Fertile Soil: Fertile Soul (Matthew 13:1-23

Matthew 13: 1-23 The Seeds of the sower and the Fertileness of the Ground

The parable of the sower or seeds has been one of the infamous parables of Jesus. The debate has raged throughout the years regarding which of the different soils are saved? I would like to attempt explaining which ones were saved. More specifically, in my estimation, there was only one particular soil which represents a redeemed person. Obviously the redeemed soil is the one where the seed fell on "good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Here in America, people talk themselves in a frenzy as well as talk themselves to a calm. Talking into a calm is where people justify things in order to make themselves feel better. This is usually what happens in the spiritual realm of people lives. People tell themselves or hear from others, what they want to hear. Hearing what they want to hear is music to ears, which calms uneasiness.

This is what happens in this passage. Some people make the other soils conducive to there own knowledge and lives. So, when they read about the soil that sprang up, but had no depth, they want to argue that at least it produced something. It doesn't matter that it sprang up and then died. Also, some want to argue that the thorny soil produced something albeit the thorns choked it as it began to grow.

Simply hermeneutics (which is the study of Scripture) will show the major focus is on the last soil, which produced fruit. The other soils did not produce fruit of the seed that was sown. What does Jesus want from his followers? Fruit! People cannot justify their actions so that they accommodate their feelings of guilt and emotions. Preachers and teachers of the word should not patronize people who might fall into the categories of soil #2 and #3. The aim is to be soil #4, the good soil that produces a harvest of fruit. This doesn't mean people will be perfect and never struggle with sin. But, what it does mean they will live whole-heartily unto the Lord rather than living for themselves and others. It does mean they will pursue God and the things of God; his word, his church, his mission, and his actions.

Therefore, those who fail to endure tribulation and persecution on the account of Jesus and his word, and those who fail to cast away the cares of this world and the entanglements of this kingdom are not redeemed. Although they may show early signs of being regenerate, they in the end fail to produce any fruit.

What should we take away from this parable? Which soil are we? Has the devil snatched the joy and life of the word from our lives, just as a bird snatched the seed from the soil? Have we allowed the difficulty of the Christian life to deter us from living for Christ? Do we care more about the things of this world, our life, our desires, our dreams, our wishes than we do about the kingdom of God and his mission? Or do we desire, commit to, embrace, and love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength that we produce fruit of righteousness, holiness, purity, conversion?

This is the goal of Jesus for our lives. He did not come to live, die, and rise again for soil that is rocky and thorny to live rocky and thorny lives for him. He came to live, die, and rise again in order to gather a people together for his own glory and purpose, so that they live lives that produce fruit; some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty.
So today, stop justifying spiritual mediocrity. Quit manipulating the unadulterated truth of Scripture to accommodate actions. Jesus wants fruit! Are we producing?