“Good Seed, Good Soil” (Matthew 13:1-9)

 

Transforming Power of the Gospel

Philosopher and educator George Steiner, who wrote extensively about the impact of Holocaust, cautions us “that one can read Goethe or Rilke in the evening, that he can play Bach and Schubert, and go to his work at Auschwitz the next day.”[1]

God’s word has a transforming power. “Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12, NRSV)

God’s word is always good seed. It always has great potential to change our lives. But we need to be willing to be formed, shaped, and transformed. In today’s passage Jesus tells us there are four different soils of the heart. As we listen, may we examine our hearts and respond to God’s word today.

Seed on Paths

A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road. Birds came and ate it right away. They are ones who have hard hearts. They may hear the word of God but don’t take it in. It just remains on the surface. So the evil one comes along and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.

They are like the teachers of the law and the Pharisees, who were against Jesus from the start. From the beginning they were following Jesus and listening to his word – not to learn and believe, but to trap him into saying something for which he could be arrested (cf. Mark 12:13). Their hearts were not right. Or how about the Israelites in the wilderness? They received the Ten Commandments from God, they heard God’s word through Moses, they saw God’s glory and miracles. But they put God to the test over and over again, turning a deaf ear to God.

So God said to them and says to us through David’s psalm, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” Jesus says, “He who has ears, let him hear” (Matt 13:9).

Seed on Rocky Places

The second type of soil is rocky ground. It signifies “superficial” heart. When they hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, no commitment, no room for Jesus and his word. Self is still at the bottom (foundation) of their heart. So when trouble comes because of the word, they fall away. They backslide.

In Pilgrim’s Progress, when Christian started his journey, there were a couple of neighbors who followed Christian and tried to persuade him to go back. One was Obstinate (hard heart) and the other Pliable (superficial heart). Obstinate went back home complaining and denouncing Christian. Pliable came with him for a little while. When Pliable heard the good news from Christian, he received with joy and walked along with him. He liked the promise of eternal life, he liked the promise of heaven where there is no sorrow, no illness, no death. Then both of them fell into the Slough of Despond. Pliable became angry with Christian, saying, “Is this the happiness that you spoke? If we have had such a bad beginning, who knows what dangers we will run into before the journey is over?” Then, he managed to get out of the bog and returned home in anger. Christian saw him no more. This is the person who has shallow heart.

Seed among Thorns

The third type of soil is crowded with thorns. The parable of the Sower is written in Matthew, Mark and Luke. Mark’s version says this way: “The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.” (4:19-20) In other words, they have good potential to be fruitful in their lives, but sadly, they are choked out by competing priorities. They spend too much time and energy for what to eat, what to wear, how to live a comfortable life.

Once Søren Kierkegaard was asked what sort of effort could be made to pursue the kingdom of God. “Should a person get a suitable job in order to exert a virtuous influence?” His answer was, “No, we must first seek God’s kingdom.” “Then should we give away all our money to feed the poor?” Again his answer was, “No, we must first seek God’s kingdom.” “Well, then perhaps we are to go out and preach this truth to the world that people are to seek first God’s kingdom?” Once again the answer is a resounding: “No, we are first to seek the kingdom of God.” Kierkegaard concludes, “Then in a certain sense it is nothing I shall do. Yes, certainly, in a certain sense it is nothing, become nothing before God, learn to keep silent; in this silence is the beginning, which is, first to seek God’s Kingdom.”[2] Oftentimes good things become our idols. We must learn and practice to put God first. And it is the matter of the heart.

Seed on Good Soil

Seed on the paths, seed on rocky places, seed among thorns, and now seed on good soil. Jesus expounds this parable in Luke in this way: “But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.” (8:15)

It’s a marathon not a spirit. It’s a long obedience in the same direction. Only the person who receives the message, holds on no matter what, sticking with it with perseverance, lives the fruitful and abundant life that Jesus promised.

Arabian horses are renowned horses. They are trained rigorously in the middle eastern deserts. The horses must learn to fully obey their master. Part of the training is this. Water is taken away from them for several days. After this, turn them loose near water. As the horses get to the edge of the water, and just before they drink of the much needed water. The trainer blows his whistle. If the horses have learned to obey, they turn around and come back to the trainer who then gives them as much water as they need.[3]

God knows what his children need and wants to supply it, but first we must trust and obey him. My prayer is that we may learn to trust God and his word with endurance, so that we may produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times and give glory to our heavenly Father. Amen.

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[1] Austin Carty, The Pastor's Bookshelf: Why Reading Matters for Ministry (p. 138). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition.

[2] Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline, Special Anniversary Edition (p. 87). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

[3] “Training Arabian Horses,” https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/training-arabian-horses