Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop – a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear.”
Matthew 13:18-23
“Listen to what the parable of the sower means: When someone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Did you know there are people who spend their lives studying dirt? A group called the “Soil Science Society of America” has identified 12 main types of soil in the U.S. These types range from the rich, dark soil of the midwest, called “Mollisol”, to the reddish soil of the southeast, called “Ultisol”, to the dry soil of the southwest, called “Aridisol.” And while people like me might not be terribly excited by soil-types, they’re pretty important to farmers!
Farmers know that, while it is the nature of a seed to grow, seeds need the right soil conditions to achieve maximum growth.
In this parable Jesus talks about four specific types of soil corresponding to four different kinds of people; four different types of hearts.
Read his words again and see if you can find all four.
When someone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Did you find them?
There is the “path”; or hard soil.
Jesus mentions “rocky places”; this would be shallow soil.
Then there is the thorny ground; or cluttered soil.
And finally he talks about the good soil.
He wants us to make a connection between these four soil types and the condition of our hearts.
Before we start to dig into the soil types, know this: you are in the story! When Jesus tells a parable, he creates a kind of “truth-trap”; that is, he tells the story in such a way that no one can say, “Nice story but it doesn’t apply to me!” because we are all in the story somewhere. The key to understanding the spiritual point of Jesus’ parables is figuring out where we are in the story.
Jesus is saying that right now your heart is like one of these soil types. Right now my heart is like one of these soil types. We are in the story.
Do you know which one you are?
Notice the curious line Jesus uses as he tells the story: he says, “He who has ears, let him hear.”
This is Jesus’ way of saying, “Listen up, I’m talking to you!”
Before you click off “10 Minutes with God” for today; read the parable one more time, slowly. As you read, ask Jesus to show you what kind of soil is in your heart today.
Pastor Brian Coffey
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