"Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.”

Matthew 13:3b-4

 

ON MANY OCCASIONS, Jesus would teach through parables: simple, short, earthly stories that carry a spiritual truth. One such parable is the “Parable of the Sower” in Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23. In the parable, an individual goes out to the field to sow seed for his crop. But the seed (God’s word, the gospel), as it is cast, falls on different types of soil (the hearers or recipients of the gospel message). Four types of soil are mentioned; tragically, only one is fertile soil where the seed bears fruit. Over the next few weeks, we will consider these different soils.

The first soil is the hardened soil of the pathway that lies alongside the field. Because it has been trampled down, the seed fails to penetrate and instead lies on the surface. Thus, the birds quickly swoop down and snatch it up. Jesus explains in verse 19, “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one (Satan) comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.”

The last thing that Satan wants is for us to hear God’s life-giving word. He will do all he can to distract and draw us away. Therefore, what we need to do is clear: Pick up the Bible and read! Read, praying that God would grant you understanding of His gospel that speaks of salvation through faith in Christ.

 

Pastor Craig publishes  "A Word from God's Word" weekly in the "Kootenay News Advertiser".

About the Author

Pastor Craig has served as Senior Pastor of Cranbrook Fellowship Baptist Church since 2018. His passion is for preaching and teaching God's Word, as it is through the proclamation of the gospel that God does His work in people's lives.