“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had not root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced; some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for the other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
“The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for the other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
-Mark 4:3-8; 14-20 (NKJV)
I love it when Jesus lays it right out for us...we don’t have to interpret what the parable of the sower means, Jesus has done it for us and who better to explain this parable than He! Jesus reveals four types of people in this parable of the sower: people who hear the word, but Satan immediately takes it from them; people who receive the word with gladness but are only able to endure for a time because they have no root; people who hear the word but their flesh and the desires for this world choke the word and no fruit can grow; and then there are those people who not only hear the word, but accept it and bear fruit.
As I read these descriptions of the four types of people, I realized that I have people in my life that fit into each of these categories. That is the easiest place to look though isn’t it...at other people, not ourselves. So looking at my own reflection, I am faced with the knowledge that I have been all of the people described here at different times in my life and for a season. I have been the one by the wayside that never really received the word, lost. I have been the one on stony ground who has heard the word and received it, but turned from it at the fear of rejection and persecution. I have been the one who hears the word, but my desire for the things of this world and the desire to feed my flesh choked the word. In fact, I think I have spent most of my “Christian” life here, unfruitful and choked by worldly desires and the hunger of my flesh. Until I was born again, I was not able to break free of the strangle hold the thorny vines of this world had on me because I cannot break free, I don’t have the strength to break out of the bondage of this world but God does and by accepting Jesus into my life, He is breaking the strangle hold of worldly desires one thorny vine at a time. I am so grateful that I don’t have to wrestle with the thorny vines of the flesh; Jesus has done and is doing this for me. All I need to do is give it to Him.
As I read these descriptions of the four types of people, I realized that I have people in my life that fit into each of these categories. That is the easiest place to look though isn’t it...at other people, not ourselves. So looking at my own reflection, I am faced with the knowledge that I have been all of the people described here at different times in my life and for a season. I have been the one by the wayside that never really received the word, lost. I have been the one on stony ground who has heard the word and received it, but turned from it at the fear of rejection and persecution. I have been the one who hears the word, but my desire for the things of this world and the desire to feed my flesh choked the word. In fact, I think I have spent most of my “Christian” life here, unfruitful and choked by worldly desires and the hunger of my flesh. Until I was born again, I was not able to break free of the strangle hold the thorny vines of this world had on me because I cannot break free, I don’t have the strength to break out of the bondage of this world but God does and by accepting Jesus into my life, He is breaking the strangle hold of worldly desires one thorny vine at a time. I am so grateful that I don’t have to wrestle with the thorny vines of the flesh; Jesus has done and is doing this for me. All I need to do is give it to Him.
COACH'S CALL TO ACTION
- Which of these people are you right now, in this season of your life?
- What are the thorny vines that are choking the word in your life today?
- What will you do about those thorny vines?
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