The Sower and the Seed
Matthew 13:1-23
The Kingdom of God was the main emphasis of Jesus's ministry and this is accepted by most. But defining precisely what is the Kingdom is a bit more difficult. Indeed, even Jesus himself was often elusive about it. He did not speak in absolutes; rather, he spoke in parables. So is our scripture text today. Jesus compared the Kingdom to a sower going out and spreading seed. Some of it falls up[on hard ground and is unable to take root. Some of it falls on shallow ground, and although it initially sprouts it later withers away. Other seeds fall on rocky ground, where there was not much soil. But some seed falls upon good earth and comes to fruition and produces a harvest.
We are to understand, of course, that the sower is God, the seed is the Kingdom, and the various types of soil represent us --you and me. On the surface of it, of course, it doesn't sound as though God is a very frugal farmer. After all, most of the seed that is strewn about never takes root. But this is not really a story about the sower or the seed. It is a story about different types of soil, or to put it another way, the responses of different types of people to the Kingdom.
The question is: what is the state of our hearts when the seeds are sown in us? With that in mind, let us examine the various conditions of the hearts mentioned in this story?
This we will do in the days ahead.
Questions to Ponder
What type of soil are you?
How do you respond to the Kingdom?
In His Service,
Terry Phillips
