The sower of seeds parable

[TheListener]

Can somebody explain the farmer and the seeds he sows parable to me? (the one where the seeds fall on different soil)

 

[He is Yahweh]

Ok, the gist of it is about peoples response to the message of god, there are four places where the sown seeds land

1) on the path (eaten by birds)
2) on the rocks (spring up quickly but when the sun comes out die, because no root)
3) among the thorns (grow, but are choked)
4) good soil

Matthew 13 verses 18 onwards are helpful here, if you read them, they explain, but in short

1) Heard but not understood,
2) Recieves the word at once with joy, but as persecution and difficulty come along, he falls away
3) Hears the word, but is preoccupied with things in his life and there is no room in his life for the word, he's constantly worrying about earthly things.
4) Hears the word, and understands it, hurray!

 

[TheListener]

So, would the soil mean the kind of person you are (ie it is who you are and not much you can do about it) or would it mean it is HOW you act on it (ie you choose to be the kind of soil you want to be)?

 

[He is Yahweh]

Hmmmm, I think that basically,

1)These are people who hear with their ears only, they don't recieve the word, they have a rebellious heart, which isnt one bit interested, they are hard hearted. I think the only way this changes is by god working through his spirit

As for 2) bottling it upon persecution and 3) being obsessed with earthly things (bear in mind, these are very brief condensed statements) are something one can aim to change and be watchful of, and with prayer to the lord to help you in the struggle they can be accomplished.

The parable helps christians to be watchful against losing their way, it tells us what goes on in the stones and in the thorns and that we want to be in the good soil.

If you want somehing a bit longer, and possibly more comprehensible! I'll try again tomorrow! but for now, its getting late.

God Bless

 

[TheListener]

Can I get a more experienced Christians point of view or are they too busy to bother with new Christians that kids have to come and help us out?

 

[LiberatedChick]

Hmmmm, I think that basically,

1)These are people who hear with their ears only, they don't recieve the word, they have a rebellious heart, which isnt one bit interested, they are hard hearted. I think the only way this changes is by god working through his spirit

As for 2) bottling it upon persecution and 3) being obsessed with earthly things (bear in mind, these are very brief condensed statements) are something one can aim to change and be watchful of, and with prayer to the lord to help you in the struggle they can be accomplished.

The parable helps christians to be watchful against losing their way, it tells us what goes on in the stones and in the thorns and that we want to be in the good soil.

If you want somehing a bit longer, and possibly more comprehensible! I'll try again tomorrow! but for now, its getting late.

God Bless

Well personally I agree with this and I think that He Is Yahweh has given you very good responses. I think the soil is essentially the kind of person you are BUT you can change the kind of person you are. The type of people that hear but don't understand the Word do not let it into their hearts can be changed but it's likely that they'll only be changed through God working on them. The other types (those who accept it but reject it as soon as they are persecuted or experience trouble and those who are preoccuppied by earthly things) can and do change. For example, I'm a bit of a worrier...worrying about worldly things etc but I wanted to change this. I hated worrying about things all the time and I have changed since realising that God will provide and that I need to trust in Him. Therefore, I was the number 3 type of person but I wanted to change and I did.

 

[Mustaphile]

So, would the soil mean the kind of person you are (ie it is who you are and not much you can do about it) or would it mean it is HOW you act on it (ie you choose to be the kind of soil you want to be)?

I would think it's talking about he circumstance you hear the word in, and the receptiveness of the heart that receives it, but most importantly it's talking about the response to that message. It's a call for us to be planters of seeds in the hearts and minds of men, but to not attach ourselves too much to the success or failure of the seeds growth or to judge the worthiness of the response by the bounty of its growth. There are factors outside of our control which God is aware of that will lead to some seeds not bearing fruit. The seed is the the Good News, that Christ has freed us from the bondage of sin, and we need not suffer from the condemnation of sin anymore. The heavy yoke of the law has been removed from around our necks and been replaced by the light yoke of the commandments of Christ to love God and love our neighbour as ourselves. As we walk the path through life towards God, we are called to cast the seeds of the Good News as we go. There is no need for us to then stand over the seed and become obsessive about whether the seed is goign to bear fruit. God knows the intentions of the heart and can read a man's response to the Good News and God will judge the intentions of the heart through the response. The circumstance upon which the seed finds itself, and the receptivenes of the heart to the message, will determine it's whether it will bear great fruit or not. God will judge the response to that message, according to circumstance and receptiveness of the heart.

The practical wisdom gained from this is that you can't force someone to take the Good News and make it a bountiful blessing in their life. Circumstance and trial will mean seeds spring forth in different ways. Your call is to plant the seed so that God can judge the response. It's not up to you to judge whether the response was worthy. The bountifulness of the response is not an indicator of the intention or response to the Good News. Some people will struggle with faith, but God is merciful in his judgement and knows their circumstance.

Make sense? I'm sure some will disagree with me, but that's what my eyes see and what my ears tell me. God will judge whether my response to the message was appropriate. I've always been fascinated by the method of teaching through parable. I find they hold a wealth of information about how we should live as christians, while maintaining a flexibility in the way we respond to God. They escape the legalism of the law and allow us to respond to life through the leading of the Spirit.

 

[TheListener]

Very helpful. Thank you.

 

[Rafael]

Here's how the New Living Translation puts the answer to your question. I think it is pretty clear:

Mark 4:14 The farmer I talked about is the one who brings God’s message to others.
15 The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the message, but then Satan comes at once and takes it away from them.
16 The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy.
17 But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.
18 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News,
19 but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for nice things, so no crop is produced.
20 But the good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."

I've seen this parable played out in many lives, including my own. The cares of life will always try and lure you away from God's Words of life, so we must be careful what we allow in our garden too. If we allow sin and weeds and thorns to live, then they may choke out some of the great blessings we have from God if we obey Him and keep ourselves pure so that we can be vessels put to good and often use by Him. I would rather be used by God than anything I can think of. Once you get a chance to serve Him, it is so sweet of an experience you want more and more to be used by Him and be closer.
The law is now written upon our hearts and is part of what the Holy Spirit brings to us. We do not obey from the outside in anymore, but from the love we have in our hearts we cannot break His law. Nobody who loves God will kill, lie, or continue in sin willfully.

2Ti 2:21 If you keep yourself pure, you will be a utensil God can use for his purpose. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.

Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh:

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: