Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 63

March 4;      Matthew 13:18;       13/260(IV);        ‘The Sower’

Matthew 13:18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower

The genius of the Lord.  Jesus tells us in Mark’s Gospel that if we do not understand this parable, we will have a hard time understanding any of the parables.  The seed the sower sows is the Word of God.  Seed in the natural has the capacity to grow into whatever crop the seed is.  Our spirit is represented by the types of soil.  I do not know much about farming, but the little experience I have with growing vegetables, I know that caring for the soil is important for a healthy vegetable.  God’s Word will grow in our spirit properly if we take care of the ‘soil’ the seed is planted in.  Hard soil does not allow the seed to sink into it.  When our spirit is hard, the Word has a very difficult time getting in and the devil comes along and removes the seed sown.  The stony ground soil represents those who hear the Word of God and with unrealistic ideas think their troubles are over once they become born again.  When persecutions come for the Word’s sake, those with this soil type stumble and the Word has little lasting value.  The thorny soil represents those with one foot in the things of God and one foot still in the world.  Money and still desiring what the world offers chokes the Word and it becomes unfruitful.  Finally the seed that fell of good soil is someone who hears the Word, understands the Word and by doing the Word bears fruit.  As this person grows in the Word, his or her fruit production grows.  How incredibly true this parable is.  Our success in the things of God is not up to the Lord.  I will make my soil good