The parable of the sower (part 6)

In the last three articles we have looked at the first three types of soil Jesus described in the parable of the sower. We saw that these different types of soil represented different conditions of the heart of man. Notice also that these first three types of soil that Jesus described were progressively more receptive to God’s word, even though ultimately they all failed to produce its fruit. Recall that the first type of soil was so hardened that the seed could not even penetrate the surface, and so was easily picked up by birds. In the second type of soil the seed actually penetrated the ground, germinated and grew for a little while, but was ultimately withered by the sun while still a seedling. And in the third type of soil the seed germinated and grew for some time, perhaps even developing into a mature plant, and yet it still “brought no fruit to maturity” because it was eventually “choked out” by thorns.

Today we are going to look at the fourth type of soil Jesus described in this parable – the soil that actually produced the fruit of God’s word. In Matthew 13:9 Jesus described the seed of God’s word falling on this fourth type of soil: “Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” We get some insight into the incredible potential of seeds from the fact that the size of the crop produced was anywhere from 30 to 60 times the amount of seed that was sown.

By God’s design, every seed can be expected to produce a certain size crop if it is planted in good soil and given the proper growing conditions. In the same way, God’s word can be expected to produce the “fruit” of whatever God said if it is sown in “good soil” and given proper growing conditions. (Isaiah 55:11) But as we saw before, there are many other elements that determine the overall yield of any seed – such as the amount of water, sunlight, and fertilizer it receives, as well as whether it is affected by weeds or diseases. And of course it goes without saying that the yield of a particular crop will be determined by how much seed is sown. We see this basic law of sowing and reaping in 2 Corinthians 9:6, where Paul said, “he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

So what exactly does this passage teach us about what it means to be this “good soil” that God’s word can grow in? First we see that in order for us to be this “good soil” we have to understand the word. (Matthew 13:23) This is not merely a matter of intellect, but of spiritual understanding, which God alone gives, through the power of His Holy Spirit, to those who hunger and thirst for the word of God. (Proverbs 2:3-6, Acts 16:14) From this we can see that an essential quality of “good soil” is having a heart that hungers and thirsts for the word of God.

In Luke 8:15 Jesus told his disciples that the “good soil” represents those people who, “have heard the word in an honest and good heart.” It is obvious from this statement that having “an honest and good heart” is an essential component of “good soil.” But the only way any of us can have an “honest and good” heart is if we allow God to fulfill his promise to give us a “new heart” by giving us his Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26-27) Therefore the only way we can be this “good soil” is if we are filled with the Holy Spirit and producing “The fruit of the Spirit.”

In Luke 8:15 Jesus went on to say that those people who heard the word in an honest and good heart “hold it fast,” and “bear fruit with patience.” When God’s word is sown in our hearts, we must “hold it fast” because the enemy is going to try and take it (and he loves to use well-meaning family members and friends to do it!). The only way that we can produce the fruit of God’s word in our lives is “with patience” because that seed takes time to grow, and during that time, we will be tested. But Jesus gave us the assurance that if we will hold God’s word in our hearts with patience, we will bear fruit. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some fruit!