Matthew 13:3-9 "And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And 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 sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."
We find references in the scriptures to both sowing and planting. While both are designed to yield an increase, there is a difference in the method. Sowing refers to broadly scattering seeds on a prepared field in a sweeping motion whereas planting is done in a more defined area often laid out in rows. By the very nature of sowing, some of the seeds may land on areas that are not optimal for producing fruit.
As we mentioned yesterday, there were people in the multitude that Jesus was teaching from all walks of life. They were there for various reasons from desiring to be healed to seeking ways to destroy this Man the Pharisees despised because He told them the truth. However, the Sower went forth for the purpose of sowing, and that is exactly what He did. He taught the whole multitude regardless of why they were there.
Some of the seeds fell by the side of the road where the ground was hard and trodden down. It did not grow but rather served to feed the birds. Some of it fell where the soil was rocky and not deep enough to sustain the root. The seed germinated and the plants sprang up only to dry up in the heat of the day.
Some of the seeds fell in areas where they could grow, but thorns also grew there. The thorns thrived and choked out the plants that grew from seeds that were sown. Then there was the seed that fell on good ground that was deep enough to sustain growth and produce fruit. The production was not always at the same level, but there was production.
Our first inclination is to see this parable as describing the effect that Jesus’s teaching has on different people. Some people do not heed it at all and just go on with their lives. Others hear it and it springs up in them for a little while, but as soon as trouble comes, they go back to their old ways of thinking and doing. Still others find joy in the teaching of Jesus but become so entangled in the things of this world that the joy is choked out of them. Then there are those who are blessed to hear and nurture that word so that it becomes the guiding force in their lives and God is glorified.
Dear ones, while the above paragraph is certainly applicable, there is another consideration here. At different times in our lives, we may be all these diverse types of “ground.” Before the Holy Spirit opens our understanding, we are like the hard roadside where nothing takes root. As our understanding is opened, we may hear the truth and rejoice in it in the moment; then trouble comes and we abandon the principles of His truth. It may take root and grow, but we let the business of making a living, raising a family, and looking for “leisure time” choke out our devotion to Him. By His grace, we may be blessed to grow to that point where the seed springs up into a plant and that plant produces fruit that honors God and edifies us. I pray He will bless us with ears to hear.