When Jesus explained the meaning of the parable of the sower to His disciples He, first of all, described the response of someone who hears the Gospel message, but God has not yet opened his or her mind to understand it: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside” (Matthew 13:19 NKJV).
Jesus then goes on to explain three different responses from those who understand His message, with each one responding differently for different reasons.
- “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matthew 13:20-21). This person’s initial response is joyful acceptance, but this enthusiasm is quickly quenched as he reacts to pressure from others. Conforming to the customs and expectations of family, friends and society is more important than serving God and the calling of God is eventually rejected.
- “Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). This person is not as concerned about the opinions of his peers, but also refuses to put God first. Satisfying personal needs and maintaining status consume time and energy. There is no time left for God and, through neglect, God’s calling is rejected.
- “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:23). This person understands God’s Word and takes it seriously, putting it into practice and changing His life. God is first in his or her life. Of all the examples in this parable, only this person is chosen for salvation.
Our modern world is full of distractions—the rocks, thorns and birds— conspiring to prevent God’s Word and His calling from taking root and bearing fruit. This parable shows us how the devil, the allure of the world and the cares of life conspire to root the eternal truths of the Kingdom of God from our lives.
It is vital to understand the spiritual battle taking place with those God is calling. Most of us experience only the physical, while the greater, more powerful and pervasive unseen spiritual realm revealed in the Bible remains unknown. There is a spiritual battle taking place, and we are at the center of it, with this spiritual realm having much more influence on us than we realise.
When Jesus later explained the meaning of the parable, He began by telling His disciples something quite surprising: “…‘You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them” (Matthew 13:11-13, New Living Translation, 1996).
The inability to hear and understand this parable is the result of humanity being caught in a web of spiritual deception. False religious teachings, events and circumstances can crowd out the seed of truth that has been placed in your life by God. Modern life is geared to lure us away from time spent thinking about life’s meaning, studying the Bible, talking with God in prayer, and spiritual fellowship.
What we do with the knowledge of the Gospel message comes down to the choices we make each day. God allows us to choose between His way and begin to produce fruit for eternal life, or the way of this world.
