Several years ago, when Cindy and I traveled to Israel, it did not take long for us to see it was a very arid climate. In fact, much of it is dessert. There are a few areas near the coast that are more temperate, but it is difficult to grow anything. Although there are some small farms and orchards scattered around, they often struggle due to lack of water.
Because of this, families often find small plots of ground, usually less than an acre, where they can plant a few things to supplement their need to purchase food. Unfortunately, these are not always productive. Many of them have very shallow soil with patches of bedrock sticking through it. The rest is often scattered with stones. Because of the arid conditions, it is often easier to grow weeds than usable produce. These soil conditions are intermingled and so there is no safe space to assure a good crop.
I can imagine Jesus walking by one of these fields one day when he gets the inspiration for a story he will later tell the crowds that were always gathered around him. We can find this account in Matthew 13. Jesus related many stories that used everyday situations to make a spiritual point. We call these parables. As men pursuing to understand the fullness God has to offer in our lives, there is much we can learn from these accounts.
The Parable of the Sower which I referenced above is one of the most important for us to understand. Jesus makes this clear by the way he presents it. Many times, Jesus would tell the story and leave it to those hearing to interpret its meaning. But here, he goes into great detail in his application to ensure his hearers fully grasp his purpose.
He tells of a farmer who plants seeds on one of the fields I have described. These farmers used the “broadcast” method of planting. They simply threw the seed over the ground and prayed it would take root. Unfortunately, some fell along the path and the birds ate it before it could take root. Other seeds landed on the shallow soil covering the rocks, but the plants soon died in the summer sun since their roots were so shallow. The seeds that fell among the weeds were quickly overcome and choked out. There were those that fell on good soil and produced an eventual harvest. It is important to note that only one fourth of the seed planted produced the anticipated harvest.
Jesus begins his explanation in Matthew 13:19. 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The farmer is the one presenting the Good News of salvation. The seed is the message. The first recipient of the message is not prepared to hear it, his heart is hard. This is where we as the ones sowing the seed come in. As we encounter people with these hardened hearts, we can work to prepare them for receiving the Gospel. This process begins with prayer. We need to consistently and urgently pray that the Holy Spirit will begin to blind their eyes to the deception of Satan and to soften their hearts for the message of Christ. Another important part of the process is to be sure that the Christlikeness they see in us is genuine and attractive. There is no stronger way of fighting a lie than to make the truth evident.
We will continue our discussion of this parable next week, but I want to get you thinking about something. Each of the people described by Jesus concern us for two reasons. One, it impacts our efforts to see people we care about receive the gift of salvation. But it should also cause each of us to evaluate where our hearts are. Satan loves to do all he can to stifle our growth in Christ. We must be on our guard for his tactics and ensure we are standing firm against them.