How Is the Parable of the Sower Relevant Today?
“’A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed. . . some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. . . Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” Mathew 13: 3, 5, 6, 20, 21.
The sun, according to this passage, represents trouble or persecution.
To read the entire parable for context, click here.
The Sun Represents Trials
Now the sun is a necessary element in producing fruit. And having a harvest.
It’s the sun the ripens the fruit. Without it, the fruit would grow to full size, but would be immature and hard and without much juice.
It’s the sun the brings the fruit to maturity. But it only does this if the seed is sown in deep soil, that’s not made shallow because of hardness.
Without the Sun, the Seed Would Never Mature
Even though the sun is meant to ripen the fruit and bring it to maturity, it will destroy it instead if the ground is hard and shallow.
As mentioned, the sun represents trouble and persecution. It’s a picture of trials and suffering. So, by implication, we can say that it’s this trouble and persecution that ripens or matures us too.
This is also what the scriptures tells us elsewhere.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1: 2-4.
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” Romans 5: 3,4.
Trials or suffering or trouble produce maturity if we endure or persevere. Or, if we are sown in soft soil where the roots of the word can go deep.
If our heart is hard, it is also shallow. A hard and shallow heart will not be able to endure the hot sun beating on the seed, because it has no protection.
A soft heart enables the seed to get deep roots. So, even when the hot sun beats down on it, it has moisture. Moisture represents the Spirit of God.
Rocky Ground and Hard Ground Not the Same
Also, rocky ground isn’t really the same as hard, fallow ground. Hard fallow ground cannot even receive the seed. It just lies on top of the soil until it gets eaten, or the wind or rain dispose of it.
It never even gets sown.
But rocky ground isn’t hard on top. That’s why the seed is able to be sown and begin to grow. But it’s hard in places underneath.
It has rocks in it, and apparently a lot of them. Enough to keep the seed from penetrating deep into the soil and getting deep roots.
This type of ground doesn’t represent the unbeliever, because the seed has been sown. It’s a picture of the believer who “hears the word, and at once receives it with joy”.
An unbeliever doesn’t even receive the word. But there are hard places in this Christian’s heart that are resistant to the word and Spirit of God.
He cannot get the victory in these areas but seems to succumb to temptation more often than not. (Temptation represents trouble and persecution).
Hardness Destroys the Seed
Eventually these hard areas will destroy the seed that’s been sown. Sin will do one of two things in us.
Either we will overcome it and the seed will be able to finally establish deep roots, or it will destroy our faith altogether, and cause us to backslide.
This is what happened to the Israelites in the wilderness. The areas of hardness (essentially unbelief) were pivotal in determining their destiny.
If they would’ve overcome their unbelief and complaining and bitterness and self-pity, they would’ve eventually made it to the promise land.
But they didn’t overcome their unbelief and the sin it produced. And they ended up dying in the wilderness because of their rebellion.
How is the Parable of the Sower Relevant Today?
In other words, they died in the hot sun. Just like the seed sown in rocky places. It was the hot sun that killed them because their heart was shallow and hard.
If we have sin in our life that we are justifying and excusing away, God will make our lives hard.
He will continually trouble us with painful difficult trials, until one of two things happen.
We finally repent, turn from our sin and are healed.
Or we fall away, and say this diet, or this budget or this giving is just too hard.
Or we fall away completely and say, “this Christian life is just too hard”.
To the hard He shows Himself hard.
For another post similar to How is the Parable of the Sower Relevant Today?, see If Your Heart is Hard, You’ll Give Up When Life Gets Hard.
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