Keto Ice Cream Bars 😋 Parable of the Soils

Matthew 13: 1-9 The Parable of the Soils 

“That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. ² And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach. ³ And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. ⁵ Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. ⁶ But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. ⁸ And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.  ⁹ He who has ears, let him hear.”

Keep in mind, that the meaning of parables are hidden to those who don’t pay attention, to those who do not listen… but are open to those who do.

Which is why Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." 

Now today’s parable and its explanation appears to be straightforward enough.

And He (Jesus) begins with the seed.  Notice in this parable He doesn’t say anything specific about who the sower is, but in the next parable He will.  

But here in this parable it can be anyone who sows the seed.

The important thing for us to notice is what the seed is. Jesus says it is "the word of the kingdom,"

It is essential that we realize there is an invisible kingdom beyond what you or I can apprehend with our five senses.

It is very real, as real as anything we can see or touch. It is essential, therefore, that we understand that this kingdom exists.

But more than that, the word of the kingdom is that in this kingdom, from this source, invisible and unseen, comes all that man desperately needs and is searching for in life.

That is the good news of the gospel. The word of the kingdom, then, is the gospel.

As we continue, we see that the first three people portrayed are ultimately hard in heart, but the hardness is especially clear in the person described in verses 4 and again in 19 since that individual never shows an interest in the Gospel.

His heart is hardened to the point where it resists all penetration by the seed, which is devoured by the Evil One and his minions, who were often represented by birds in first-century Jewish literature.

Now in vv. 5-6, those who fall away after professing faith are represented by the second and third soils.

Without enough soil, plants will wither and die from the sun’s heat.

And similarly, some people appear to be thriving believers until persecution reveals their true colors as Jesus explained in vv. 20–21. Just like those in the first century who left Jesus when the going got tough and as we are warned Heb. 3:12.

In v. 7, we hear that like vegetation choked by weeds, some are strangled by the cares of this world and the love of money.

This is an especially frightful fate, for the one ensnared in such things does not usually know his predicament until it is too late... considering themselves a Christ’s follower even though they serve their own riches.

Now as we look at the fourth soil, in vv. 8-9, we see there is a notably difference.

This one understands and bears fruit — they accept and conform their life to the Gospel. The presence of fruit, not its quantity, is what matters.

 

Matthew Henry writes: “That which distinguished this good ground from the rest, was, in one word, fruitfulness.

He does not say that this good ground has no stones in it, or no thorns; but there were none that prevailed to hinder its fruitfulness.”

Stones or thorns may be found in the good soil of a true believer’s heart, but such obstructions do not finally prevent him from bearing fruit.

Life Happens… Think of your own garden… as you tend to the soil and ready it for planting…

For despite our failures…  the question we must ask… Is our life bearing fruit for Christ?