Four Soils

The Power of Story

Well written and well told stories are powerful aren’t they?

I remember the moment I saw a certain movie for the first time or finished a really good book.

I still laugh about stories my dad has told about get smacked in the face by a garden rake in the dark and thinking someone what attacking him.

Stories make us laugh, make us cry, make us

The Purpose of Parables

Jesus understood the power of stories, which is likely one of the reasons He used them so frequently.

Jesus used common, every day scenarios and circumstances, to which those listening would have been quite familiar, and infused them with deep spiritual meaning.

They are more than a sermon illustration and yet, not something we have to decipher like a cryptic puzzle.

The parables are tools Jesus uses, even today, to diagnose the hearts of every person who hears his word.

That will become quite clear in the passage we will look at today.

The parables share a common intention, even though they differ in length, scope, and themes.

We should examine that intention briefly before we dive into our parable for the day.

The Parables bring:

1) An EXPLANATION

Jesus’s overarching purpose in the parable is to reveal/explain aspects of His kingdom to those listening in a way that tests the hearts of those listening.

We should quickly explain what we mean by the kingdom

It is God’s rule and reign over creation. It is in opposition to the kingdom of the world.

It is made up the the people who trust Jesus as Lord and seek to walk in His ways since He is the King of the Kingdom.

All things Jesus does as a man and the words that He spoke were intended to point us toward His kingdom.

His miracles, His discipleship, and His preaching, which was made up of parables.

“The parables show us that the kingdom of the “gospel of the kingdom” is God’s reign over all creation, not just part of it. So in the parables we see the effect of God’s reign and the expanse of it too. These gospel stories provide glimpses of what God’s reign will look like. Basically, the parables show us what “your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10) looks like.” — Jared C. Wilson

Shows us what it looks like to live like God designed us and calls us to live.

To love the things He loves, to pursue the things He values, and to fight for the things He fights for.

Each of the Parables is like a puzzle piece showing us what heaven coming to earth really looks like.

2) A CONFRONTATION

Every one of the parables is also confrontational.

Some of the parables are directly confronting religious people who are seeking to catch Jesus in a crime.

While others are in response to a crowd of people follow, or asking a question.

Regardless, every parable has an intended confrontation with those hearing/reading it.

As we are confronted with Jesus’s explanation of the Kingdom, we are confronted with whether or not we understand it, believe it, or intend to live our lives in submission to it.

Jesus taught the entire 3 years of His ministry in parables not just to tell a good story, but to confront those listening with kingdom truths in a way they would relate.

But did they hear it?

Did they get it?

Do they believe?

Will they submit?

3) A INVITATION

Each of the parables is also an invitation into the kingdom.

An invitation to experience life in Christ, peace in Christ, hope in Christ, joy in Christ, love and acceptance in Christ.

The confrontation of the parables is an opportunity to see with new eyes and receive the message/picture that is being presented.

Though it likely is not the first one Jesus told, the Parable of the Soils/Sower important because in it Jesus answers and illustrates the answer to the question “why parables”.

Matthew 13:1–23 CSB

1 On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.” 10 Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables?” 11 He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You will listen and listen, but never understand; you will look and look, but never perceive. 15 For this people’s heart has grown callous; their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back— and I would heal them. 16 “Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them. 18 “So listen to the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the one sown along the path. 20 And the one sown on rocky ground—this is one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. 21 But he has no root and is short-lived. When distress or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 23 But the one sown on the good ground—this is one who hears and understands the word, who does produce fruit and yields: some a hundred, some sixty, some thirty times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Soils

1) A MAN and a MESSAGE

This parable reveals the Kingdom as a man and a message to be received.

The sower is Jesus and the seed is the gospel message that He proclaims through His people (us/the church).

So in a since all who share the gospel are the sowers, but our message is about the man, Jesus.

Though this parable has often been called the parable of the sower or the seed, the focus isn’t on those aspects, it is on the soil.

The Sower and the seeds are the constants in the parable, and intentionally so.

Jesus is making a point, that the identity of the sower, his ability to speak, his style or attractiveness are not factors to be weighed.

Likewise, the seed isn’t different based on where it is being sown. It is the same seed, the same hope-filled message of salvation by grace through faith in the name of Jesus.

The variable (the ever changing element) is the soil.

How will the soil receive the seed?

The Kingdom of God is not a political agenda, a set of rules to follow to be morally right, or a pursuit of some kind of worldly success.

The Kingdom is a man and His message.

How will you respond?

2) FOUR possible RESPONSES

The confrontation of this parable is in how we respond to the man and His message.

Jesus presents 4 possible responses.

a) Hard Path

It isn’t hard to spot soil like this, many of us work around people whose hearts are hardened to the Gospel message.

You may even live with one (a husband, wife, child, or parent).

There is a general unresponsiveness to the Gospel message.

Not necessarily a disdain, but an apathetic coldness.

If you have ever sown grass seed on a bare yard, you will see that Jesus very much knew what He was talking about.

It doesn’t take long for bird to see our efforts in growing a lush lawn as a buffet for there enjoyment.

John 10:10 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Satan’s goal is to steal away any possibility of someone coming to faith in Christ.

For us who are sowing the gospel, we must understand and come to terms with the reality that many people will reject us, call us crazy, accuse us of being narrow-minded bigots.

But we are not the ones with the power to change them.

Just like in the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel 37, God is the who will breath life into spiritual darkness and death.

b) Rocky Ground

The second soil describes much of our community and culture.

Though the number of folks who would consider themselves not to be Christian is growing, a large portion of our population would fall into what R.T. Kendall the “Superficial” professor.

A person who seems to accept the gospel, whether through some kind of at the evangelistic event where they go forward with great excitement. 

This is the person who may have a strong emotional response to the message of the gospel at first, and who at first heartily embraces the gospel; and yet later on, has fallen by the side. 

When trial comes, whether that trial is an affliction or it's a persecution, this person is found to be without faith.  This person is found to be faithless.

There are so many people we live around, work around, or interact with regularly who would point to a moment or experience in there life as a time they “got saved,” but examining their lives would likely show that moment having little effect.

As long as things were good, they were willing to believe in God. 

As long as things were good, they were willing to embrace the gospel. 

As long as things were good, they were ready to acknowledge Jesus the Messiah. 

But when it went bad, they wanted to have nothing to do with it, and they fell aside. 

Their faith was rootless and circumstantial.

c) Thorny Ground

The third soil is a challenging one to decipher in some ways.

Is this person a believer?

Was there profession of faith genuine?

Can someone be a Christian and not produce fruit of salvation in their lives?

These questions are the very reason this particular soil is the most distressing.

This is the person I believe Jesus is talking about in Matthew 7:21-23

Matthew 7:21–23 CSB

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ 23 Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

They aren’t opposed or cold to the gospel message.

They actually are quite receptive to it and fond to the things of Christ, they are just distracted/preoccupied with the things of the world.

Other desires and motivations (not even evil ones) choked out the concerns for the Kingdom.

Is Jesus talking about a wayward christian here or a person who has never really trusted in Christ?

What we do know is this is not the ideal soil. It isn’t a soil that leads to fruitfulness, joy, and vibrancy in our faith journey.

d) Good Ground

Then there is the final soil, the fruitful soil.

They hear and they understand.  God has taken hold of their minds. 

They live according to the gospel; their will, their affections, their desires, their actions flow from a transformed heart.

Jesus does not say that the good ground lacks thorns and lacks rocks.  Just that it bears fruit

Fruit of the goodness and grace of God recognized in the life of someone who also recognizes their own sinfulness and hopelessness outside of Him.

The Spiritual fruit Paul shares in Galatians 5:22-26

Galatians 5:22–26 CSB

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

This is not about accomplishments and accolade, it is about transformation, regeneration, faith and faithfulness.

And we see in the reaction of the disciples what good soil looks like.

When they got Jesus alone, away from all the noise and the people, they asked him to explain the parable.

There was an eagerness, a hunger, and a desire to know, understand, and grow.

There isn’t perfection in the 4th soil.

There is a longing to know more about the man and his message.

There is a desire to see, to hear, and to experience the King in His Kingdom.

3) Are you LISTENING?

The invitation in this parable is quite simple really, but something we all need to hear.

Regardless of which soil has best described your heart, it is never too late and no one is ever too far gone.

The invitation is to receive the man and His message.

To trust Christ as Lord and Savior of your life.

Maybe you have been callous and cold to the Gospel message in the past, and yet today it is hitting different.

The invitation is to keep searching, keep listening.

It is an invitation to someone sowing the seed of the gospel to those God has placed in their life, to not lose heart, to not give up.

It is an invitation to the person who had gotten distracted by the pursuit of worldly fulfillment, to see Jesus as so much greater then anything we could pursue in this life.

To find rest from the “worries and concerns” of life in the one who promises to bring us rest.

It is an invitation that promises fruitfulness that produces peace that is truly unexplainable.