"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!
