The Parable Of The Soils

Mark 4:1-20

The Lord Jesus Christ was ministering in the city of Capernaum.

Great crowds gathered around Him.

The Lord Jesus Christ taught them from a boat.

He used parables.

He took the common, everyday events of life and used them to illustrate the deep things of God.

The people would have to think through what they were hearing.

Those who were sincere and hungry for the truth would know the truth.

Those who were closed minded to the truth would be concealed from them.

Let us consider first the parable of the soils.

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The Closed Mind (4, 15)

The wayside refers to the narrow footpaths that ran through the fields.

These were the roads of the day.

The soil on them had become hard.

When the seed fell on the footpath, it could not penetrate the soil.

It remained there in the open, only to be devoured by the fowls of the air.

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This speaks of the people who hear the Gospel but cannot see how it can connect to their life.

They are hard hearted.

The seed of the Gospel cannot penetrate the soil of their mind.

They hear the Gospel and dismiss it as foolishness.

And the devil comes immediately to snatch away the Gospel seed.

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The Confused Mind (5-6, 16-17)

The stony ground looks promising.

The seed casts here will germinate and quickly spring up into a plant.

But there is no depth of soil.

As soon as the sun beats down on the tender plant, it withers and dies without producing any fruit.

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This speaks of the people who make emotional responses immediately to the presentation of the Gospel.

They receive it with gladness.

But because they have no depth to their profession, they fall away when the persecutions and tribulations associated with knowing the Lord Jesus Christ arise.

They are not saved.

There is no fruit of salvation in their life!

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The Cluttered Mind (7, 18-19)

This soil looks good.

But underneath the surface are the living roots and seeds of thorns and weeds.

When the seed springs to life, so do the thorns and weeds.

They soon choke out the tender plant.

The young tender plant withers and dies without producing any fruit.

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This speaks of the people who try to have the benefit of the Gospel while still clinging to the old life of sin.

The cares of the world, the quest for earthly riches, and the lust for worldly things spell disaster for this kind of soil.

They are not saved.

There is no fruit of salvation in their life!

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The Cultivated Mind (8, 20)

This is a good ground.

It has been plowed and tilled.

It is ready to receive the seed when it comes.

The seed will germinate and the plant will grow.

When the plant reaches maturity, it will produce fruit.

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This speaks of the heart that has been plowed deeply by the Word of God, and tilled by the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

It is a heart that has been prepared by the grace of God.

This is the only soil that produces fruit!

On the hard soil, the seed never penetrates the hard ground and is carried away.

On the other three soils, the seed penetrates and disappears, but only that which falls on the good soil produces fruit!

And some of the seeds produce more fruit that others.

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

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Let us examine our life today and see whether or not our life is producing spiritual fruit to the glory of God.

Let us know our own heart.

The soil of our life will be judged by the fruit it bears.

Are we in a personal, faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ today?

Are we saved?

Are we producing fruit that is pleasing to the Lord?

Let us make very sure.

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Let us come to the Lord Jesus Christ today.

He will help us with the needs we have in our life.