THE CONDITION OF THE HEART

By Jerelyn Wright Pearson

Jesus often taught through parables which are stories used to teach a greater truth. The parable of the sower is familiar to many of us. Sometimes we skim through familiar passages because we think we already know them. By moving along too quickly we may miss a deeper meaning or new application of the truth that the Lord wants to show us. 

The familiar parable of the sower is found in three of the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Since Matthew includes the most detail, we will explore his presentation.

The setting for Jesus’ teaching of this parable is one of my favorite mind-pictures of his teaching style. There was a great multitude gathered by the seaside. So, he sat in a ship to teach while the crowd stood on the shore. 

As we read this parable of the sower whose seeds fall into different environments or conditions, think about which environment or condition you most closely identify with.

In Matthew 13:3 Jesus begins this teaching by the seaside.

Matthew 13:3-9  
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: 
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Not everyone has “ears to hear.” In Isaiah 6:8-10 we find Isaiah responding to the voice of the Lord.

Isaiah 6:8-10
8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.
9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Jesus addresses this same scripture when the twelve ask him for an explanation of the parable.

Matthew 13:10-17
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.

(This same concept scripture was taught in the explanation of the parable of the talents.)

13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

In this parable, the sower’s seeds fell into different environments: by the wayside, upon stony places, among thorns, and into good ground. Each event brought a different result for its seeds: to be devoured by fowls, to be scorched and wither away, to be choked by thorns, or to bear fruit.

With which environment did you identify? Hopefully the answer is the good ground where the seeds bear fruit. But I can certainly recall times in my life when I was in each of these places. And more to the point there continue to be times when I find myself by the wayside, or upon stony places, or among thorns.

Of course we know that this is not just a story about what happens to seeds depending on where they are planted. Through Jesus’ interpretation of the parable to his disciples, we learn what each element in the story represents. For example we will see that the type of soil represents the condition of the heart. Christians who have received the assurance of salvation are given a fertile heart to bear fruit. Having been given this marvelous gift, do we as Christians always produce the abundance of fruit that is possible?  With which kind of heart do we receive God’s messages?  Are there times when we allow our hearts to wander by the wayside, on the stony places, or among the thorns instead of staying grounded in God's will of fertile soil?  It is with this question in mind that I’d like us to read the parable again, this time with Jesus’ explanation of the greater truth as he explained it to his disciples.

Parable: 

Matthew 13:3-4: 
3 Behold, a sower went forth to sow; 
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: 

Interpretation: 

Matthew 13:18-19: 
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. 
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

We see here that the sower is Jesus Christ.  He sows the seed, which is the word of God. The fowl represent the wicked one who steals the seeds. The ground by the wayside is so hard that the seeds remain on the surface and the birds can easily take them away. The wayside represents the heart that is hardened and can’t understand the message.

This makes me wonder, are there times when we hear God's word without understanding? Well, maybe there are passages that we don’t fully understand yet, but I don’t think this is what is meant here. However, are there times when we miss receiving understanding that the Lord wants to show us because we allow our minds to wander during a sermon? Or do we sometimes neglect to pray or read the Bible when we should, leaving those seeds to be devoured or stolen away that were intended for each of us that day in that particular situation? 

Parable: 

Matthew 13:5-6: 
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: 
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. 

Interpretation: 

Matthew 13:20-21: 
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

The stony places represent hearts that are happy to hear the word but are not rooted in the Lord to keep it when challenges arise. When do we allow challenging circumstances to distract us from trusting God and rob us of the joy that comes from his guidance? Or how often do we become offended at perceived rejection and allow the seed which we joyfully received to be scorched and wither away rather than take root? Roots take hold when they are nourished and watered. It is important to be consistent in prayer and Bible study.

Parable: 

Matthew 13:7: 
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Interpretation: 

Matthew 13:22: 
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

The thorns represent worldly cares and possessions which can distract us from our purpose and keep us from being fruitful. How much time do we waste worrying? How much emphasis do we place on worldly cares or possessions? We need to be vigilant to keep God's will in the center of our attention so we can be in the center of his will. 

Parable: 

Matthew 13:8-9: 
8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Interpretation: 

Matthew 13:23: 
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

The good ground represents the heart that is yielded to the Lord and bears fruit. In order to hear the word, we need to be where the word is spoken. In order to understand the word we need to study the word. In order to bear fruit we need to obey the word.

It is interesting that even the fruit bearers produce in varying amounts, "some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." What do we do, or neglect to do, that limits our fruitful productivity?

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we receive the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. God gives us a heart to receive, understand, and apply his truth in our lives and allow him to work in us to will and do of his good pleasure so that we bear fruit. When we are obedient to his will, we bear that eternal fruit. But if we’re not careful, we can prevent ourselves from fully accomplishing his purpose in our lives. 

God has given us eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to receive, understand, and apply. Let’s not be among those who limit their fruitfulness. Instead let us identify with the Lord and magnify him.

 

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Presented 7 November 2021 in French Settlement, LA