A Word from God's Word

“Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.”

Matthew 13:5,6

LAST WEEK, IN THIS SPACE, we began to consider the “Parable of the Sower" in Matthew 13, and we looked at the first type of soil: the hardened soil of the pathway. This week, we see that as the sower continues to sow seed (God’s word; the gospel), some seed falls on rocky soil. There, a seedling springs forth, but the scorching effect of the hot sun withers the plant, and it dies.

Jesus provides the interpretation in 13:20-21 regarding who this stony soil is. “This is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself but endures only for a while.”

One can hear the gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ and be attracted to it initially, but then, in time, drift away. And why is that? Jesus explains in 13:21, “For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.” In other words, the trials that inevitably come upon the believer overwhelm him, for his initial response is not due to true, enduring faith. But the gospel of salvation in Christ is not to be received on a whim; rather, it is to be embraced as the greatest of all treasures, for that is what it is. Therefore, run to Christ by faith. Cling to Him and know Him as your surpassing and eternal joy.

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