Seeds on the Rocky Soil
(Matthew 13:1-23)
2nd in a series on: “The Parable of the Soils”
Introduction:
Over the past couple weeks I’ve been watching grass grow here at the New Song.
Around the building, just like the Sower in the Parable of the Soils, I planted 120 pounds of grass seed. Since then I’ve been able to witness with my very eyes what Jesus was talking about.
As I scattered the seed, some of the seed fell on the sidewalk and hard compacted areas, some seed fell on areas that had shallow dirt or were fully saturated with rock and gravel, some seed made its way into areas with already established weeds and thick overgrowth, and most of the seed fell on the good, nutrient-rich soil.
During this time I’ve been able to see, what we talked about last week, the seed that fell upon the sidewalk and hard ground fail to produce; fail to germinate. I’ve watched hungry little birds come and find a mid-afternoon snack in the fully exposed seed on the hard areas that just won’t grow.
I’ve seen the seed that fell upon the shallow, rocky ground be the first to sprout; and like wildfire shoot up tall and fast. I found myself getting excited about this growth. However, I’ve found that this growth is very deceiving because I’ve watched this seed during the hot, sun-blazing days begin to wither and die because the root structure isn’t able to go deep enough to sustain life and continued growth.
I’ve also seen seed that fell among the weeds and overgrowth get smothered out. I’ve watched it try to grow; I’ve watched it struggle to survive, but because of the competition with the weeds I’ve watched it get stunted and overtaken.
Finally, however, I’ve watched the seed that fell on the good soil; the cultivated soil. I’ve watched how, with good care and water, this seed is able to flourish, to grow deep roots, and maintain healthy growth. This seed will become the cover and support for the ground around the new facilities. Its continued healthy growth will keep the dirt from washing away during torrential downpours. With continued care, this new grass will allow for safe play when our children are on it. Overall, this seed will continue to thrive and multiply into more and more healthy growth.
As we explore this parable further today, I want to dig more deeply by looking at the second type of soil that Jesus talked about – “the shallow/rocky soil.”
Read with me…
Matthew 13:1-9 (NLT)
Later that same day, Jesus left the house and went down to the shore, [2] where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat, where he sat and taught as the people listened on the shore. [3] He told many stories such as this one:
"A farmer went out to plant some seed. [4] As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. [5] Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, [6] but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. [7] Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. [8] But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. [9] Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
Matthew 13:18-23 (NLT)
"Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain: [19] The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts. [20] The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. [21] But like young plants in such soil, their roots don’t go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. [22] The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced. [23] The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God’s message and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."
What does rocky soil look like today when it comes to hearing the Good News? What is it that causes the soil in our life to become shallow and rocky?
I do believe this is a very valid problem today. I believe that there are people that quickly latch on to the message and find it liberating and hope-filled, but as soon as troubles arise, as soon as difficulties come, they high-tail it out of there. The reason: shallow, rocky soil. I believe there are many things that can cause shallow, rocky soil, and today I want to highlight some of what I believe are the main ones:
1. Lack of belief.
Mark 16:16 (NLT)
Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
“Lack of belief in what?” you might say. Well, lack of belief in God. Now, you might also be asking yourself, “How is this applicable to this week’s message? Aren’t we talking about seed that actually takes root and sprouts? Lack of belief would be seed that never sprouted wouldn’t it?”
Not necessarily.
There are many who, for whatever purpose, quickly connect with pastors, people, and programs. Initially their belief, as Keller writes,
“…is not really in Christ, but rather in the church. By the church I mean the pastor, the preacher, the evangelist, the counselor, the congregation, the liturgy, [the music], the fellowship, the friendship, the experiences, the sharing, the love of other so-called Christians, the acceptance and concern of God’s family.
“All of these are to be commended. Each plays its part in leading us to Christ. All nurture us as newborn people. But these factors are not and can never be used as a substitute for God Himself. Our faith, our belief, our trust, if invested only in the church, its people, and its programs will lead to disillusionment, discouragement, and despair” (W. Phillip Keller, A Gardener Looks at the Fruits of the Spirit (Word Books: Waco Texas, 1979), 35).
All too often many of us have the roots of our faith in the shallow, rocky soil of the social life of the church. We know that going to church is the right thing to do. We want to make a good impression on others. We don’t disagree with the content of the sermons and Bible studies. But it’s all just surface level faith.
When tested against the storms of life that indisputably come, this shallow rooted faith staggers and falls; and when tested under the heat of the blazing sun of those dry periods in life, this faith that grew so quickly withers and dies.
The truth of the matter is, people will fail us, programs will fall short, and services and Bible studies will sometimes be boring. The person with a shallow faith, under these conditions, will grow cynical, bitter, and resentful. But the person with a deeply rooted faith in God and His promises will stand firm and not falter.
2. Lack of interest and application of God’s word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NLT)
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. [17] It is God’s way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do.
The terrain of Palestine where Jesus tells this parable is very rocky and hard. There are many places that look great for planting crops, but lurking just beneath the surface are large boulders and rocks that inhibit roots from going deep into the soil for nourishment, strength, and water. For a farmer to plant seed on this type of soil is futility. This is what Jesus was saying about the word of God.
When planted on shallow, rocky soil, God’s word quickly grows, but also, quickly fades.
William Barclay says,
“A [person] can be like that with the word. When [they] hear it [they] may be swept off [their] feet with an emotional reaction; but no [one] can be like that with the word. A [person] has a mind and it is a moral obligation to have an intelligent faith. Christianity has its demands, and these demands must be faced before it can be accepted. The Christian offer is not only a privilege, it is also a responsibility. A sudden enthusiasm can always so quickly become a dying fire” (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2 (Westminster John Knox Press: Louisville, Kentucky, 1975), 60).
With all the different worldviews out there today, there are many that can be very enticing and attractive. Some bolster a fresh and new approach to living a happy, healthy life devoid rules and obligations. “I’m okay, you’re okay” is the mantra that is followed, and absolute truth and religion is just an invention of the weak-minded individual who lacks emotional security and self-confidence.
But here’s the truth of the matter: Those who understand the claims of the Bible to be ultimate truth are those who find freedom in the truth they read there. Even Jesus said as he was talking to the crowds of believers: John 8:31-32 (NLT), “You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings. [32] And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
One of the main reasons for shallow, rocky soil is lack of interest and application of God’s word.
3. Lack of perseverance in tough times.
Matthew 10:22 (NLT)
And everyone will hate you because of your allegiance to me [Jesus]. But those who endure to the end will be saved.
Barclay writes,
“Some people are at the mercy of every new craze. They take a thing up quickly and just as quickly drop it. They must always be in the fashion [or follow the latest trends]. They begin some new hobby or begin to acquire some new accomplishment with enthusiasm, but the thing becomes difficult and they abandon it, or the enthusiasm wanes and they lay it aside. Some people’s lives are littered with things they began and never finished” (Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 2, 60).
Now, we all know people like this; we may even be this way ourselves to some degree. When the going gets tough, the tough get out of dodge.
You see, the problem with a lack of perseverance is that no one can really ever count on you. Where there is no perseverance there is no commitment. And where there is no commitment many things fall through the cracks.
One of the easiest ways to avoid this is to work in areas, and do things that God has uniquely gifted you for inside or outside of the church. When a person connects in ways best suited for their personalities and spiritual giftedness, burnout is minimized and fulfillment is fully recognized.
4. Lack of selflessness.
Philippians 2:3-4 (NLT)
Don’t be selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself. [4] Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing.
Phillip Keller writes,
“From earliest childhood we are taught and trained to be self-reliant, self-confident, self-promoting people. I and me and my are the triune epicenter around which our little lives revolve. We build our entire earthly sojourn upon the premise that myself is the most important person upon the planet. The net result is self-centeredness of appalling proportions.
He goes on to say that,
“Moving in a diametrically opposite direction comes the call of Christ to us to forget ourselves (lose our lives); to follow Him (that is, put Him at the heart and center of our affairs); and give ourselves in glad service to others.
“It all goes very much against our grain. We may not say so publicly, but privately we are convinced this is the sure path to oblivion and nothingness. We really do not believe that God in Christ has the only formula for a fulfilling and abundant life” (A Gardener Looks at the Fruits of the Spirit, 38).
As humans living in a fallen world we all have these tendencies. More often than not, our first inclination is to think about how something will affect us. We search and investigate the ramifications of this or that on our own lives. And though there is wisdom in this to an extent, more often than not, many of us obsess about how we will be affected.
Our anxieties about what God is calling us to, quickly stunts, and often kills off, the faith and trust we have in God to faithfully care for, and watch over us; to give us strength and hope.
It’s only when we are able to view through the lenses of selflessness that we’re able to fully recognize who we are and whose we are; because only then can we cultivate good soil and grow deep roots.
Conclusion:
In Living Above the Level of Mediocrity, Chuck Swindoll talks about an incident between a house church and the KGB in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. This is what he writes:
“On Sunday, believers arrived at a house church in the Soviet Union in small groups throughout the day so as not to arouse the suspicion of KGB informers. They began by singing a hymn quietly. Suddenly, in walked two soldiers with loaded weapons at the ready. One shouted, ‘If you wish to renounce your commitment to Jesus Christ, leave now!’
“Two or three quickly left, then another. After a few more seconds, two more.
“‘This is your last chance. Either turn against your faith in Christ,’ he ordered, ‘or stay and suffer the consequences.’
“Two more slipped out into the night. No one else moved. Parents with children trembling beside them looked down reassuringly, fully expecting to be gunned down or imprisoned.
“The other soldier closed the door, looked back at those who stood against the wall and said, ‘Keep your hands up – but this time in praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. We, too, are Christians. We were sent to another house church several weeks ago to arrest a group of believers….’
“The other soldier interrupted, ‘But, instead, we were converted! We have learned by experience, however, that unless people are willing to die for their faith, they cannot be fully trusted’” (Edward K. Rowell & Leadership Journal, 1001 Quotes, Illustrations & Humorous Stories for Preachers, Teachers & Writers (Baker Books: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1996, 1997), 207).
When the going gets tough, when the weight of the world is on your shoulders, do you crumble and fall, or do you stand firm? Are your roots planted deeply in the life-giving, enriching soil of Christ, or do you find yourself a mile wide and an inch deep in rocky, shallow soil?
God wants you to believe and not doubt. He wants the strength of your resolve to grow deep roots of faith. Knowledge is important too. We don’t come to Christ and experience the salvation experience only to stay there and grow stagnant. Our salvation is in constant progress as we grow deeper in our knowledge of God’s word; as we live and breathe life giving truth that ultimately sets us free. We must be steadfast and strong knowing there will be times of testing, persecution, and difficulty. We should be ready to always give a reason for the hope that is within us. Finally, in order to grow deeper roots in Christ, we must become servants, giving of ourselves to God and to others.
Getting rid of the rocks in our lives is never easy, but it’s vitally important for a healthy, steadfast relationship with God.
