Ah, spring. We will soon be entering the season when trees bud, flowers bloom, and weeds sprout. Well, we can’t have everything! So, get out your fertilizer, get your mower in good working order, and carry your weed puller.
Jesus gives a lesson on efforts and activities such as those above, not in the same words, but with the same variety of outcomes.
In Luke 8:4-15, Jesus told a parable about a seed sower. In this case He speaks of different soils and the results which can be expected.
There are four kinds of soil: one doesn’t receive the seed; another seed fell on rocky soil and is unable to take root; other seeds fell among thorns which choked out the good growth; and the fourth soil was good and “produced a crop a hundred times as great.”
Jesus then explained to his disciples that “the seed is the word of God” (verse 11), and the soils are the hearts of men (verses 12, 15). You see, each of us fit into this parable. You are there, but where do you fit?
at verse 12. Jesus says, “The devil comes and takes away the word from their heart.” He implies that it was there, but “it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up.” Criticism about a new-found faith in God, which causes a change of lifestyle, sometimes brings regret. Friends begin making fun of you, or they stay away as you get “preachy.”
Then there are the hearts which joyfully accept God’s saving Word, but when old temptations confront them, such as chances for thievery, or sex outside of marriage, or lying, they turn their backs on God and end their salvation.
In the third type of soil, the seed penetrates and starts to grow; this person goes about his or her life, but worries about things such as health, bills, or the safety of grandchildren choke out the Word of God. He didn’t replace fear with faith; he just stopped learning about God. One preacher said, “If you want to get close to God, you must get close to His Word.”
Whenever a person hears a sermon or a Bible lesson, he makes a decision: “I will follow Jesus!” or he says, “I don’t have time for any of this!”
There’s one more soil: the good soil which produces healthy, large crops. The farmer hopes that his seed falls here. The crop produced not only strengthens the one who heard, but it also affects others.
You fit into this parable of Jesus somewhere. Which soil represents your heart? Where do you fit?