SOIL ANALYSIS

SOIL ANALYSIS Matthew 13:1-23 With grateful acknowledgement of these sources of direction and inspiration: the Holy Spirit; the Word of God; Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah; Michael Green, Matthew for Today; John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Matthew 8-15; John Vaughn, “Relationship with Christ” August 7, 2005 Given by: Pastor Rich Bersett [Index of Past Messages] Introduction A few years ago, when archaeologists began excavating in the courtyard of a medieval monastery, they accidentally discovered some seeds. King Henry VIII had closed the monastery in 1539, and the herbs that had been tended by the monks died, leaving some seeds lying unperturbed in some pottery, protected from the soil. But, when the archeologists disturbed the earth with their digging, they sprouted to life again after four and a half centuries of dormancy. When you think about it, there is tremendous power in seeds, isn’t there? They are essentially inanimate objects, neither alive nor self-sustaining. But once one of those little things come into contact with good, old fashioned dirt and just the least bit of moisture, BOOM! They sprout forth into living, photosynthesizing, growing, beautifying members of the ecosystem. Dead matter transformed into living plants! From lifeless fodder to the living food change, in one miraculous moment! All according to the perfect creation design of Genesis 1:11 – Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds. Jesus used this awesomely simple and incredibly complex facet of His own creation design to teach something about the way God operates—in the grain fields, and in the Kingdom Jesus came to establish. It is literally cooperation with the living God to plant seeds and watch them grow. But as every back-yard farmer knows, it works best when you work it. Careful preparation of the seed-bed, fertilizing, weed-pulling and cultivation go a long way in ensuring God’s system works well, bearing fruit. By the way, when the kingdom of God is referred to it is always the same as the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom is anywhere God’s people are faithfully obedient to Him. This principle comes to bear in one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables. Matthew 13:1-9 – That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil where it produced a crop - a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. He who has ears, let him hear. We can’t be positive about what kind of seed the sower was sowing, although most would agree it was probably wheat, given the geography of the land. But because we live in Illinois, I want to use an illustration of corn to help us visualize the parable. Besides, it only seems appropriate, because Jesus does say in verse, “He who has ears, let him hear…”! Just as the farmer’s field springs to life with an abundant harvest, so the Kingdom of God grows and reaps a harvest when the right seed is sown, and is received by the right kind of soil. Let’s study this story, this parable, to see what we can learn about the Kingdom of God on earth. Just before we do that, notice that verse three says Jesus told them many things in parables. What are parables and why did Jesus use them in His teaching? The word in the original language is PARA-BOLE, a compound word. BOLE means to throw, or to place something. PARA is a prefix that means alongside. A parable is a simple story laid alongside the teaching to help explain its meaning to the listeners. The New Testament itself makes it clear that there were three reasons Jesus spoke in parables: 1. Parables help to make abstract teachings clear. For example, I could stand up here and tell you that perseverance is a very desirable character trait. I could go on and on with philosophical jargon and well-worded rhetoric, OR I could tell you the story about a tortoise and a hare who one day engaged one another in a race… How would Jesus most effectively communicate the complicated idea that when the Word of God is preached the Kingdom grows, even though only some accept it and many reject it? He tells a simple story about a farmer going out and broadcasting seed that falls on different kinds of ground. 2. Parables help make the truth easier to remember. We can carry around in our brains a memorized speech on the principle of how real love always expresses itself in sacrificial giving to the object of its love. Our we could simply remember the O. Henry’s wonderful short story, The Gift of the Magi, and the beautiful example of the set of combs and the watch fob bought at such great price. 3. One more reason Jesus used parables in His teaching—and this one is a bit of a surprise. Parables actually can help hide the truth from the uninitiated. Right after this parable is spoken, the disciples, I suppose a little confused and frustrated, asked Jesus “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” (verse 10) You can imagine why they asked Him that question. They were picking up that some people just didn’t understand what Jesus meant. In fact, they themselves were having problems. He answered His friends this way: “the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables… (verses 11-13) I can just imagine the disciples’ response to that: “Uh, that’s another parable, right?” Then He quotes extensively from Isaiah 6 about how those who will refuse to believe have calloused hearts, ears that cannot hear and eyes that are closed to truth. Then he says, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (). Parables reveal, but also conceal truth. Illustrate with the ICTHUS FISH SYMBOL. Jesus must have seen that dazed look in their eyes, because He next spells out the exact meaning of the parable in the simplest of terms, making sure they understand. Show Matthew DVD—vSs 18-23. The Sower The one thing Jesus does not explicitly interpret is the exact identity of the farmer. In one sense it doesn’t really matter who the farmer is, because the emphasis is on the interaction between the seed and the soil on which it lands. Some suggest that the Farmer is Father God. The Father is in fact the farmer/landowner in several other parables. Others say it is Jesus, the Son of God, who is really the farmer or sower because He is the One who left heaven to bring the kingdom of God to mankind through His atonement. That is certainly correct as well. But there is a third answer that is equally satisfying, not to mention alarming. The farmer who sows the seed of the kingdom is also . . . YOU! The unmistakable message of the Bible is that those who have been reconciled to God through the grace of the Lord Jesus themselves become reconcilers of others to God. 2 Cor. 5:19-20 – And He has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. It is for this reason He has placed His own Spirit in us—to empower us as His witnesses (Acts 1:8). The Seed A greater focus is placed on the nature of the Seed than the precise identity of the Sower. It is after all the seed distributed that makes kingdom expansion possible. What is the SEED? Well if you read carefully you will find three different descriptions of the seed in this parable and explanation. One designation is mentioned in verse 19 – The message about the kingdom. A second description of the SEED is found in verse 11, where Jesus refers to The secrets of the kingdom. The SEED is referred to as the message about the kingdom and the secrets of the kingdom. Then in verses 21-23 the seed is equated to The Word of God. As Romans 10 puts it, how can others believe unless they have heard the Word of Christ? It is the transforming power of the Word’s Truth that convicts the hearts and minds of people to trust in God rather than the idols of this world or their own wisdom and righteousness. Getting the Word out to the people of the world is of primary importance; getting the message of Christ to the soil of people’s hearts. Proclamation is God’s designated method of getting the saving method to people. By the way, there is no question about the quality of the seed. If and when it lands on good soil, it will grow. Even when it lands on inferior soil it still sprouts. There is never any question in this parable about the quality or effectiveness of the seed. Likewise, we may be confident when we spread the message of Christ—God’s Word will not return to you void, promises Isaiah 55, but like the rain God sends waters the earth and causes it to bud and flourish, so His word will accomplish what He desires. Don’t be shy with your faithful witness because you’re not confident of your product. God’s Word will never fail; He guarantees it! The farmer is broadcasting the seed of God’s saving Word everywhere, even if he is not sure that all the soil on which the seed lands will be receptive. He is indiscriminate in his broadcasting. The church and every one of God’s people should generously share the message of Christ with anyone and everyone they have opportunity to address. Never mind your personal opinion about whether someone is receptive or not—just do what Christ commands you to do: liberally deliver the seed of God’s truth. We should learn to be as generous with the gospel as McDonalds is with their ketchup and napkins. The Soils We’ve considered the Sower and the Seed, but now we come to the real heart of the teaching – the SOILS. Here is where the difference lay between whether a person will accept the Word of Truth and trust in Christ, or he will reject the truth to his own destruction. Remember – the seed is always effective, but the soil is not always receptive. The seed tests the soil. The gospel is not on trial, YOU are. The question isn’t Is this good seed? The question is Am I good soil? The broadcast seed lands on four different kinds of soil, Jesus says. The first kind of soil that the seed falls on is the hardscrabble, hard-packed soil of the roadway. This ground is so hard and unreceptive to the seed that it bounces when it lands. The seed cannot penetrate that ground. Jesus says this is like the person whose calloused heart will not let the truth even have a chance. This person actually does HEAR the gospel, but doesn’t understand (verse 19). This is not to say that the hearer is blameless because he couldn’t understand; this person is culpable because he can understand, but won’t. Jesus explains what happens to the truth seed that is thrown this person’s direction. He says it just lays there exposed to the world, and the birds come and snatch it. This is a picture of the devil doing his dirty work. If you will not receive and act on the truth when you encounter it fresh, Satan will somehow arrange to relieve you of that seed. He’s not going to sit back and let the Word continue to influence and entice you toward faith in Christ. Will you notice one more thing about exactly where this seed lands? Verse 19 says the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is not a person who didn’t hear or understand. This is someone who got it! Once you get it—that is, the gospel has penetrated your heart and begun eliciting feelings of faith in you—you are responsible before God with what you do with that conviction. The second kind of soil is the rocky soil. Where there is a lot of rock there is a dearth of soil. A short drive down I-44 will take you into country where the highway construction crews years ago bored down through layers of solid rock and blasted away so the highway could cut through the Ozark hills with a minimum of rise and fall. I love that area. I think the hills and trees are gorgeous, but I also like driving by the solid rock face of those hewn mini-mountains. You’ll always see a few little tufts of grass and flowers growing out of the side of those hills, now and then some tough little pine tree jutting out at a precarious 45-degree angle. Chances are those trees won’t be there a year later. They cannot gain root because the soil is only sketchy and a couple inches deep at best. And their tap roots try to bore into that sandstone or granite and finally give up in frustration. This is how Jesus describes the spiritual fate of the person who hears the Word and quickly believes, but it doesn’t last. With little soil and even less root, the new plant withers His faith is superficial and the soil of his heart is shallow. When the winds of doubt, difficulty or temptation come along, and the world, the flesh and the devil will ensure that happens, the poorly rooted new plant just falls over and dies. The lesson of the rocky soil is this: knowing that trouble is coming—whether it’s persecution for your faith or temptation to fall back into old patterns of unholy living—the new believer must ready himself by building up his faith through the Word of God, prayer, worship and fellowship. These key ingredients strengthen the faith and endurance of even those who come impulsively to Christ, who never really counted the cost. Jesus said that such soil may receive the seed well at first, but, since the plant can have no real root, it lasts only a short time. (verse 21) In His words, …it quickly falls away. (verse 21) Five years ago when we had some very heavy fall rains, one of my two apple trees began to list to one side. The ground had become so saturated with moisture the ground was too loose to hold the roots down. I looked at it one day and realized it was leaning so badly the lower branches, thick with golden delicious apples, was touching the ground. I was able to tie off the tree and eventually pull it back to vertical, and it has survived for five years. Challenges come to every believer, things that seem unbearable, too hard to stand up under. This is part of life, and it is part of life in the kingdom of God. But there is a way to have a deep and confident tap root of faith that will enable you to weather the storms. Through systematic study of the scriptures, daily prayer and worship and regular edifying contact with fellow believers you will stay tethered to Jesus. He is your strength. The third soil type is the thorny soil. Here again, the initial result of the seed hitting this soil is germination and growth. But once again, the growth and survival are short-lived. This time the reason for the plant not lasting is not shallow soil and a rocky base; this time the emergent new plants are in the company of thorns and weeds that choke out the young plant. How does that happen? Well, sometimes the weeds and thorns are so thick around the tender shoot that they steal all the moisture and nutrition from the soil for their own growth and the plant with young roots and not much strength is undernourished. Have you ever seen this sad course of events with a new Christian? Sincere in their young faith they are either poorly instructed or overconfident and they stay in the company of their old friends and cronies too much. Pretty soon the familiar, old, sinful lifestyle is too much, their faith gets starved because of the attractive draw of the thorny throng has taken them from the disciplines of the faith, and they choke to death in a crowd of bad company. Listen, Christian, this can happen at any age in your faith. If you’ve found that you don’t pray any more, you haven’t shared your faith meaningfully with anyone for a long time, you’re not reading your Bible, and you not only aren’t spending any time with brothers and sisters in Christ, but you’re actively avoiding them—you’re in thorny ground. Come back to your first love. The Lord knows how to weed your garden and renew your spirit. Repent of your waywardness and recommit. The fourth soil is the good soil. I’ve been around good farm land most of my life, and I easily recognize that black, rich loam where soy beans and field corn make their home. This is the good soil. It’s so rich that seeds nestle in and kick out roots as soon as they can. This is the stuff of victory gardens. Martha Stewart’s dream soil. This is the picture that Jesus paints of the man whose heart receives Christ and His Word with enthusiasm, but also with plans for a long-term commitment. Isn’t it interesting how He says that such a man produces a crop yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown? And isn’t it amazing how one seed can germinate and produce literally thousands of seeds? I love sweet corn—I love its taste, I love the way it grows, I love everything about it. Mostly I love to shuck a fresh ear and just marvel at those neat rows of yellow fruit. Everyone of them looks like his daddy. I sometimes just stand there magnifying the Lord for His power and wisdom in the scheme of the harvest. What does the hundred, sixty and thirty times crop mean for the believer? It represents the awesome truth that we can influence lots of other folks for the kingdom—by what we say and how we say it, by what we do and how we do it, and even by what we don’t say and do! The secret of the good soil is not that it produced anything. It is the power and wisdom of God that brings forth fruit—shame on us for ever thinking we can produce anything in and of ourselves! The secret of the good soil is precisely this—it faithfully receives the Word and faithfully responds. And when it does, it allows the seed to do its thing unencumbered. Closing – the closing question is very important: what kind of soil are you? Now here is where the analogy of the parable breaks down in ironic fashion. In this story, the ground gets to choose what kind of soil it wants to be. Just because you have been packed down hard and resilient to the penetrating power of God’s Word before, it doesn’t mean you have to stay that way! You weren’t born rocky and bound to remain rocky. You can if you want to. But if you don’t want to, then accept Christ and receive His saving gospel in your life. If you feel like you’re being choked out by the weeds, turn to Christ and ask Him to save you. He will. Listen to His Word and obey what you understand. If you have ears to hear, you are free to choose to be good soil. Will you? Christ wants to use you to reach the rest of His world with the gospel.   [Back to Top]