As many times as I’ve read the gospels, and studied them, this parable has always seemed to just be passed over. Why? I don’t know, because it is super convicting. Like, super convicting. And, unlike most parables, we don’t even have to read into this one, Jesus explains the meaning behind it for us!! (How sweet is He?!?!?)
This parable is told by all the gospel writers (except John), but I chose to excerpt it from Matthew.
(In Matthew, it’s in chapter 13)
(In Mark, it’s in chapter 4)
(In Luke, it’s in chapter 8)
“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were torched, and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!’”
Matthew 13:3-9
So reading this, our minds are kind of trained to read into what Jesus is saying. He never just talks about random things, with no meaning. It’s always random things, but with a deeper meaning and purpose. Lucky for us, Jesus interprets His own parable for us, so keep reading.
“Therefore, hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for awhile. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundred fold, some sixty, some thirty”
Matthew 13:18-23
Which one are you?
He who receives seed by the wayside?
You hear the word and the truth of God, but you don’t really understand it. The enemy is quick to come in, and twist it around, and ensure that you don’t get the chance to grasp it. The enemy is also quick to convince you that you are not able or worthy to understand, and he likes to full your head with lies. The enemy will snatch away the truths so quickly, you never even have the chance to let them grow in your heart.
He who receives the seed on a stony place?
You hear the word of God, and His truths, and you rejoice in the words. But very superficially, and you never really attach it to your heart. You are joyous in these words for a time, but as soon as life gets hard, and trials arise, your faith is quickly squashed. It withers away, because it’s not really based on a solid foundation. It’s based on scriptures that jump out and make good quotes.
He who receives seed among thorns?
You hear the word of God, maybe even convicted by it, but you care more for this world. You know that you aren’t living a life chasing Jesus, and you kind of maybe want to, but this world attracts you more. So the words you read or hear from the Lord get overshadowed by the desires of your flesh. And time after time, you choose the world over the Lord.
He who receives seed on the good ground?
You hear the word of God, you truly understand it, you bear good fruit. A hundred fold, sixty, or thirty. You get it. You write it on your heart. You base your life on it, so you aren’t shaken when you face trials and tribulations. You know you put the Lord above the world, and you constantly choose Jesus.
I encourage you to spend some time with the Lord, and figure out which one of these is most like you. Ask Him, and He’ll reveal Himself to you.
To he who receives seed by the wayside…
I encourage you to pray the enemy away. If you don’t understand something that you read or hear, look into it. There are some great websites and resources on the internet that help interpret some scriptures and doctrines that can be complicated to understand. I encourage you to go to the Lord with these things, and ask Him to clear things up for you. He wants you to truly understand what He has to say, and would love to clear it up in your mind and soul. Seek Him, seek help, seek Him to defend against the lies of the enemy.
To he who receives the seed on a stony place…
I encourage you to not seek the Lord on mountain tops. I encourage you to seek Him in the valleys. I encourage you to look deeper into scriptures. I encourage you to truly understand the words. I encourage you to truly understand the value and the weight of them. I encourage you to write these things on your heart, so that when you face trials and tribulations, you do not wither. I encourage you to not ride the “Jesus high”, that is so easy to fall off of. I encourage you to base your faith on solid ground, on Jesus alone. Not on the cute scriptures that make good and catchy and motivational quotes for the internet or wall decorations.
To he who receives the seed among thorns…
I encourage you to truly understand that the things of this world will never satisfy you. I know where you are. You think God is for later, you want to have fun now. You want to indulge in everything that this world has to offer. But as soon as those things slip away, you will be left with nothing. They will never leave you satisfied. The only solid rock that you have to stand on is the Lord. And I think you know that. And I know it’s hard. But seek Him. The boldest prayer that I have ever learned to pray is “Lord change the desires of my heart”. He will. He will give you parts of his heart, and you will begin to take joy in Him. The things of this world will begin to lose their draw. But it can only happen if you desire for that change to take place in your heart. Until then, the word of the Lord will carry little value to you, because the enemy has a stronger hold over you. And you are letting him.
To he who receives seed on good ground…
I admire you. I envy you. If this is truly you, all of the time, I aspire to be like you. We all do. Chances are though, you’ve struggled with receiving seeds in another way before in your life. Maybe even now, once in a while. I encourage you to assist those who struggle more prominently with receiving these seeds. I encourage you to encourage others to do the same. But do it in love, not boastfulness.
The truth is, we’ve all been at least one of these, if not all of them, at some point in our lives. In different seasons, in different faith levels, we receive seeds differently. We all receive the same seeds differently. We all strive to be he who receives seed on good ground. But are we really striving? Could we strive more?
Are you:
The man who receives seed by the wayside?
The man who relieves seed on stony ground?
The man who receives seed among thorns?
The man who receives seen on good ground?
The title of this blog tells you which one I most identify with, and feel convicted by. Which one does that for you? How can you strive to be the man who receives seed on solid ground? I encourage you to truly ask yourself these questions, and seek the Lord in them. Let Him convict you, and allow Him to help you receive seed on good ground. But only you can make that change in yourself.
