Walking the Parable of the Sower: Along the Path
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Maybe you are like me and this summer you have finally dabbled in gardening. For me, it’s been low-level gardening, and when I say that, I mean very beginner. I have three beautiful planter boxes with an assortment of flowers and plants, two tomato plants and a raspberry bush. The planter boxes have thrived, one tomato plant has been decent, the other is beginning to flourish and the raspberry bush is not looking promising. We had essentially no rain in June and downpours in July, so my plants are a little confused.
What about the soil of our hearts? The parable of the sower breaks down four types of people who receive the word of God. We are going to go through a 4-part series on the Parable of the Sower.
This week, we will focus on the seed that falls along the path.
Overview of the Parable of the Sower
There are four types of soil mentioned in the parable of the sower:
1. Along the Path
2. Rocky Ground
3. Among the Thorns
4. Good Soil
Lisa Loraine Baker, in her article, explains the meaning of each of these:
The Sower – Jesus Christ
The Seeds – The Gospel of the kingdom, the Word of God
The Bird – The evil one
The Soil – Our hearts and minds, we who are presented with the Gospel of God's Kingdom.
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them’” (Matthew 13:3-4).
How Jesus Explains This Parable
The beauty of this parable is that Jesus explains what He meant to His disciples. Instead of trying to interpret and understand what the seed along the path meant, Jesus tells us that this is the person who hears the gospel and does not understand it because the enemy takes away what is trying to take place in his or her heart.
Matthew 13:18-19 says, “Hear then the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.”
Real Life Examples
Have you ever had a gospel conversation with someone and it seems like they are hearing you, only to realize that they weren’t really paying attention, that they quickly become hostile, or that they are so deep in their own religious beliefs that it’s as if they don’t even hear you? When we think about gardening, a sower’s job is to sow the seeds. If he places seeds along the path, he might have hope for them to grow, but their exposed position makes them vulnerable to birds.
Anyone who has ever been an avid bird feeder knows that birds love seeds. They are attracted to them and eat them up quickly. My mother feeds the birds and it is always lovely hearing the sounds of birds outside of my parents’ home. However, it adds up because the birds go through the feeders very quickly and she has to go buy more worms or seed.
When we think about the enemy territory, we recognize that all of us are exposed to the powers of darkness on this earth. The prince of the world is Satan.
“I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me” (John 14:30).
We do not need to be afraid because Satan has nothing on our Savior Jesus. However, as we share the message of the gospel from the Bible, we need to be spiritually aware. Sometimes we might tell someone the hope of heaven and this person hears it like the seed that falls along the path. But before it can even take root in their heart, the forces of darkness keep this person blinded from the truth.
I have had the opportunity to share Christ with college students in the past few years. It is both a challenge and a joy. When I have shared the gospel one on one, I never know how the conversation will go, but I know that the Holy Spirit is with me and can use any experience. Sadly, when I think about many of the college students I encountered on campus, I would say that they are like the seed along the path. People are trying to share, but many of them reject the message of the gospel quickly because the enemy is so rampant and at work.
This is not to say the Holy Spirit is not moving as well, but many people are afraid of or angry at Christ and His people. This does not mean we give up sharing the hope that they can have. It does mean that we better get our armor on and realize that this is a spiritual battle. We need the Spirit and the Word of God to share in places where the enemy tries to snatch away the message like a bird along the path.
The Seed Is the Same
One thing to recognize is even though Jesus mentions four various soils, the seed is the same. The seed is the Word of God, the gospel of Jesus, and it does not change no matter who is hearing the message or where they are located. This seed (message) is shared in hopes that many will come to the freedom and security of relationship with Jesus and have a future in heaven.
Remember too that growth takes place once a seed takes root and begins to receive nourishment. Those who hear the gospel “along the path” do not accept the gospel, so they cannot grow in their relationship with God. The seed is snatched up by the bird.
The Greek word for snatch is harpazó and means “To seize, snatch, obtain by robbery.” This is a quick and vicious theft. When this happens, the enemy is literally robbing a person of the gift of salvation. He does not want the person to have relationship and forgiveness in Jesus, He wants to quickly take away the opportunity from him or her. This should utterly break our hearts.
Instead of assuming that we did something wrong or get angry at the quick rejection of the gospel, we would do well to remember the seed along the path. We can pray that they would be given more opportunities to hear the gospel and that the enemy would not steal their call to salvation. We can pray for the courage to share again one day, and that God would send other genuine believers in Him to share the gospel. Ultimately, we trust in the Lord’s sovereignty.
The Gospel along the Path
As we share the gospel and the Bible, it is important for us to be realistic and trust what the Scriptures tell us about the variety of people who receive the message of hope. We do not control the outcome; we share the hope of Christ with others. This comes back to effective evangelism as described by Bill Bright. He once said, “Successful witnessing is taking the initiative to share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God.”
We can trust that the Spirit and the Word are working in a world that has many “soils.” We never know who will accept Jesus’ gift and grow in relationship with Him, so we should not judge or withhold from others. However, we would be wise to not let the enemy discourage us from sharing, out of fear that he will “snatch the seed.” Greater is He who is in us than He who is in this world (1 John 4:4).
Related articles
Walking the Parable of the Sower: Rocky Ground
Walking the Parable of the Sower: Among the Thorns
Walking the Parable of the Sower: Good Soil
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