The Answer Lies in the Soil
The same day went Jesus out of the
house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together
unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood
on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a
sower went forth to sow; {CSA 18.1}
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by
the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony
places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because
they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and
the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and
brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who
hath ears to hear, let him hear. {CSA 18.2}
Hear ye therefore the parable of the
sower. 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. But he that received the seed
into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it; 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. 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. 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.
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. {CSA 18.3}
By the Sea of Galilee a company had
gathered to see and hear Jesus—an eager, expectant throng. The sick were there,
lying on their mats, waiting to present their cases before Him. It was Christ’s
God-given right to heal the woes of a sinful race, and He now rebuked disease,
and diffused around Him life and health and peace. {CSA 19.1}
As the crowd continued to increase,
the people pressed close about Christ until there was no room to receive them.
Then, speaking a word to the men in their fishing boats, He stepped into the
boat that was waiting to take Him across the lake, and bidding His disciples
push off a little from the land, He spoke to the multitude upon the shore. {CSA
19.2}
Beside the sea lay the beautiful
plain of Gennesaret, beyond rose the hills, and upon hillside and plain both
sowers and reapers were busy, the one casting seed and the other harvesting the
early grain. Looking upon the scene, Christ said— {CSA 19.3}
“Behold, the sower went forth to sow;
and as he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside, and the birds came and
devoured them” (R.V.); “some fell upon stony places, where they had not much
earth; and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and
when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they
withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked
them: but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an
hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.”{CSA 19.4}
Christ’s mission was not understood
by the people of His time. The manner of His coming was not in accordance with
their expectations. . . . This expectation Christ answered in the parable of
the sower. Not by force of arms, not by violent interpositions, was the kingdom
of God to prevail, but by the implanting of a new principle in the hearts of
men. {CSA 19.5}
“He that soweth the good seed is the
Son of man.” Matthew 13:37. Christ had come, not as a king, but as a sower; not
for the overthrow of kingdoms, but for the scattering of seed; not to point His
followers to earthly triumphs and national greatness, but to a harvest to be
gathered after patient toil and through losses and disappointments. {CSA 19.6}
The Pharisees perceived the meaning
of Christ’s parable, but to them its lesson was unwelcome. They affected not to
understand it. To the multitude it involved in still greater mystery the
purpose of the new teacher, whose words had so strangely moved their hearts and
so bitterly disappointed their ambitions. The disciples themselves had not
understood the parable, but their interest was awakened. They came to Jesus
privately and asked for an explanation. 37 {CSA 19.7}
“The sower soweth the word.” Christ
came to sow the world with truth. Ever since the fall of man, Satan has been sowing
the seeds of error. It was by a lie that he first gained control over men, and
thus he still works to overthrow God’s kingdom in the earth and to bring men
under his power. A sower from a higher world, Christ came to sow the seeds of
truth. He who had stood in the councils of God, who had dwelt in the innermost
sanctuary of the Eternal, could bring to men the pure principles of truth. Ever
since the fall of man, Christ had been the Revealer of truth to the world. By
Him the incorruptible seed, “the word of God, which liveth and abideth
forever,” is communicated to men. 1 Peter 1:23. In that first promise spoken to
our fallen race in Eden, Christ was sowing the gospel seed. But it is to His
personal ministry among men and to the work which He thus established that the
parable of the sower especially applies. {CSA 19.8}
The word of God is the seed. Every
seed has in itself a germinating principle. In it the life of the plant is
enfolded. So there is life in God’s word. Christ says, “The words that I speak
unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life.” John 6:63. “He that heareth My
word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life.” John 5:24. In
every command and in every promise of the word of God is the power, the very
life of God, by which the command may be fulfilled and the promise realized. He
who by faith receives the word is receiving the very life and character of God.
{CSA 19.9}
Every seed brings forth fruit after
its kind. Sow the seed under right conditions, and it will develop its own life
in the plant. Receive into the soul by faith the incorruptible seed of the
word, and it will bring forth a character and a life after the similitude of
the character and the life of God. 38 {CSA 20.1}
Philosophical theories or literary
essays, however brilliant, cannot satisfy the heart. The assertions and
inventions of men are of no value. Let the word of God speak to the people. Let
those who have heard only traditions and human theories and maxims hear the
voice of Him whose word can renew the soul unto everlasting life. 39 {CSA 20.2}
That with which the parable of the
sower chiefly deals is the effect produced on the growth of the seed by the
soil into which it is cast. . . . {CSA 20.3}
Explaining the seed that fell by the
wayside, He said, “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 wayside.”{CSA
20.4}
The seed sown by the wayside
represents the word of God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer.
Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the
heart that becomes a highway for the world’s traffic, its pleasures and sins.
Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is “hardened through
the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:13. The spiritual faculties are paralyzed.
Men hear the word, but understand it not. They do not discern that it applies
to themselves. They do not realize their need or their danger. They do not
perceive the love of Christ, and they pass by the message of His grace as
something that does not concern them. {CSA 20.5}
As the birds are ready to catch up
the seed from the wayside, so Satan is ready to catch away the seeds of divine
truth from the soul. He fears that the word of God may awaken the careless, and
take effect upon the hardened heart. 40
{CSA 20.6}
The seed sown upon stony ground finds
little depth of soil. The plant springs up quickly, but the root cannot
penetrate the rock to find nutriment to sustain its growth, and it soon
perishes. . . . {CSA 20.7}
As soon as Matthew heard the
Saviour’s call, immediately he rose up, left all, and followed Him. . . . But
those who in the parable are said to receive the word immediately, do not count
the cost. They do not consider what the word of God requires of them. They do
not bring it face to face with all their habits of life, and yield themselves
fully to its control. {CSA 20.8}
The roots of the plant strike down
deep into the soil, and hidden from sight nourish the life of the plant. So
with the Christian; it is by the invisible union of the soul with Christ,
through faith, that the spiritual life is nourished. But the stony-ground
hearers depend upon self instead of Christ. They trust in their good works and
good impulses, and are strong in their own righteousness. They are not strong
in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Such a one “hath not root in
himself”; for he is not connected with Christ. {CSA 20.9}
The hot summer sun, that strengthens
and ripens the hardy grain, destroys that which has no depth of root. So he who
“hath not root in himself,”“dureth for a while”; but “when tribulation or
persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Many
receive the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a
deliverance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion
will free them from difficulty and trial. While life moves smoothly with them,
they may appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint beneath the fiery
test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for Christ’s sake. When the word
of God points out some cherished sin, or requires self-denial or sacrifice,
they are offended. It would cost them too much effort to make a radical change
in their life. They look at the present inconvenience and trial, and forget the
eternal realities. 41 {CSA 20.10}
Love must be the principle of action.
Love is the underlying principle of God’s government in heaven and earth, and
it must be the foundation of the Christian’s character. This alone can make and
keep him steadfast. This alone can enable him to withstand trial and
temptation. {CSA 21.1}
And love will be revealed in
sacrifice. The plan of redemption was laid in sacrifice—a sacrifice so broad
and deep and high that it is immeasurable. Christ gave all for us, and those
who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their
Redeemer. The thought of His honor and glory will come before anything else. .
. . {CSA 21.2}
“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.”{CSA 21.3}
The gospel seed often falls among
thorns and noxious weeds; and if there is not a moral transformation in the
human heart, if old habits and practices and the former life of sin are not
left behind, if the attributes of Satan are not expelled from the soul, the
wheat crop will be choked. The thorns will come to be the crop, and will kill
out the wheat. {CSA 21.4}
Grace can thrive only in the heart
that is being constantly prepared for the precious seeds of truth. The thorns
of sin will grow in any soil; they need no cultivation; but grace must be
carefully cultivated. The briers and thorns are always ready to spring up, and
the work of purification must advance continually. If the heart is not kept
under the control of God, if the Holy Spirit does not work unceasingly to
refine and ennoble the character, the old habits will reveal themselves in the
life. Men may profess to believe the gospel; but unless they are sanctified by
the gospel their profession is of no avail. If they do not gain the victory
over sin, then sin is gaining the victory over them. The thorns that have been
cut off but not uprooted grow apace, until the soul is overspread with them.
{CSA 21.5}
Christ specified the things that are
dangerous to the soul. As recorded by Mark He mentions the cares of this world,
the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. . . . {CSA 21.6}
“The cares of this world.” No class
is free from the temptation to worldly care. To the poor, toil and deprivation
and the fear of want bring perplexities and burdens. To the rich come fear of
loss and a multitude of anxious cares. . . . They do not trust to His constant
care. Christ cannot carry their burden, because they do not cast it upon Him.
Therefore the cares of life, which should drive them to the Saviour for help
and comfort, separate them from Him. {CSA 21.7}
Many who might be fruitful in God’s
service become bent on acquiring wealth. Their whole energy is absorbed in
business enterprises, and they feel obliged to neglect things of a spiritual
nature. Thus they separate themselves from God. We are enjoined in the Scriptures
to be “not slothful in business.” Romans 12:11. We are to labor that we may
impart to him who needs. Christians must work, they must engage in business,
and they can do this without committing sin. But many become so absorbed in
business that they have no time for prayer, no time for the study of the Bible,
no time to seek and serve God. At times the longings of the soul go out for
holiness and heaven; but there is no time to turn aside from the din of the
world to listen to the majestic and authoritative utterances of the Spirit of
God. The things of eternity are made subordinate, the things of the world
supreme. It is impossible for the seed of the word to bring forth fruit; for
the life of the soul is given to nourish the thorns of worldliness. . . . {CSA
21.8}
“The deceitfulness of riches.” The
love of riches has an infatuating, deceptive power. Too often those who possess
worldly treasure forget that it is God who gives them power to get wealth. They
say, “My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.”
Deuteronomy 8:17. Their riches, instead of awakening gratitude to God, lead to
the exaltation of self. They lose the sense of their dependence upon God and
their obligation to their fellow men. Instead of regarding wealth as a talent
to be employed for the glory of God and the uplifting of humanity, they look
upon it as a means of serving themselves. Instead of developing in man the
attributes of God, riches thus used are developing in him the attributes of
Satan. The seed of the word is choked with thorns. {CSA 22.1}
“And pleasures of this life.” There
is danger in amusement that is sought merely for self-gratification. All habits
of indulgence that weaken the physical powers, that becloud the mind, or that
benumb the spiritual perceptions, are “fleshly lusts, which war against the
soul.” 1 Peter 2:11. {CSA 22.2}
“And the lusts of other things.”
These are not necessarily things sinful in themselves, but something that is
made first instead of the kingdom of God. Whatever attracts the mind from God,
whatever draws the affections away from Christ, is an enemy to the soul. {CSA
22.3}
When the mind is youthful and
vigorous and susceptible of rapid development, there is great temptation to be
ambitious for self, to serve self. If worldly schemes are successful, there is
an inclination to continue in a line that deadens conscience, and prevents a
correct estimate as to what constitutes real excellence of character. When
circumstances favor this development, growth will be seen in a direction
prohibited by the word of God. {CSA 22.4}
In this formative period of their
children’s life, the responsibility of parents is very great. It should be
their study to surround the youth with right influences, influences that will
give them correct views of life and its true success. Instead of this, how many
parents make it their first object to secure for their children worldly
prosperity. All their associations are chosen with reference to this object.
Many parents make their home in some large city, and introduce their children
into fashionable society. They surround them with influences that encourage
worldliness and pride. In this atmosphere the mind and soul are dwarfed. The
high and noble aims of life are lost sight of. The privilege of being sons of
God, heirs of eternity, is bartered for worldly gain. {CSA 22.5}
Many parents seek to promote the
happiness of their children by gratifying their love of amusement. They allow
them to engage in sports, and to attend parties of pleasure, and provide them with
money to use freely in display and self-gratification. The more the desire for
pleasure is indulged, the stronger it becomes. The interest of these youth is
more and more absorbed in amusement, until they come to look upon it as the
great object of life. They form habits of idleness and self-indulgence that
make it almost impossible for them ever to become steadfast Christians. {CSA
22.6}
Even the church, which should be the
pillar and ground of the truth, is found encouraging the selfish love of pleasure.
When money is to be raised for religious purposes, to what means do many
churches resort? To bazaars, suppers, fancy fairs, even to lotteries, and like
devices. Often the place set apart for God’s worship is desecrated by feasting
and drinking, buying, selling, and merrymaking. Respect for the house of God
and reverence for His worship are lessened in the minds of the youth. The
barriers of self-restraint are weakened. Selfishness, appetite, the love of
display, are appealed to, and they strengthen as they are indulged. {CSA 22.7}
The pursuit of pleasure and amusement
centers in the cities. Many parents who choose a city home for their children,
thinking to give them greater advantages, meet with disappointment, and too
late repent their terrible mistake. The cities of today are fast becoming like
Sodom and Gomorrah. The many holidays encourage idleness. The exciting
sports—theatergoing, horse racing, gambling, liquor-drinking, and
reveling—stimulate every passion to intense activity. The youth are swept away
by the popular current. Those who learn to love amusement for its own sake open
the door to a flood of temptations. They give themselves up to social gaiety
and thoughtless mirth, and their intercourse with pleasure lovers has an
intoxicating effect upon the mind. They are led on from one form of dissipation
to another, until they lose both the desire and the capacity for a life of
usefulness. Their religious aspirations are chilled; their spiritual life is
darkened. All the nobler faculties of the soul, all that link man with the
spiritual world, are debased. {CSA 23.1}
It is true that some may see their
folly and repent. God may pardon them. But they have wounded their own souls,
and brought upon themselves a lifelong peril. The power of discernment, which
ought ever to be kept keen and sensitive to distinguish between right and
wrong, is in a great measure destroyed. They are not quick to recognize the
guiding voice of the Holy Spirit, or to discern the devices of Satan. Too often
in time of danger they fall under temptation, and are led away from God. The
end of their pleasure-loving life is ruin for this world and for the world to
come. {CSA 23.2}
Cares, riches, pleasures, all are
used by Satan in playing the game of life for the human soul. The warning is
given, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any
man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in
the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of
life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” 1 John 2:15, 16. He who reads
the hearts of men as an open book says, “Take heed to yourselves, lest at any
time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of
this life.” Luke 21:34. And the apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit writes, “They
that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of
money is the root of all evil; which, while some coveted after, they have erred
from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” 1 Timothy
6:9, 10. {CSA 23.3}
Throughout the parable of the sower,
Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the
soil. In every case the sower and the seed are the same. Thus He teaches that
if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the
reason is to be found in ourselves. But the result is not beyond our control.
True, we cannot change ourselves; but the power of choice is ours, and it rests
with us to determine what we will become. The wayside, the stony-ground, the
thorny-ground hearers need not remain such. The Spirit of God is ever seeking
to break the spell of infatuation that holds men absorbed in worldly things,
and to awaken a desire for the imperishable treasure. It is by resisting the
Spirit that men become inattentive to or neglectful of God’s word. They are
themselves responsible for the hardness of heart that prevents the good seed
from taking root, and for the evil growths that check its development. {CSA
23.4}
The garden of the heart must be
cultivated. The soil must be broken up by deep repentance for sin. Poisonous,
Satanic plants must be uprooted. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be
reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural heart
can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus. The
Lord bids us by His prophet, “Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among
thorns.”“Sow to yourselves in righteousness; reap in mercy.” Jeremiah 4:3;
Hosea 10:12. This work He desires to accomplish for us, and He asks us to
co-operate with Him. {CSA 23.5}
The sowers of the seed have a work to
do in preparing hearts to receive the gospel. In the ministry of the word there
is too much sermonizing, and too little of real heart-to-heart work. There is
need of personal labor for the souls of the lost. In Christlike sympathy we
should come close to men individually, and seek to awaken their interest in the
great things of eternal life. Their hearts may be as hard as the beaten
highway, and apparently it may be a useless effort to present the Saviour to
them; but while logic may fail to move, and argument be powerless to convince,
the love of Christ, revealed in personal ministry, may soften the stony heart,
so that the seed of truth can take root. {CSA 24.1}
So the sowers have something to do
that the seed may not be choked with thorns or perish because of shallowness of
soil. At the very outset of the Christian life every believer should be taught
its foundation principles. He should be taught that he is not merely to be
saved by Christ’s sacrifice, but that he is to make the life of Christ his life
and the character of Christ his character. Let all be taught that they are to
bear burdens and to deny natural inclination. Let them learn the blessedness of
working for Christ, following Him in self-denial, and enduring hardness as good
soldiers. Let them learn to trust His love and to cast on Him their cares. Let
them taste the joy of winning souls for Him. In their love and interest for the
lost, they will lose sight of self. The pleasures of the world will lose their
power to attract and its burdens to dishearten. The plowshare of truth will do
its work. It will break up the fallow ground. It will not merely cut off the
tops of the thorns, but will take them out by the roots. 42 {CSA 24.2}
But the teacher of sacred truth can
impart only that which he himself knows by experience. “The sower sowed his
seed.” Christ taught the truth because He was the truth. His own thought, His
character, His life-experience, were embodied in His teaching. So with His
servants: those who would teach the word are to make it their own by a personal
experience. 43 {CSA 24.3}
The sower is not always to meet with
disappointment. Of the seed that fell into good ground the Saviour said, This
“is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit,
and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”“That on the
good ground are they, which, in an honest and good heart, having heard the
word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”{CSA 24.4}
The “honest and good heart” of which
the parable speaks, is not a heart without sin; for the gospel is to be
preached to the lost. Christ said, “I came not to call the righteous, but
sinners to repentance.” Mark 2:17. He has an honest heart who yields to the
conviction of the Holy Spirit. He confesses his guilt, and feels his need of
the mercy and love of God. He has a sincere desire to know the truth, that he
may obey it. The good heart is a believing heart, one that has faith in the
word of God. Without faith it is impossible to receive the word. “He that
cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6. 44 {CSA 24.5}
God bids us fill the mind with great
thoughts, pure thoughts. He desires us to meditate upon His love and mercy, to
study His wonderful work in the great plan of redemption. Then clearer and
still clearer will be our perception of truth, higher, holier, our desire for
purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure
atmosphere of holy thought will be transformed by communion with God through
the study of Scriptures. 45 {CSA 24.6}
Through conflict the spiritual life
is strengthened. Trials well borne will develop steadfastness of character and
precious spiritual graces. The perfect fruit of faith, meekness, and love often
matures best amid storm clouds and darkness.
46 {CSA 24.7}
