Is your soil fertile? The secret to the parable of the Sower

Is your soil fertile?  The secret to the parable of the Sower

But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” Mark 4:20.

One of Jesus main teaching methods was to speak in parables.  The parable of the Sower ranks as one of the most important.  Even Jesus said if you don’t get this one, how will you understand all of the others?

When I read about gardening, one of the first recommendations is to have your soil tested.  Then you will know what needs to be added for your garden to produce to its highest capacity.  Jesus said all four types of soil were given seed, but only 1 out 4 became fruitful, infact very fruitful.  What made the difference? The Soil.

Jesus tells the secret as he explains in verse 20 and following.  Hear the word and accept the word.  He said repeatedly throughout his ministry “he who has ears to hear, let him hear”.  Don’t jump over this point to quickly.  We are for the most part “hard of hearing”.  We do however have the capacity to hear very clearly all that God desires for us to hear.

Jesus follows the parable of the Sower in Mark 4 with 3 more parables which appear to further illustrate fertile soil. The first is about a lamp. No one puts a lamp under a basket or under a bed, but they put it on a stand.  Here is the first principle, those who hear the word and accept it make the word a top priority.  The word that God speaks is never secondary or hidden to be used later.  Listen to Jesus explain the lamp.  And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.   Look at what Jesus said…hear and then apply the word for fruitfulness.  Accepting the word is putting it into practice in your life.   This is about obedience, repentance, and actively advancing the gospel. As with a lamp, others will see the “measure” of application that the word is making in your life…it is not hidden, nor is it supposed to be secret.

The second parable is about how God grows the word in our life.  The seed is sown and the earth makes it grow….all by itself.  Then he shows the life-cycle of the seed to fruitfulness.  We should learn to know the lifecycle of the growth of spiritual seed in our lives and others.  What does a healthy blade look like, can we see the buds, and when is it ready for harvest?  Celebrate the growth of God’s word at each stage.  Don’t jump ahead of God’s principle of maturing growth.  Acknowledge and nurture the small changes in your life as you respond to God’s word.  Help others to see how God is working.  His seed expects to be harvested.

The final parable is the mustard seed.  It is the smallest of seeds, but produces one of the largest of plants.  Don’t judge the level of importance to the word that is given to you.  We miss so much, by judging the seed that that the Sower is putting in our life.  Seriously, if we want fertile soil, we position ourselves as ready receptors to the word that God is speaking to us.

Hearing the word is first.  God even allows us to participants to help sow that word for others.  “How will the hear unless someone is sent?”  You have the privilege to be a sower.  At the same time, as part of the body of Christ, someone may speak(sow) a word (seed) to you from God, receive it.

Accept the word is to make it top priority and putting it into practice.  This would include spiritual warfare, not letting the enemy steal the word.  Uncluttering our soul is another way to prepare our hearts for the word.  Cares of the world choke it out.

God wants you to be fruitful.  You were created and commissioned to be fruitful and fill the earth.  So much loss potential of fruit happens by our lack of understanding and application of the simplicity of hearing and accepting the word that God sows in our lives.

Father, forgive us for lack of fruit.  We have a hard time incorporating you word into our busy schedule.  Help us see that how desperately we need You.  Help us to have the cleanest and most sensitive ears to hear what the
Spirit is saying to us.  God there is no excuse for not implementing and obeying your word.  Forgive us.  You alone have the words of life, where else could we go?  Lord let us be ready to cooperate with you to see the abundant fruit come forth in our lives.  In Jesus Name, Amen.