"did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away."Notice the similarities between this seed and the seed sown on good soil. The seed sown on rocky soil springs up and appears to grow! In the beginning the seed sown on rocky soil looks like it will last, persevere, endure. It looks just like the good seed! Jesus goes on to unveil the deception for us. He says that it withers when scorched by the sun because it has no root. In His explanation of the parable, Jesus specifically states that this seed refers to the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy -- this seed immediately springs up. However when the scorching sun arrives -- that is when affliction or persecution come -- because of the word, they fall away.
The difference between an unbeliever who appears to be saved and a believer who is actually saved is their response to the persecution that the word of God brings! In other words, we do not know what kind of soil the seed landed on until we see the produce of the plant -- that is, until we see the fruit! How we respond to negative responses to the word of God reveals what kind of soil we were planted in -- that is, affliction and persecution because of the word of God reveal our hearts love! The soil is the type of heart we have.
May God grant us affliction and persecution because of His word so that He might bring forth fruit from the seed He has sown!
3 comments:
I also thought it was interesting to consider that the nature of the soils were "predetermined," so to speak. The soils were revealed by the fruit they produced, but each soil necessarily responded in accordance with its nature. So the thing that made the difference between the soils had nothing to do with the soils themselves. In other words, the reason one soil was not like another was due to something outside each soil's determination. And all that to say, the good soil didn't cultivate itself, God must do that. And when He prepares our hearts, there can't help but be good fruit!
Without a doubt, God's Sovereignty in the soils is the main issue here. However, yesterday the visual similarities in the plant impacted me. Both look alike in the beginning, but only one produces fruit in the end.
I have too often hastened to judge germination by apparent fruit instead of actual fruit. It leads to much heartbreak and sorrow. It is an error which I desire to never make again.
I havn't thought about that passage like that before. That is really great to think on. Thank you.
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