Dear Neighbor,
I believe that one of the most fascinating parables that Jesus told was the parable of the sower. (cf. Luke 8:4-15) For one, it is one of the few parables that Jesus explains. Two, it explains why some follow Jesus Christ and others do not; though they may do so for a while and fall away, or may think that they are following the Lord when they are truly raped up with the things of this life.
In this parable, the seed is the word of God and the soils represent the hearts of those whom the word of God is spoken too: beside the road, rocky soil, thorns, and good soil. Anyone who has done any type of planting knows that to grow a fruitful crop the soil must be prepared by the sower. It is the prepared soil that is the good soil, the good soil bears much fruit. The hard packed earth, like a road, has not been prepared by the sower. The rocky soil has not been prepared by the sower. The thorny soil has not been prepared by the sower. In fact, the word is not intended for these but falls on them; the word is intended for the good soil.
Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” (John 3:3) For a person to hear, believe and bear good fruit in abundance; they must be born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:13)
Your Servant for Jesus’ Sake
