LESSON FOUR
PARABLES
Covering Mark chapter 4
The parable of the Sower
A well known parable in which the seeds representing Biblical, gospel truth. The seed is freely distributed to the whole field. There is no attempt to let it fall only on the most fertile ground. The truth is to go out to all.
So why doesn't it all grow and flourish?
4:3 Listen; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
4:4 And as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
4:5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
4:6 But when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, withered away.
4:7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked them, and they yielded no fruit.
4:8 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.
4:9 And he said unto them, He that has ears to hear, let him hear.
4:14 The sower sows the word.
4:15 And these by the way side, where the word is sown; heard the word, but Satan comes immediately, and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
4:16 And these which received the word on stony ground; heard the word, and immediately receive it with gladness;
4:17 But have no root in themselves, and so they grew for a time: but when affliction or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.
4:18 And these sown among thorns; hear the word,
4:19 But the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things are also growing and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
4:20 And then there are those sown on good ground; that hear the word, and receive [it], and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.
The parable also points out that everyone HEARD the truth of the gospel! They all heard the word!
And it actually grew in three of those four different soils!
At first it looked like there would be a good crop from the whole field. (Except the path)
But there was a progressive dying off, till only the seeds that fell on good ground survived until the harvest.
Looking at this from a "witnessing" stand point --
THE WAYSIDE
The first field would be the most discouraging. The truth just doesn't penetrate, and the people leave with no change or indication of being influenced by it. Satan snatches the truth out of their minds before it can take root. There is a hardness that resists the truth.
There is IMMEDIATE failure.
THE STONY GROUND
It was actually the second field that at first looked the more promising -- where the soil was also rather hard and full of stones. But immediately the seeds germinated and sprang up and started to grow. Immediately there seemed to be success. The stony ground was the first to look nice and green!
Here we see people who seemed very excited with the message. It's what any evangelist likes to see. People responding with excitement and enthusiasm.
BUT there is no depth. It's a surface emotion stimulated by the atmosphere of the moment. After the excitement is over, it is noticed that there is no depth to their understanding, no real desire to dig into scripture and prayfully seek an ever growing understanding. They face resistance and start to resent the conditions their decision has imposed upon them. It doesn't take long before old friends, family, old habits and the old lifestyle turn their attention away for the truth in Christ, and they retreat back into their old ways.
Failure comes after just a few weeks.
THE THORNY GROUND
Here we see people who worry and often have heavy burdens, or have habits that have a firm grip upon them. The truth germinates a little slower, but it does germinate and starts to grow. The gospel sounds good to them, but here these people tend to see the gospel more like the people who flocked to Jesus because He provided fish and loaves for them to eat. They sing songs like "Rolled away, rolled away, all the burdens of my heart rolled away".
But they fail to actually give Christ their burdens and surrender to His will in their lives. The pressures, disappointments and responsibilities and even their favorite "escape" habits of life, didn't roll away, they begin to doubt God's goodness and His truths get choked out of their lives.
There is failure possibly months or even years after hearing and accepting the seeds of truth and those seeds did struggle to grow. But it's a slow choking of faith and trust and commitment.
THE GOOD GROUND
Good ground usually means it has been tilled, weeded, and has all the troublesome stones dug out.
The sower does not always meet with disappointment. Some of the seed fell into good ground. Jesus said, This "is he that hears the word, and understands it." Personalizes it. He has an honest heart who yields to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He confesses his guilt, and feels his need of the mercy and love of God. He has a sincere desire to know the truth, that he may obey it. The good heart is a believing heart, one that has faith in the word of God. Without faith it is impossible for the seed of the word to really grow. "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6.
A knowledge of the truth depends not so much upon strength of intellect as upon pureness of purpose, the simplicity of an earnest, dependent faith. To those who in humility of heart seek for divine guidance, angels of God draw near. The Holy Spirit is given to open to them the rich treasures of the truth. {see Christ's Object Lessons page 58-59.}
ARE WE LOCKED IN TO WHAT EVER SOIL WE HAVE INSIDE?
The wayside, the stony-ground, the thorny-ground hearers do NOT need to stay that way.
The Holy Spirit of God is ever seeking to break the spell and power of sin, that holds people back from fully accepting and believing in Christ. It is by resisting the Holy Spirit that people become inattentive to or neglectful of God's word and swamped by the stones of worldly entanglements for their foundation, and thorns of smoothing worries and pressure.
The soil needs to be tilled, broken up by deep repentance for sin. Poisonous, Satanic plants must be uprooted. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus. The Lord bids us by His prophet, "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns." "Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy." Jeremiah 4:3; Hosea 10:12. This work He desires to accomplish for us, and He asks us to co-operate with Him.
