What Type Of Heart Do You Have

Mark 4:3–9 KJV (WS)

Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:4 KJV (WS)

And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

An understanding of this parable was crucial. Those who know … not this parable (13) would have difficulty with all parables. This is so not only because the parable of the sower is simple, but because it reflects their reaction to parabolic teaching in general. It is a key to the teaching value of all other parables.

The seed is the word (14); and if Jesus had confidence in the vitality of that seed, so should we.

The harvest is sure.

What about the soils where the seed is sown?

The four classes of soil typify:

(1) The hardened life, 4, 15;

(2) The shallow life, 5–6, 16–17;

(3) The crowded life, 7, 18–19; and

(4) The responsive life, 8, 20.

The hardened heart has no opening for a seed to enter; hence Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word (15).

Somehow that soil will have to be broken up if the seed is ever to lodge there.

The stony ground, where shallow soil covers rock, produces flashy results.

But, with no root in themselves, these followers of Christ endure but for a time (17), only to “stumble and fall away” in the face of affliction or persecution.

A theology which teaches eternal security has no encouragement here.

” But neither is there ground for that pessimism which sees no hope for the “easy-come, easy-go” Christian.

If he can once touch God for the cleansing of inbred sin, his shallowness can be replaced by depth and his wobbling can give place to stability.

It is alarming that forces exist capable of choking the word so that it becometh unfruitful (19)! Daily cares, the deceitfulness of riches, together with lusts, or longing, for other things not in the divine will, may combine to smother the word. (The word translated choke literally means “to squeeze together,” thus “to strangle, throttle.”)

The picture thus far is pessimistic, but the climax is not. There is good ground (20), too, and perhaps more of it in a field than the less productive soil. These are they which … hear the word, and receive it (20) (“welcome it,” Goodspeed). Faith is more than assent to truth, or consent to duty; it is also a commitment and an acceptance from the heart. These bring forth fruit in immense quantities.