it would have been better for them not to have know the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn form the holy commandment delivered to them.” (2 Pet. 2:20-22)
There are many more who would fit in this tragic category, but these are sufficient to give an understanding of the type of person Jesus is referring to when He spoke of the wayside.
We also note that when the seed is sown, it is the devil or wicked one (Mt.13:19) that comes and takes it away. Rest assured that the devil is always looking for an opportunity to hinder the kingdom of God. He will stop at nothing to win one soul to his cause (1 Pet. 5:8-9). Thus we must always be on guard.
Finally, let us note that sometimes hardened soil can be tilled and tended to so that it becomes good ground. So it is with man. There may be one who at this time is totally hardened to God’s word, but with time and careful tending it may eventually receive the truth. Because of this, we should never lose heart. And of course, keep sowing the seed, letting God give the increase. TATJR
The Parable of the Sower (3) - The Rocky Soil
“Some fell on rock: and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture...But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.” Luke 8:6,13.
In our last article we noted that the seed that represents the wayside consists of most of the world. It is anyone who refuses to accept God’s word. We now want to examine the heart that is described as rocky soil.
We begin by observing that some feel upon rock. Matthew’s account describes it as “stony places, where they did not have much earth.” (Mt.13:5). It describes seed that gets a good start. It is planted and germinates. At first it needs only a little soil to grow. But as it continues to grow, it runs into impenetrable obstacles that stop it from growing any further. Because its roots are not permitted to spread and become firmly established in the ground, when the hot sun beats upon it, it is scorched and withers away. (See Mt. 13:5-6)
Another way to describe it is as a potted plant. As the plant continues to grow, it eventually reaches the boundaries of the pot. Then it must either be moved to a bigger pot (the obstacle removed) and be cared for or else it will wither away.
Jesus describes this type of soil (heart) as one that “hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.” (Mt.13:20). Thus it describes one who is presented with the truth and gladly receives it. He obeys it and becomes a Christian. When he later falls away, there are some who would argue that he never really was a Christian. But the text states that they RECEIVE the word. The word used indicates acceptance. Remember the seed DOES germinate and begins to grow. Can it be denied that this person has, “escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ...” (2 Pet. 2:20)? Could it not be said of this person that he was, “once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakes of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come...” (Heb. 6:4-5)? God’s word has been received into his heart.
But, these have no root. Again Matthew 13:20-21 sheds light on the subject stating that having received the word, “...yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. For some reason this person does not become firmly grounded. Perhaps being a Christian was not what he thought it would be and when the first sign of trouble comes along he gives up or stumbles. Maybe once he became a Christian he did not see the importance of growing so he withers away. Possibly, after obeying the gospel he was then left on his own and not taught the importance of continued obedience. Not being rooted (because it lacked moisture - Lk.8:6), he is carried away by every wind of doctrine. (Are we doing our part to see that this does not happen when a new soul is won to Christ?) Whatever the reason might be, he withers away, stumbles, or falls away and is lost.
From the stony soil, we thus learn, that one can fall away. The doctrine, “once saved, always saved” which is taught by so many is false. Consider 2 Pet. 2:20-22 which was alluded to earlier states that one who has escaped the pollutions of the world, “they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandments delivered to them.” If one cannot fall away, how is the latter end worse than the beginning? The Hebrew writer speaks of those who were once enlightened saying, “if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” (Heb.6:4-6). Earlier, he wrote, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.” (2:1) To drift away one must first be at the place they are drifting from. Thus we see that one can fall away after becoming a Christian.
Because one can fall from grace (Gal.5:4), the rocky soil teaches us the importance of being firmly grounded. 2 Pet. 3:18 commands that we are to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Col.2:6-7 says, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith.” Paul also wrote, “...that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine,...” (Eph.4:14). This is the only way we can prevent our seed withering away. Just as a plant needs constant care, so does our spiritual heart.
Finally, we must be aware of the dangers of temptations, tribulation and persecutions. They are the causes attributed to falling away in our parable.(Mt. 13:21; Lk.8:13). James warns about temptation in chapter 1:12-16. Paul warns of persecutions in 2 Tim. 3:12. The Christian life is not always an easy one. It requires a willingness to endure whatever comes our way and to continue to grow regardless of the obstacles we must overcome. Are we like the stony soil? TATJR
The Parable of the Sower (4) - The Thorny Ground
“And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it...Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.” Luke 8:7,14
As we continue to examine the various soils in the parable of the sower we now want to notice the thorny ground. Jesus said this type of soil represented those who hear the word, but never really mature and produce fruit because they are influenced by the world. Mark describes this soil in more detail saying “...the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word...” (Mk. 4:19). The result is that they bring no fruit to maturity.
Where do we find one who has the type of soil here described? Sadly, not too far away. In fact some are in the church. That is, they CLAIM to be a part of the church. It is one who obeys the gospel, but still puts his riches ahead of serving God. He attends services, unless there is an important ball game on T.V. Or maybe his friends come over and visit and he decides to stay home and entertain them. Maybe he has some problems he has to deal with- Rather than cast his cares and worries upon God (1 Pet.5:7; Mt. 6:25-34), he lets them distract him from service to God.
A good example of one with thorny soil would be the rich, young ruler. (Mt.19:16-22) He approaches Jesus asking what is necessary to inherit eternal life. Jesus tells him he must keep the commandments. The young ruler proudly says he has done that. Then Jesus pointed to his thorn, his riches. He instructs him to sell all that he has and give to the poor. Sadly, his riches meant more to him than eternal life, so he goes away sad.
Note that the seed planted in this type of soil does not totally die, but rather it is forced to share the nutrients of the soil, which are ALL needed to produce healthy fruit from the plant, with the weeds. This is a true law in gardening. That is why a back yard gardener will spend hours weeding out his plants. Weeds seem to survive easier than the plant and are often more difficult to remove. That is also why the farmer uses a product to kill weeds. They know that if they do not, their crop will be substantially reduced.
The result both physically and spiritually is they bring no fruit to perfection. Perhaps they do produce fruit. But it is stunted and weak, just like the plant. They have good intentions. They set out to accomplish a task, but they never seem to finish the task. Their heart is not in it.
Sadly, such people are just as lost, as the hear described as the wayside. Jesus taught, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” Lk.9:62. Paul clearly teaches that we must finish the race. “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it...But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.” (1 Cor.9:24,27).
But where do the weeds come from? The parable seems to indicate they were in the heart when he received the word. He did not completely let go of the world when the seed was planted. Thus he fails to produce adequate fruit. BUT, could it also be that planted along with the seed is some of the weeds that he sees in the Lord’s body? When one becomes a Christian, he then joins other Christians in a local church. What if in that congregation he sees many who fail to bring fruit to perfection? What if he sees worldliness, people consumed with the cares of this world and desires for things other than godliness? He assumes that such is acceptable and before long he has planted along with the seed of God’s word, these other weeds. The result is usually he becomes the same. This is why a good example is so important. (Mt. 5:13-16). Do you want to be responsible for improperly cultivating the soil of a precious soul?
Again, as with the rocky soil and the wayside, this ground can be cultivated to produce fruit as it should. But it takes a willingness on the part of the one with this type of heart to change and a great deal of work from others, the rest of us, who are trying to influence and encourage this brother toward the right path. Is your heart described as this thorny soil? & TATJR
The Parable of the Sower (5) – The Good Ground
“But other fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold....But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” Luke 8:8,15
We have been examining the Parable of the Sower that Jesus taught His disciples. We have noted that it was a parable directed toward his disciples (the sowers, and thus named by Jesus Himself - Mt. 13:18). As the word of God is broadcast to the world, Jesus was letting them know that not all would be receptive to the word. IN fact, most would not. But they were to sow the seed anyway, letting God take care of the increase (1 Cor.3:6). We have also identified the first three types of soils or hearts that we might encounter. All of them are useless to the kingdom of heaven, because no fruit is produced. Today, in this final article, we will examine the good ground, the ONLY type of soil (heart) that IS acceptable to God.
The ground and heart is called “good”. There are several Greek words that are translated “good” in the English language. One definition means (AGATHOS) “worthy of admiration...the inner harmonious perfection, which is its own standard and measure, and which primarily belongs to God” (Bullinger). It is a word that implies will and preparation. Another word means (KALOS) “beautiful, referring to objects whose appearance has a certain harmonious perfection” (Bullinger). This word deals with the perception of the senses, as in beautiful (good) scenery. These two words are mentioned because both are found in Luke’s account. In Matt. 13 and Mk.4, the word good (used 2 times in each), KALOS is used. This word is also found in Luke, v. 15, the first time (good ground). In Luke’s account, both in the actual parable (v. 8) and the second use of the word good in v. 15 ( good heart) is the word (AGATHOS). While Matthew and Mark appeal to the appearance of the soil, Luke appeals to its usefulness. (NOTE: Matthew and Mark also appeal to the usefulness of this soil in their contexts. But the word “good” is used only of the physical soil. The heart is described in other terms by them.)
What is the point of this? It is simply that a heart that is described as good, is one that is prepared to receive God’s Word. Just as soil MUST be prepared before it can receive seed AND produce a crop, so it is with the heart. During this series it has been pointed out that hearts can change, just as the condition of soil can be changed (within limits of course). While a heart is hard right now, perhaps in the future it will become receptive to the Seed. This impresses upon us the importance of being a good example before others. Why do most children follow the religion of their parents? Because they have been prepared to accept that. The example we set before our neighbors, co-workers, and friends is helping to prepare their heart for that moment when we will sow the seed in their direction. Granted, we do not have total control of their heart, but is the example we are setting before them one that is cultivating their heart to receive the seed? Think about it!
Now, how is this heart described? Luke describes it as “having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.” (8:15). Matthew says it is “he who hears the word and understands it” (13:23). Mark states that they, “hear the word, accept [receive] it, and bear fruit.” (4:20) Thus it is a heart that is honest and open. It also is capable of comprehending or grasping that which is taught. Occasionally, I have known of individuals who heard the plan of salvation and responded to it on the spot. But they did not truly understand deep down in their heart what they were doing or why. Usually they fell away or did not become very strong Christians. They do NOT fit in the category of the good soil (see parts 3 & 4), because they do not understand the word.
In all 3 accounts of this parable we are told that the good ground bears fruit. Matthew and Mark both mention that they bring forth fruit, some thirty, some sixty and some a hundred fold. This shows that some are more capable than others of producing fruit. But, we note that ALL are capable of bringing forth SOME fruit. Jesus on another occasion impressed this lesson upon His disciples. He said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” Jn.15:2
What is the fruit? Perhaps it is souls won to Christ. Paul alludes to this in 1 Cor.3:6 where he speaks of planting, and Apollos watering, while God gives the increase. We know that we are to be teaching others (Mk.16:15; 2 Tim.2:2, etc.). Maybe the fruit is various godly characteristics. Gal. 5:22-25 describes the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (See also Eph. 5:8; Jas. 3:18) Could it be the fruit of our lips offered in praise to God, as mentioned in Heb. 13:15? I would say that primarily it is dealing with winning souls to Christ, because that is what the seed is doing when it is planted, and every seed produces after its own kind. But, it can apply to all the types of fruits just mentioned, because in everything a Christian does he is to be productive. That is what makes one a true Christian. That is what constitutes a good and honest heart. Is this the type of heart that you have?
This series has been designed to cause us to examine ourselves. What type of heart do you have? How is your influence affecting others hearts? If you find that your heart is not right with God, then please make the necessary changes, starting today. You will be better because of it, and so with those you associate with on a daily basis. THINK ON THESE THINGS! TATJR