Family prays together. PHOTO/AI-generated/Firefly
We must be wondering why many of Jesus’ own countrymen and women rejected Him, yet His life, message and miracles proved Him to be the promised Messiah, according to their scriptures. Why? Why is Christianity crumbling in many former strongholds? These and many similar questions can be answered by the parable of the sower, which answer also serves for the present, and provides hope for a bountiful harvest in the future.
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!” (Matthew 13:1-9)
Because of the emphasis Jesus lays on the different types of soil, we can as well call it “The Parable of the Soil”. The parable invites us to do a self-examination of the soil conditions of our souls. The collapse of entire civilisations can be attributed to the decrease of the topsoil that supports that civilisation.
It can be spiritually catastrophic for us individually, and for us corporately as the Church of Christ. That is why we need to listen carefully to what Jesus has to say about bankrupt and fertile souls.
Types of soil
The first type of soil described by Jesus represents those people who can come to church Sunday after Sunday but nothing penetrates their hearts. Some even go to prayer, healing and gospel crusades, but experience no conversion. In Romans 8, Paul pictures sin not just as our misdeeds but as a force of evil that, left unattended, can mess up our minds and control our souls.
Another take on this condition of living is that people in this soil category willingly live out of their false selves that are focused on promoting and defending their self-appointed agendas, rather than paying attention to the agenda of God, the creator of our true selves.
Rocky soil
The rocky soil, represents those people who appear to make a good start in the race of the Christian life, only to fade well before the finish. Such Christians simply utilise the services of the church for special occasions, but do not commit themselves and their intentions over to the kingdom of God. They are, in other words, not adequately rooted in the soil of the faith.
Overtaken by thorns
A third variety of depleted soil is that overtaken by thorns. It may be their lives are simply filling up with the demands of our rapidly developing technology, internet, smartphones and all sorts of social media.
Jesus is, however, pleased to note a fourth kind of soil that is so fertile that it yields fruit in surprising quantities. Unless the soil conditions of our souls are right, our fruit yields for the kingdom of God will be small or non-existent.
In the end
We need to listen to God’s word and submit ourselves to Him. This involves carving out time in our day for solitude and silence, for deep reflection on what the scriptures are saying to us in this moment of our lives. Contemplative people bear abundant fruit for the Church and society. Christ, the Saviour of entire mankind, is the fruit of Mary of Nazareth (Luke 1:42).
But, we cannot make ourselves Disciples of Christ. It is the Spirit who transforms us from our false selves to our truest selves. It is the Spirit who helps us overcome the power of sin and Satan and empowers us to live for Christ in a way that otherwise would not be possible.
And when that power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed in our lives, we have a soil that can bear much fruit; fruit that will last (John 15:16).
