A Parable

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. 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 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 scorched, 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 hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Matthew 13:1-9

Jesus taught many important truths through the use of parables, but I consider the parable of the sower to be the most important and possibly the most neglected of them all. Pastor Dave taught on this passage of Scripture Sunday, and I was once again both comforted and concerned by its teaching. I was comforted by the fact that God is sowing His Word (the seed) in people, with the assurance some will receive and understand His word (the good soil), thereby producing spiritual fruit. This soil represents those who are truly regenerate in Christ.

But I am also concerned by the implications of the other three soils as they apply to the visible church. The seed that fell by the wayside represents those that hear the gospel but just don't comprehend it. These people might even be in church every Sunday, but because their hearts have been hardened by their sin and unbelief, it's as if the truth goes in one ear and out the other. The seed that fell on the stony ground is representative of those who hear the Word and immediately receive it with joy, but later fall away. In these cases, there is an initial response to the gospel, but there is no sustained fruit in their lives. This is precisely why evangelistic attempts that use alter calls, pressured "prayers of salvation," etc. are so dangerous. Many have walked the aisle, prayed the prayer, or raised their hand in response to an emotional appeal of the gospel, but they were not genuinely converted by the Holy Spirit. Tragically, those people often point to that moment in their life as "proof" of their salvation, even though their lives bear no fruit (evidence of faith). Even more tragic is the fact that their church or family will sometimes reinforce that false notion. It's not uncommon to hear a parent say something such as, "My adult son isn't walking with the Lord, but I know he's saved, because he asked Jesus into his heart (or he was baptized, etc.) when he was five years old." A wise parent would encourage the son to examine himself as to whether he really is in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5). The soil with thorns represents those who hear the gospel, but they are more concerned with the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. The truth of the Word is "choked," and no spiritual fruit is produced. All three soils (types of people) are present in local churches. We must be faithful to share the gospel, being mindful that God promises to build His church, and it is He who will produce spiritual fruit in the lives of those He redeems.