THE SOILS AND THE SOWER

 

Preparing the Soil of the Heart

Something struck me yesterday during Bible study. We were in Acts—not in Matthew, Mark, or Luke—yet my mind drifted to the Parable of the Sower (or “soils,” as some call it).

In that parable, a farmer scatters seed for planting. Some falls on the hardened path, where it’s trampled and eaten by birds. Some lands on rocky soil, springs up quickly, but withers just as fast. Some takes root among thorny weeds but is choked out. And some seed falls on good soil, producing a rich, abundant harvest.

Jesus explains: the soils represent the hearts of people, the seed is the gospel, and the farmer is Christ Himself.

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The Farmer Prepares the Field

I grew up in a rural area, so farming was always around me. One thing you learn quickly is that harvest doesn’t just “happen.” After a season of lying dormant, the ground grows hard and compacted. Before planting, the farmer must prepare the soil—breaking it up, working in nutrients, and making it ready to receive the seed.

That’s the picture Jesus is painting. Before the gospel can take root, the heart must be prepared. Ezekiel 36:26 says:

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

A stony heart cannot receive seed. It must be broken, softened, and renewed by God before the gospel can take root.

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Different Responses to the Gospel

Picture a street preacher sharing the gospel with a crowd of fifty unbelievers. The responses vary:

• Some reject the message outright, mocking or walking away.

• Some receive it with joy, but when hardship comes, their excitement fades.

• Some think it’s nice but are too distracted by the cares and pleasures of life.

• And then, maybe two or three truly surrender, repent, and follow Christ.

Why the difference? Their hearts—their “soil”—were prepared. God had already done the work of softening and breaking up the hardness so the seed could take root and grow.

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God Makes the Soil Good

Farmers don’t cast seed onto unprepared soil, hoping for the best. They prepare the ground first. In the same way, God prepares the heart. He is the one who transforms a heart of stone into a heart of flesh, making it ready to receive His Word.

When the gospel is preached, the seed finds good soil because God has already prepared it. And when it lands there, it takes root, grows deep, and produces lasting fruit.