In Search of Good Soil

One of the most powerful parables Jesus taught is the Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Soils in Luke 8:4-15. The first three soils, or hearts, Jesus describes as types of soil that don’t produce a crop. Jesus explains that the soil is either too rocky, too hard, or full of thorns and weeds. All of which will prevent the seed from producing a crop.  

 The Word of God is seed, and the seed will always work because of the power contained inside. However, the soil provides the seed with what it needs to grow and flourish after it is planted. In this parable Jesus taught how the Word of God is planted and received in our hearts and lives. In this we see that the condition of the soil matters in the harvest. 

There is a fourth soil that Jesus talks about in this parable.

Seeds In The Good Soil 

“Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”  Luke 8:8(NIV)

The fourth soil is simply called “good soil.” Jesus explains that the seed scattered on good soil produces a big result.  “A hundred times what was sown.”  The crop is huge!  The results from the good soil would have grabbed the attention of Jesus’ listeners.  Getting such a big result was what they all wanted.  

The good soil represents those who hear God’s Word and follow Jesus. Their roots go deep and can sustain through the difficulties of life.  They have tilled the soil of their hearts to make sure no thorns distract or choke out what God wants to do in their lives. They are primed and ready to grow. And they grow. Their lives produce more than they could have ever imagined.  

Basically All The Soil Is The Same

In the parable of the Sower, all the soils are essentially the same. The difference between the soils are what has been added to them, and how the soil has been cultivated (or not cultivated).  

We are each the cultivators of our hearts. We can’t control most of life, but we can control and care for our hearts. How you care for your heart will determine the life you grow in response to God’s Word. That is both a challenge and an encouragement.  

If your heart is hard, or if your faith can easily be defeated by life, or if something is choking out your spiritual life, it is not too late to address the issue. Because of Jesus, life can come from hard, packed soil. It’s not too late, and Jesus still wants to produce a crop in your life. 

The parable of the Sower is a challenge to cultivate your heart. And it is also a promise. If you do cultivate your heart, the life that God will bring in and through you will be greater than you can imagine.  

The Sower Is Generous

In the parable of the Sower, the farmer sows generously. He gives every kind of soil a chance to produce life.  

The parable teaches us that God is generous. He has extended His grace to EVERYONE. Even to those He knows will likely reject it, He gives His Word to them anyway giving them the opportunity to cultivate their heart and experience the life He came to give them. 

Final Thoughts On The Parable Of The Sower

I don’t know what soil represents your heart today. But I do know that you are the one that cultivates your heart.  

You don’t have to stay where you are. Your heart can turn from hard and bitter to fertile soil prime for life.  

What makes the difference?   

Hearing. Not the simple physical performance of the ears, but the humble acceptance of God’s Word by the heart. The Word of God must be heard and obeyed. Jesus said it this way:

“He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  

The harvest is dependent on the condition of the soil.