One of the parables is about the sower and the seeds (which is found in three of the four gospels)...
(Mark 4:3-12) “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; 4 as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. 6 And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. 8 Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9 And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”
I am going to split up each example of the seeds sown in order to show the explanations from all three gospels, which will give us a better understanding. From everything we've studied so far, we can safely assume that Satan is behind everything preventing people from getting close to God. And if not, it all falls within his realm.
In the first scenario - the seeds sown beside the road which are quickly eaten by the birds - represent the people who hear the gospel message but quickly forget anything they have heard. Satan tries to prevent those people from having any understanding of God's word, so they will not become Christians...
(Mark 4:15) “...when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them."
(Matthew 13:19) “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart..."
(Luke 8:12) “...the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved."
In the second scenario - the seeds sown on the rocky ground, where they lack soil in order to develop strong roots - represent the people who hear and gladly accept the gospel message, but temptation, affliction and/or persecution causes them to fall away...
(Luke 8:13) “Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away."
(Mark 4:17) “...they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away."
(Matthew 13:21) “...he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away."
In the third scenario - the seeds sown among the thorns which have difficulty producing fruit - represent the people who hear God's words, but don't see God as a priority in their lives and fall away as a result of various worries and desires..,
(Matthew 13:22) “...this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful."
(Luke 8:14) “...these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity."
The fourth scenario - the seeds sown in good soil - represent the Christians who mature and produce fruit. They are the ones who understand God's words with a sincere heart. They are the ones who serve God and others. And these are the ones who persevere through various tests and trials, no matter what Satan tries...
(Matthew 13:23) “...this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”
(Mark 4:20) “...they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
(Luke 8:15) “...these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance..."
From this we see:
- when people hear God's words, Satan tries to make them forget what they have heard (Mark 4:15)
- when people hear God's words and lack understanding, the evil one is able to snatch it away (Matthew 13:19)
- when people hear God's words, the devil tries to take it away so they will not believe and be saved (Luke 8:12)
- when people hear and accept God's words but don't develop a firm foundation, temptation can cause them to fall away (Luke 8:13)
- when people hear and accept God's words but don't develop a firm foundation, religious persecution can cause them to fall away (Matthew 13:21, Mark 4:17)
- when people hear God's words but don't put Him first, worries of the world and deceitfulness of wealth cause them to be unfruitful (Matthew 12:22)
- when people hear God's words but don't put Him first, worries of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and desires for other things cause them to be unfruitful (Mark 4:19)
- when people hear God's words but don't put Him first, worries, riches and pleasures prevent them from maturing or being fruitful (Luke 8:14)
- to withstand Satan's strategies, Christians must have a good understanding of God's word which will be evident when they serve (Matthew 13:23)
- to withstand Satan's strategies, Christians must accept God's words in obedience, which will be evident when they serve (Mark 4:20)
- to withstand Satan's strategies, Christians must believe in God's words with a sincere heart, which will be evident as they persevere and keep serving God and others (Luke 8:15)
Personal experience: people will find many excuses not to believe that there is a God. And just as sad, many Christians find excuses not to go to church consistently or at all. These both fall within Satan's strategy, as he plays on people's feelings of vulnerabilities, selfishness and pride.
Today's takeaway: we need to continuously study God's words in order to understand what it really means to be a Christian.
As part of God's family, we are children of God! Not only do we want to get to know our heavenly Father better, but we should be determined to love and get along with our brothers and sisters in Christ...
(John 13:34-35) “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
(James 2:14-17) What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? 17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. 18 But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
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