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The Parable of the Sower


The "parable of the sower" might be better called "the parable of the soils." After all, the different qualities of the soils are the focus of the parable. A wide variety of opinions are held regarding the four types of soil in the parable. It's our job to be in the world sowing the seed of the gospel. If we want to create disciples, we have to be mindful of the various kinds of soil. If we desire to grow a bountiful crop, we need to spread as much seed as we possibly can, knowing that a lot of it isn't going to take root. The farmer's focus is on producing a lucrative crop. The farmer was not overly concerned with whether or not the some of the soil is going to reject the seed, that's a given. Like Jesus, we're to sow the gospel as liberally as possible. If we try and guess which soil is most likely to support the message of the kingdom, we're going to get it wrong. We need to scatter the gospel as widely as we can. It's the only way to produce the kind of yield the Lord would like to see.

Faith usually defies human reasoning, there are four types of faith that can be built on these types of soils or grounds: blind faith, unsteady faith, wavering faith and steadfast faith. The first faith is called blind faith, in which a person with sightless assurance or visionless confidence fails to comprehend the wisdom in trusting, believing, and following God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Subsequently, God’s Word is ignored and overlooked when corresponding to seed sown along this path. They are sightless in their faith and allow the world to dictate their life outside the Church, and even will appear religious inside the visible Church. The net result are people who never let God’s Word penetrate and sink into their soul to grow and change their hearts and themselves.

The second faith is called unsteady faith, this person has unstable confidence with a shallow–level of faith when it comes to God’s Word. A contributor to surface–level faith may even be how faith was clarified or explained. This contentment is counterproductive, leading an individual to unbalance the dedication required to stand firm on the Word as preached. They understand that to have a faith, which overcomes the world requires a deep focus on faith, so the faith produces a love for all people and a righteousness not of works or religiosity, but in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is one with God, and is God.

The third faith is called wavering faith, has severe consequences: missed blessings, lack of peace and joy, and a heart that is easily thrown off course when difficulty arises. They regularly focus on the circumstance rather than power and authority that they have been given to overcome various trials and situations. Also, they have feelings of fear, inadequacy, or guilt can interfere with trusting biblical truth. Faith built on this type of soils cause one to have uncertainty about God’s will can lead them to doubt Him.

The fourth faith is called steadfast faith, is to be persistent and unmovable is to be spiritually grounded. A steadfast person knows what he believes and cannot be "tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching" (Ephesians 4:14). An unmovable person can hear false teaching, engage doubters, and defend truth without it shaking their own faith. To remain steadfast and unmovable we have to know the Word of God.

To see the Word produce in your life, it takes time and you have to commit to it as a lifestyle. Effort needs to be put into getting rooted and grounded. Don't dwell on the visible results. Take the example of an oak tree, for every foot above the ground there is three to four feet of roots below the ground. By the time the seedling sprouts it is already well established. Then throughout its life-cycle, it withstands the storms because the strong roots make it stable. Put your effort into your root system. Get established in scripture and God will take care of the plume. Meditate, study, strive to understand and get some depth of soil. In the Christian life, visible results in life and ministry is a direct result of how deep your root system is. This same principle applies to our individual lives as well. Our lives reflect both what has been planted and what is given preference to grow. Weed seeds can be planted unintentionally by whatever we take in. Whether it is what we watch on television, the magazines we read or the gossip we listen to. A lot of seeds are tossed our way during the day. If we do not root them up right away, then they are also allowed a share of soil in which to grow. Interpreting the parable of the sower as simply about coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus is missing its full significance. The familiarity of the story can cause you to switch off to an interpretation that is relevant to both the new and the experienced Christian.

Lastly, in the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 19-23; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15), Jesus reveals why those who hear the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God are not always receptive in the same way. People who are called have their minds opened, the Holy Spirit enabling them to take it to heart, yet many see its surface value but do not internalize it. The parable illustrates the church's relationship to the different groups of people with which it comes in contact. Jesus uses three components: the sower, the seed and the soils, in which to indicate the differences. His story shows the fate of the sown seed, the different types of soils on which it fell, and the resulting effects. Though Jesus names it "the parable of the sower'"(Matthew 13:18), the subject matter sheds particular light on the diverse soils. Nevertheless, the sower does not play a minor role in the parable, since without Him no sowing would occur, without which there would be no possibility of fruit. However, the sower represents a group, as well as Jesus Himself. The language suggests any typical sower, so God's ministers may be considered sowers of the gospel as well. Satan uses Scripture for their own purposes, twisting it to sound as though it says something it doesn't say. If we have not been diligent in our study and meditation on truth, we are vulnerable to error. The false religions of the world can be persuasive when they quote Bible verses to support their error. Even Christians can be deceived by flattering heresy if they do not have a solid grounding in the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). It is God's longing that we grow daily in our thoughtfulness of Him and His Word so that we will remain faithful to the end of times.

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