Articles
Parable of The Sower
Mark 4 Parable of the Sower
The parable of the Sower is one of the most well known of all of Jesus' parables. It is also one of the few that is explained by Jesus. The seed that is sown is the Word of God – the gospel of the Kingdom. It is sown among all nations and peoples (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 16:15-16). It produces different results among those on whom it is sown. Jesus gives four different results but speaks of the result being based upon the type of soil that receives the Word.
Jesus gives four different types of soil. He explains that they represent four kinds of spiritual men and then explains what happens when they have the word preached to them. On the first soil the word never takes root. On the second soil the word takes shallow root. The resulting plant endures for a while, and then falls away. The third soil also produces plants from the seed. These are so bothered by cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choke that they don't produce fruit. Finally, the word sown to the good soil produces fruit unto harvest. Even with the good soil, it produces different amounts of fruit.
It seems to me that the point really is that we must become the right kind of soil. Some have argued that you ARE what you ARE, and hence you are not responsible for whether you produce fruit, do not produce fruit, or how much fruit you produce. Some would even argue that God MADE your heart the way it is and you can NOT change it. Such deterministic thinking on this parable thus completely denies individual responsibility.
An example of those that are like the path can be seen in Paul's preaching to the Jews at Antioch of Pisidia: “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The word was sown but it never even took root. In John 7 we see some who followed Jesus for a while, but stumbled at his word. They 'returned and followed Jesus no more' (John 6:66). Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8 appears as the seed sown among the tares. When he saw that the gifts of the Spirit were given by the laying on of apostles hands, he offered Peter money that he might have such power. He was instructed to repent of "THIS thy sin". He believed and was baptized, but the deceitfulness of this world chocked out the word.
Of course the many people who became faithful disciples amply illustrate the power of the Word of God to change hearts. It is the power of God unto salvation (Rom. 1:16). It is able to build us up and give us the inheritance among those who are sanctified (Acts 20:32). It needs to be received with meekness (James 1:21) and needs to 'dwell in the heart richly (Col. 3:16). Hugh DeLong
