If you’ve ever read the Bible then you’ve more than likely read the book of Mark, if not then you’ve still probably heard the Parable of the Sower. It’s found in Matthew and Luke as well. This parable is the one where Jesus talks about the farmer who scattered seed and the various types of soil that the seeds ended up on.

In the parable we find that when the man sowed the seeds some of them fell along the path and were eaten up by birds, some fell on rocky ground where there wasn’t much soil where it sprouts and dies, some fell on thorny soil where it’s choked out by thorns, and then there’s this seed that lands in the perfect place and bears fruit.

“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³ Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:1-9

 Later Jesus sat down with His disciples and explained the parable to them; helping us understand that the seed is the Word of the Kingdom (“The Sower sows the Word”) and that the 4 types of soil where the seed is scattered and lands represents the 4 types/conditions of the human heart. Which type of soil do you think you are? If you identify with being a Christian then you’re probably going to identify with being the “good soil” as well, aren’t you? You would hope so but sadly that’s not always the case and we all go through different seasons; but we should be, need to be, the good soil.

What if you’ve been all at some point? Maybe you haven’t, but maybe you have. We must ask the Lord to search our heart, we must take time to have self-reflection, to ask the Lord to knock us down a peg or two; to take down any idols that we’ve built up in our lives. When we feel ourselves drifting we need to ask the Lord to lead us safely back to where He wants us to be.

 What are the meanings behind the 4 Types of Soil that Jesus Speaks Of?

Some seed fell along the path . . .

The problem of the seed falling along the pathway is that it’s not made of actual soil, so it’s not really something that can be penetrated, it’s more like hard packed earth, so the seed just sits there going nowhere and the birds swoop down and devour it.

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.”  Mark 4:4

“Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” Mark 4:15

If we’re asking what type of human heart condition this is, it’s the person who hears the Word (Gospel) but they don’t understand it at all so they just ignore it. Much like a hard, unpenetrable path – so is the hard, calloused heart who ignores the message of salvation, so it’s devoured by the birds (picked away by the devil). This doesn’t just mean understanding the message behind the Gospel, it means acting on it, like practice what you preach, (like believing God exists, even the demons shudder at His name), it means hearing the Word and not taking it into heart . . . the evil one comes and snatches it right up.

Most likely this is an unbeliever, someone who hears things but nothing can take root, maybe someone who is deeply guarded from hurt but nonetheless has a hardened heart. If this is you, I pray that the Lord would soften your heart to hear the Word, and for it to take root today.

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”  Ezekiel 36:26

In The Rocky Ground

 When the seed is scattered among the rocky soil where there wasn’t much soil, it sprouts up rather quickly, but since there wasn’t any real depth of soil as the sun rose it became scorched, and it withered away because it didn’t have any root. Had there been some root to keep the plant nourished it wouldn’t have died so quickly, but plants need water and nourishment, that as we know, comes from the roots.

“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.”  Matthew 13:5

“Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.”  Luke 8:13

What human heart condition is this? It’s the heart that hears and receives the Word with delight, they may even immediately start doing things to resemble a heart change in their lives. They do things to give God glory, they make changes in their lives, and they praise Him, and they may even be eager for their new “spiritual births” even, but even though they recognize this Good News they have in their lives, they lack the commitment to this relationship, there’s not any lasting changes in their lives.  The moment that disappointment enters stage left, when the trials and hardships storm in from persecution, these people are the ones who will fall away because they weren’t deeply rooted in their faith in Jesus because it never deepened and they simply don’t have what it takes, these will be tossed about. Maybe this is someone who heard the Word and just acts as though they’ve been changed, perhaps it’s someone in need of growth, discipleship, from a mature Christian.

“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”  Colossians 2:7

A Patch Of Thorns

Thorny soil. Ouch. It just sounds painful, doesn’t it?

Thorny soil, as explained in the parable, is where the seed fell among the thorn and the thorns grew up and choked it out so it didn’t yield any fruit. They struggled to live, ultimately they couldn’t grow and survive because they were choked out, so they weren’t able to bear fruit . . . all because of what was around them . . .

“Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain”  Mark 4:7

“The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.” Luke 8:14

What type of human heart condition is this? This is the heart that hears the Word but becomes overwhelmed or distracted by the delights (cares of this world) and/or the deceitfulness (deceptions of wealth) of riches in this world. They hear the Word but other things enter in and choke the Word, and it proves unfruitful. The person who is forever anxious, or in pursuit of some huge career success or promotion at work, or dreaming of money; these things distract us from God and what He created us to do and the relationship He wants with us, and if you’re distracted today I pray that you would turn off those devices and tell those loved ones to give you a few minutes and just close the door of your bedroom and sit in silence and just take some time in His word and pray, get aligned with His Word.

“I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. ”  Jeremiah 24:7

That’s The Good Soil

The Good Stuff. The Good Soil. The seeds that fell into the good soil did produce grain, growing and increasing and yielding; multiplied. It did what it was meant to do; it set its roots deep, thrived, bearing fruit and multiplied, leading to a bountiful surplus.

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:8

^“ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” Mark 4:20

What type of human heart condition is this? This is the heart that hears the Word and accepts it. The life that understands the Word, has been changed by the Word and acts . . . bearing fruit for the Kingdom harvest. This person is in relationship with Christ, they’ve taken up their cross and are following Him. They are reading their Bible, praying, and doing their part in fulfilling The Great Commission. Whether they’re called to Go across continents or stay at their homesteads and help send and financially assist missionaries, they are bearing fruit, they are witnessing to the lost, and they are multiplying through discipleship. God can’t multiply what we don’t sow. It’s all about the Kingdom work. Are you bearing fruit? If not my prayer for you is that you would ask the Lord to help you be intentional about the time He’s given you and ask Him to lead you to the lives He wants you to witness to.

Check Your Heart:

What’s your life looking like? Honestly, just between the two of us (not really, just between you and God), how’s everything? What type of soil do you think your heart/life is? If you’re not in a soil (season) that you want to be in, that you should be in, then just pray. Ask the Lord to help you, let Him know that you recognize you aren’t where you belong and that You want to get aligned with Him and be fruitful and multiply.

Read Galatians 6, Psalm 139, Luke 8:1-15, 2 Corinthians, Mark 4:20, Matthew 13:1-23

“Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  Matthew 9:38