The Parable of the Sower

This little analogy may be more about the attitude of the sower, and the responsibilities of both the sower and the soils than anything else. Note that the sower encounters four different types of soils, or people while doing the work of sowing.

The path, rocky soil, thorn-embraced soil and good soil. The first three produce nothing (no fruit) while the last one produces greatly. (More on that later.)

First, let's look at this as if you are the sower, sowing along.

  1. Some of your seeds will be picked up by birds and you will be tempted to either complain about the birds, or get a shot gun.
  2. Some of your seeds will spring up quickly, but then die out 'when the going gets tough'. You will want to break the soil for them out of your compassion.
  3. Some of your seeds will grow until they get caught up with their life. You will want to fix all their problems so that they can 'focus' on God.

So, if you give in to any of these temptations I predict you will never get to the good soil (which produces 30, 60 or 100 times the number of seeds planted, more on that later) because you will be trying to get rid of birds, thorns and rocks.

Hey, if that were your job, you wouldn't be a sower, now would you?

Stick to sowing! Stick to sowing! Stick to sowing, because the good soil needs the seeds!

True, there are those whose job it is to take care of the birds (these people can be called 'scare-crows'), and there are those that clear away the field of thorns (they are called 'clear-weeds') and there are those that plow the field ('rock-breakers').

Actually, those with the job of preparing the soil are called 'farmers'.

But this parable doesn't mention them, it mentions the sower.

Second, let's look at this analogy from the point of view of the soils. Which type of soil do you want to be when Jesus is the sower, coming along and planting seed in your life? I would hope that you want to be the good soil.

Well, let's look at the good soil, because both sowers and farmers are needed there, as well. How do you become "good soil"? Can dirt change itself? NO, but you may become more pliable to the work that needs to be done.

  1. If you are bare soil, like the path, because too many walk all over you and don't allow anything to happen inside of you, you may need to take some action to get people to stop walking all over you!
  2. If you are shallow soil, you may need to develop some depth to your soul. Hopefully, this website will help. Oh, tilling the soil often helps develop depth, but I don't think any soil loves the turmoil that tilling creates.
  3. If you have a whole bunch of thorn bushes growing out of your life, you may want to check your priorities and what you spend you time doing. To purge all those activities and friendships from your life is emotionally painful, and may take the 'fire of the Holy Spirit'!

If you read those three points carefully, you'll notice that you needed a farmer to work you. No field in this world grows nutritious foods without someone taking care of it. Someone has to put a lot of effort into the soil for growth to occur.

So, who are you going to allow to work on you?