The teachings of Jesus
are far more difficult to live by than they are to understand. When Jesus taught the parable of the Sower,
he utilized an analogy about farming that his audience would have readily
understood. The focus of the parable is
on the variable types of ground that the seed falls upon and how receptive it
is to the seed. There are four types of
ground mentioned by Jesus: path, rocky, weeds, and good soil, only one of which
is capable of nurturing the seed and allowing it to grow to maturity and
produce a harvest. The first three types
of soil all have external or internal issues that are detrimental to the seed
and thus fail to produce. The fourth
type is called “good” in that it actually multiplies the seed in the end by
giving the farmer a harvest.
Jesus explained this parable to his disciples and
reminded them that not everyone who hears his message is actually listening to
it. This episode touches about a
difficult subject for us: Why do some people accept the Gospel while others
reject it? On the surface one person may
seem as likely as another, but one accepts the message and continues in it
while another either fails to maintain that commitment or outright rejects
it. The parable gives reasons why the
three types that rejected the offer of God’s grace did so, but in the end
excuses won’t help because they all equally failed to reproduce the seed.
What is our purpose as Christians? How do we ensure that we are creating a
bountiful harvest for God? The
conclusion to Jesus’ parable is contained in his response to the arrival of
Mary, James, and his other half-brothers, “My mother and brothers are those who
hear God’s word and put it into practice.”
The harvest that God requires is nothing new or surprising, it is simply
obedience; to hear the word of God and obey it.
This is, we know, a process that can only be done by faith and the power
of the Holy Spirit, but it must be accomplished. If we are to be good soil, if we are to
fulfill our purpose, we must obey the word of God.
To watch the video, click on the link below:
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