The Four Soils

But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Matthew 13:28 (NIV)

Spring always brings out the gardeners. The gardener pulls the old straggly weeds and plants from the soil and begins to work up the ground, hardened from winter. As the soil is turned it loosens, and the chunks of dirt turn into soft and fertile ground. A little mulch is added, the seeds are planted, and the beginning process for a healthy crop is completed.

Spring is the time of year when the parable of the four seeds may make a little more sense. Jesus spoke in parables to convey spiritual truth through a series of everyday objects and relationships. Matthew 13:3-9 tells us about the sower; the one who planted the crop. There are four varieties of soil depicted here as he sowed. The way-side is the trampled, hard-packed path through the field. There, the seed will not find root, and the birds are likely to snatch the seeds. The second category is called stony places, a shallow layer of soil on top of a rock ledge. Here, the thin crust would warm quickly and cause the seed to sprout instantly but without adequate roots or moisture. The sun will scorch this crop and it will wither away. The third group of seeds fell among the thorns which had not been removed, and the wild growth choked out the crop. The good ground represents well-plowed and prepared soil capable of producing a large crop.

These four types of soil represent different responses to God's message. Everyone is in a diverse state of readiness and understanding and each will respond differently. Some may be hardened, trampled by the world and hurt by ones who profess to believe the gospel. Others may be shallow in their faith. They may receive the message of the gospel outwardly with enthusiasm and excitement, but there is no spiritual root and their joy withers away when trials enter their life. The one who is among the thorns never really separated from his past of worldliness and materialism. The gospel is choked out in this life and it never bears the fruit of salvation. The one who received the seed in the good ground is the one who both heard and understood the word. This life bears fruit and there is evidence of true conversion.

Parables compel us to discover the truth, yet there may be those who are too hardened or apathetic to really see it. To those who are earnestly searching, the truth becomes clear. Jesus said in verse 23 that spiritual fruit will vary in size, but He left no one the option of being His follower and producing no fruit at all.

How has God's Word taken root in your life? What kind of soil are you?

Lord, We want to hear and understand Your word. We give You praise for the fruit You produce in our lives as a result of obedience to You.

Janet Stutzman