soil management

Today Pastor Harrop spoke on the Parable of the Sower in Luke 8. Parables were basically the first attempt at an object lesson - a main lesson is taught by way of a more familiar illustration. In this parable, the familiarity was in the act of sowing and harvesting a crop, something everyone did at the time and therefore understood well. Since I live in Germany's Black Forest area, I see this story come to life more in the forest landscape of hiking trails, ferns, towering trees, and other flora.

The seed that fell on the path (v11-12) represents the hard heart. Just as a path is beaten down and packed so tightly that no seed can penetrate, this person has hardened his heart to the Word of God and refuses to hear or obey.

The seed that fell on the rocks (v13) represents the shallow heart. A plant's roots serve two functions: to anchor the plant, and to absorb water. Picture a thin layer of soil covering a layer of rock. Anything planted here would fail to establish a healthy root system and eventually die because it couldn't absorb enough water. In the same way that this plant has no anchor, the person with the shallow heart has heard the Word of God superficially. When trials and tests come, this person falls away because he did not allow his belief to become his reality.


The seed that gets choked by the weeds (v14) represents the crowded heart. She has allowed riches, worries, and other idols to take God's place in her life.

Finally, the seed that falls on good soil (v15) represents the productive heart. This person has heard and responded to the Word of God.

Typically when we read this passage we interpret the soil as four different types of people. Everyone falls into one of those four categories, and you're basically stuck with it. We relinquish all responsibility and claim that we simply are the way we are (and then wonder why God lets bad things happen).

Thankfully, that's not true. We do have a choice and we can change our attitudes. If we tend to the soil of our hearts, we can go from hardened soil to the good soil that yields good crops. It's a three-step process:

1. Hear the Word. See yourself as you truly are and permit God to move into the areas that need work.
2. Retain the Word. Hold fast to the truth. Seek to live by the Word in your every day life.
3. Produce a crop. Seek out how God can engage you in serving others.