Read: Matthew 13:19-23
“The field is the world; the
good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of
the wicked one.” - Matthew 13:38
In His parable of the sower
and the seed, Jesus pointed out four types of soil that receive the seed. He
likens the sower to one who shares the gospel story and the soil as the types
of people who hear the gospel.
1. When anyone hears the
word of the kingdom, and gives no regard to it and does not take it seriously, then Satan comes like a bird and snatches away what
was sown in their heart. This is the one who received seed along the wide
pathway that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13).
2. The second person
received the seed on a stony heart. These people hear the Word and immediately
receive it with joy; yet they do not put down roots, because the soil of their
heart is too shallow. Their enthusiasm only lasts for a short while. When
tribulation or persecution arises because of their newborn faith, they immediately
stumble and fall away.
3. The third type of person
receives the seed of the gospel among the thorns. They hear the Word, but the
cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and they
fall away and become unfruitful.
4. The final type of person
receives the seed on good, fertile soil. They hear the Word of God, believe it
and obey it. They immediately start to bear fruit: some a hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty fold. This is the doer of the Word. They delight in the
life-giving Words of the gospel. They continue producing fruit in greater and
greater quantities as they mature in the Lord throughout their lives.
I thank God for tilling my
soil until I came to the place where I could hear and receive the call of God
on my life. I want to be a doer of the Word and not merely a hearer who
deceives him/herself into thinking they are born again. If anyone goes to one
Bible study after another Bible study, but does not practice what they hear,
they are like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and immediately forgets
what he looks like. They do not retain the important features of the Word. God
calls us to practice, as well as receive the Word.
People who represent the
unfertile types of soil are shallow, they walk the wide path of destruction and
they follow the ways of the world. They all stumble in their sins and end up in
darkness for eternity (Hosea 14:9). There
would be no necessity for the law, if there were no sin and no need for
punishment for it (1 John 3:4).
However, if there is no sin and no hell, then Jesus died in vain to save us
from it? So, why did He take the penalty of our sins upon Himself? In spite of
adamant denials from sinners, hell is a very real place. He died to save us
from it.
God’s ultimate desire is that the
good lives of the people who represent the fourth, fertile type of soil will
silence those who foolishly condemn the Gospel without realizing what it can do
for them. These scoffers never experienced its power like we have. Therefore,
as we live as those who are free to do only God's will at all times, our light
shines. Then, those caught in the darkness of this world will see our good
works and will realize their need to glorify our Father in heaven (1 Peter 2:15-16). The fruit of God’s Spirit, which thrives in the
soil of our fertile lives, will then blossom in their hearts as well (Galatians 5:22-23).
Prayer:
Father God, till our soil until
we are fertile and broken enough to receive the seed of Your Word. Nurture us
as our Vinedresser and prune us until we are bending with the weight of the
fruit hanging from our branches (John 15:1-2). Help us to prove, by the way in which we live and bear fruit, that we
have repented of our sins and turned only to You for our salvation. Let the
fruit of Your light within us consist of all goodness, righteousness and truth (Matthew
3:8; Ephesians 5:9).
Thought for the Day:
Give God absolute control over every facet of your
life and trust in His unfailing love and unchanging character (Psalm 119:41; Hebrews 13:8).
