What type of soil am I?

Have you ever compared yourself to soil? Jesus does. 

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus uses four types of soil to illustrate how different people receive or respond to God’s Word. This parable is the first recorded in three of the four Gospels. 

Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20; Luke 8:5-8, 11-15 

The first three types of soil or people all have issues in their grasp of the Word, specifically the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

They seem unable in one way or another to hold onto and accept the idea that Jesus was the Son of God, died on a cross as payment for the sins of every human being and was raised from death so that they might be saved and have eternal life. 

Their response prohibits this awesome message – the Gospel of Christ, the Word of God – to take root. 

The Message is lost on these types of people and the Word dies in them and no fruit is produced. 

Luke 8:5, 6 & 7 tell us how, 

on the path, the birds of the air eat it up 

on rock, the plants wither 

among thorns, the plants are choked 

But there is another type of soil, the fourth, good soil, in which seeds of the Word of God are firmly planted and yield a good crop – they are fruitful. 

Fruit, fruitful or bearing fruit, are symbols that are used throughout the Word to represent evidence that a person has received, accepted and believed God’s Word.

The parable of the Sower should force you to ask yourself, “What type of soil am I?”

Are you a Path person who hears the Message but it has no effect and so you either ignore it or dismiss it and immediately it’s taken away?

Are you a Rocky soil person who hears the Message, is really excited about it but does not hold on to it and appropriate it to yourself, so it doesn’t take root and when troubles arise you quickly turn away from the Word considering it too difficult to pursue? 

Are you among the Thorns who recognize the Message as being Truth but are so caught up in worldly matters that you consider those things of more value to you and are unwilling to part with them?

 

Or, are you a Good soil person who realizes that the Message is true, recognizes its value, believes it, accepts it, is willing to give up everything and anything necessary, and go all out in pursuit of it? You will bear much fruit.

Think about who you are in relation to what you now know. Examine your heart and make a choice today – choose to be a Good soil person.

Amen †

What type of soil am I? ©2013 Shelley Johnson 20-Sep-13