The Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower – Heart Types:

Some people are not prepared or willing to receive the message of the kingdom. Jesus shared the gospel using stories and metaphors that even a child could understand, but because of a hardness of heart, many just couldn't grasp the significance. Jesus is encouraging His audience to listen and to heed His teaching, while He is also telling His disciples that the parables He uses are designed to "cloud" the truth, rather than to clarify it, to conceal the truth, rather than to reveal it. The soil of a man's heart is stonier; a man grows what he can and tends it. We can aerate the soil of your heart with prayer. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” James 5:16 (NKJV). The energetic vigorous responses of the heart in prayer (and other ways) are meant by God to be responses to great God-centered truth, in this case, Jesus is Lord of the universe; and the Spirit is full of love.

The Four Types of Soil Indicate Four Conditions of the Human Heart.

1. BLIND (SENSITIVE) HEART:

One’s attitude is of utmost importance when confronted with spiritual matters. This heart being discussed is not the physical blood pump, however, the mind or intellect of man. It is important what man thinks in his heart. “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.“Eat and drink!” he says to you,But his heart is not with you” (Proverbs 23:7 NKJV). The parable of the sower depicts different types of hearts (soils) and the seed that is sown in them (Matthew 13:3–8; 18–23). The types of soils commented on in the Bible represent different attitudes toward the precious gospel. This article will focus on the attitude of one who possesses a blind and hardened heart. First, pride can keep one from submitting to the commands of God. Second, prejudice and bias allows many to continue to cultivate a blind and hardened heart. Third, a heart without strong convictions will become blinded to God’s truths. A blind and hardened heart to God’s truths will argue that one church is as good as another and encourage people to attend the church of their choice.

2. ROCKY (SELFISH) HEART:

The rocky heart represents a listener who has selfish intents or needs for receiving the Word. The rocky or selfish person listens and hears and receives the word into his heart for self–ambition and gain. The saving truth does not remain outside of this listener but is taken within. However, this person has a serious impediment to the word: their heart has regions of hardness, like rocks in the ground, in which these rocks are hard, and they are sterile. These rocky areas in the heart are grave problems for the word, and of course for the person listening and hearing. He hears, and quickly receives and believes! But the word cannot be sustained in his heart, it cannot mature and grow and bring forth fruit because of the hardness within. When difficulties come because of the word, he falls away like a root–starved plant withering in the heat of the sun. When tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away, according to Scriptures.

3. REBELLIOUS (STUBBORN) HEART:

The "thorny ground" represents a still different listener. The heart rebels against God. People blame God for their own faults.

"But this people has a defiant and rebellious heart; They have revolted and departed" Jeremiah 5:23 (NKJV). God’s wrath was kindled against Israel because of her rebellious heart. Even though God had manifested Himself to His people, showing them His wonders and mighty deeds and giving them His commandments, they remained stiff-necked and would not obey Him. They followed their own hearts’ desires and worshiped other gods. His heart presents impediments to the word and the life it can bring, in a way different from the path and also from the rocks: thorns are rooted in the heart, and their plants draw sustenance from the ground in competition with the seeds sown by the sower. The thorns "choke" the seeds of the word, and the seeds of the word are thereby starved, and cannot grow to maturity. They are crowded out by thorns, choked by them, starved and retarded in the growth they are intended to produce in the heart.

4. REMAINING (STEADFAST) HEART:

Finally, here, the Lord describes good ground that is worthy of the good seed. This heart is not preoccupied with the path from one place in this world to another. This heart is not obstructed but is cleared of rocks and thorns, and its interior is rich and potent. It can receive the potent word worthily and the result is life: beautiful fruit, abundant fruit that can unfold "thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold." A remaining heart understands its sufficiency is in Christ, so it goes there first by faith. A remaining heart is secure in Christ, and not even the devil can drive it from its devotion to the Lord. Indeed, you can be steadfast because your Savior is steadfast. A persistent and unwavering heart goes where God says go. When your faith begins to flicker, go to God and He will reignite its bright flame. Christ creates and blesses a steadfast heart.

Having found the general meaning of what Jesus was saying, about the different kinds of hearers who were listening to Him, we need to consider what this means for us – for each of us personally. As the Christian heart develops, it produces healthy fruit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23). The more fruit a healthy heart produces, the more it impacts the environment around it. When people see that fruit in people's lives, the more receptive they are to the seed of the gospel. It important is that we monitor the condition of our hearts regularly. When it seems like we are drifting from God, we need to ask Him and ourselves what condition our hearts are in and make sure it remains good for the seeds God has planted there. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way" Psalm 139:23–24(NKJV). Open your heart today to the power of God's word in tilling the soil of your heart. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you by speaking directly into your life using the words of Scripture. May your time in guided prayer be marked by the inner voice of the Spirit and transformation of the heart.