Seed Sown on Good Soil

[Matthew 13:1-9]

Do you know Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, who passed away several years ago? Mandela, the first black president elected after the implementation of equal elections in South Africa, fought against racial discrimination under the old white regime and was arrested on charges of treason, receiving a life sentence. However, he was released on February 11, 1990, after spending 27 years in prison. During his imprisonment, Mandela's daughter once brought his grandchild to visit him. At that time, Mandela named his granddaughter 'Hope' and said, 'You are hope. Hope has never left me during my time in prison, and it will not leave me in the future' (Internet). What does this tell us about him? Doesn't it indicate that Nelson Mandela had the seed of hope planted in his heart? Do you also have the seed of hope in your heart? In my heart, the seed of hope that the Lord has planted is the promise of God's Word. Personally, it is John 6:1-15 (the feeding of the five thousand), and corporately, it is Matthew 16:18 ('I will build my church'). The Lord, who became the farmer, has sown these seeds of His Word on the tablet of my heart. And the Lord makes these seeds sprout, grow, and bear fruit. And when the time comes, in the Lord's timing, I pray and eagerly await that these seeds will yield much fruit.

In today's passage, Matthew 13:1-9, Jesus presents the parable of sowing seeds. Addressing the large crowds gathered around Him (v. 2), Jesus explains that the seed was sown on four types of soil: "along the path," "on rocky ground," "among thorns," and "on good soil." Jesus emphasizes that the seed sown on the good soil yields fruit ("produces a crop") (v. 8). Here, the "seed" represents "the word of God" (Lk. 8:11), and the "sower" is "the Son of Man," that is, "Jesus Christ." Today, I would like to meditate on the four types of soil under the title "Seed Sown on Good Soil," focusing on the lessons that the Lord imparts to us.

First, it's the seed sown along the path.

Look at Matthew 13:3-4: "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.'" What does this parable mean? Jesus explains the meaning of this parable in Matthew 13:19 - "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path." In other words, the one on whom the seed falls along the path is the one who hears the message about the kingdom of God, the word of God, but does not comprehend it. Then, the evil one, Satan, comes and snatches away the sown word from their heart. Why does Satan, the adversary, snatch away the word of God sown in our hearts? Look at Luke 8:12 - "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved." Satan tries to prevent us from believing and being saved by taking away the word of God from our hearts. What does the term "evil one" refer to? Mark 4:15 says "Satan," and Luke 8:12 mentions the "devil." Why does Satan, the devil, take away the word of God sown in our hearts? Luke 8:12 explains: "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved." Satan wants to prevent us from believing in Jesus for salvation. The condition of being "along the path" represents a heart open to all the evil movements and influences in the world. Such a heart has no intention of receiving the word of God with obedience. It is a significant spiritual ailment. In other words, a heart like the path fails to comprehend the word of God because there is no attitude of obedience. To put it differently, due to the disobedient attitude, the word of God is not understood. Proverbs 22:17-29 provided a teaching centered on the theme "Listen obediently to the words of the wise." One of the lessons learned was to incline our ears to listen obediently to the words of the wise (Harris). If we listen to the word of God with an attitude of disobedience, not with a humble and obedient attitude, Satan will snatch away the seed of that word. Not only will Satan take away the seed, but our hearts will become hardened, leading us to reject God, persistently disobey His word, and live proudly. Consequently, our hearts will become more obstinate, unwilling to listen to any admonition or correction in love.

In order not to let Satan snatch away the word we hear from God, we must approach God's word with an obedient attitude. When we listen to God's word with an obedient attitude, we will comprehend that word. Having understood the word, we need to practically obey it. When we obey the word and store it in our hearts (Prov. 22:18), we will be able to trust God more (v. 19). As we continue to obey God's word and make it our own possession (Ps. 119:56), our faith will inevitably grow. However, if we listen to God's word with a disobedient attitude, not only will we fail to comprehend it, but our faith will not grow. Instead, our faith will become weaker over time, leading to increasing doubt in God and eventually living a life of disobedience to His commandments. This is precisely the life of the seed sown along the path.

Second, it is the seed sown on rocky ground.

Look at Matthew 13:5 - "Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil." What does this parable mean? Jesus explained the meaning of this parable in Matthew 13:20-21: "As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away." In Modern Korean Bible, it can be expressed as: "The seed sown on rocky ground represents someone who hears the word, joyfully accepts it at once, but does not hold it deep in his heart. He endures for a while, but when trouble or persecution arises because of the word, he quickly falls away." In other words, the one on rocky ground is someone who hears God's word, immediately receives it with joy, but lacks depth, so when difficulties or persecution arise due to the word, he quickly stumbles. Despite receiving God's word with joy, this person lacks deep-rooted faith. Nevertheless, unlike the seed sown along the path, the one on rocky ground receives God's word with joy, indicating some level of faith. However, the problem lies in the fact that this faith does not last long. The trials and persecution that come because of the word quickly cause this person to stumble and, in some instances, even to fall away or betray their faith (Lk. 8:13). The key issue here is the lack of depth—there is no root. The shallow faith of this person prevents them from enduring trials and tribulations. Their faith is temporary, and they fall away when faced with challenges. This illustrates the image of faith without deep roots.

When meditating on this passage, I was reminded of Pastor Jun-min Kang's book titled ‘Deep Rooted Spirituality.’ In that book, the author describes "spirituality" as becoming more like Jesus Christ, receiving the Spirit of Jesus. In other words, it is becoming like Jesus through the Word within the Holy Spirit (Kang). In the context of deep-rooted spirituality, the interesting point the author mentioned is that deep-rooted spirituality means growing downward first. It is akin to the roots of a tree growing beneath the soil. The author summarized this concept in four points:

A spirituality that values the small:

The kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. It is about valuing small things. While the world places value on achievements, success, and outcomes, the kingdom of God values 'being.' The characteristics of the kingdom of God are to value the worth of the soul, like that of a child who is innocent and dependent on God. The kingdom of God places value on the essence of the soul.

A humble spirituality that humbles oneself:

Look at Philippians 2:7-8: "But made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

A spirituality that hides oneself:

The roots do not expose themselves. It is crucial to deeply bury the roots.

A spirituality that cares for the unseen inner person:

Look at Ephesians 3:16 – “That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being.”

When can the roots grow deep? It is during trials. God allows trials to happen. Moses experienced this in the wilderness for 40 years. Trees grow their roots only by resting during the winter. Winter is essential for trees. Sometimes God makes it very difficult, where you cannot do anything. John Bunyan went through such times. Hardship is a blessing. “I always tell myself, 'Do not waste suffering'" (Kang).

We must pursue a faith with deep roots. Despite any persecution or adversity in our faith, we should seek an unwavering belief with roots that do not move (Prov. 12:3). Look at Colossians 2:6-7: "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." To stand firm in faith and live a life overflowing with gratitude, we need to deeply root ourselves in Jesus Christ. We must make Jesus the foundation of our lives (1 Cor. 3:11). In doing so, we are to walk in Him, just like the believers in the Thessalonian church who, in the midst of many trials, received the joy of the Holy Spirit, became examples for other believers, and spread the news of their faith to all places (1 Thess. 1:6-8).

Third, it is the seed sown among thorns.

Look at Matthew 13:7 - "Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them." What is the meaning of this parable? Jesus explained the meaning in Matthew 13:22: "As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful." In other words, the one in whom the seed falls among thorns hears the word of God but is unable to bear fruit because the cares of the world, the lure of wealth, and various desires prevent living according to the word. The reasons for not living according to the word include worldly anxieties (worries) and temptations related to wealth (Mt. 13:22). Other desires (Mk. 4:19) and the allure of pleasure (Lk. 8:14) also contribute to the inability to live according to God's word. The environment of "thorns" takes away the nutrients that the good seed needs to absorb, preventing it from bearing fruit (Park). What does this mean? If our hearts are like thorns, we may hear the word of God, but our hearts are already occupied by the cares of the world, greed for wealth, and other desires and pleasures. Therefore, we cannot live according to the word, and our faith life fails to bear fruit. Indeed, if our hearts are captivated by worries, temptations of wealth, and desires and pleasures, even as we hear the word of God, how can we obey and live according to His word? Instead, we may become disobedient to God's word, falling into worries, temptations of wealth, and desires and pleasures, ultimately committing sins against God.

When thinking about an environment like thorns, I was reminded of the book ‘Hee-dae's Hope’ written by Dr. Hee-dae Lee, the director of the Cancer Center at Yonsei Severance Hospital, which I read a long time ago. Dr. Lee, a specialist in breast cancer, experienced 10 recurrences of cancer that had metastasized from the colon to the liver and bones, enduring the pain of surpassing life and death. In his book, there was a passage I remembered about why cancer cells are frightening. I looked it up on my personal blog and found the quote: ‘What makes cancer cells terrifying is the fact that, to constantly grow, they monopolize the nutrients of other cells by themselves. And not just in one place, they keep moving. Cancer cells tend to proliferate well when calorie intake is excessive. They lurk quietly and suddenly seize high-calorie nutrients to feed on and grow. Just as cancer cells grow by devouring the nutrients of other cells, their origin lies in ceaseless greed. In other words, the essence of cancer cells is greed’ (Hee-dae Lee). It seems that, just like these cancer cells, the worries of the world, temptations of wealth, and various desires and pleasures in our hearts deprive us of the nutrients of God's word. To put it more biblically, the worries of the world, temptations of wealth, and other desires and pleasures block the nutrients of God's word in our hearts, preventing us from living according to His word. In Matthew 13:22, Matthew says, "and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word," where the word "choke" in English means 'to suffocate, strangle,' or 'to constrict the throat, strangle to death.' Once we think about it this way, it might be easier to understand. Although we hear God's word with our ears and store it in our minds, the word is not descending into our hearts. The reason for this is something that is constricting our throats: the worries of the world, temptations of wealth, and other desires and pleasures in our hearts.

If there are worries of the world, temptations of wealth, and various desires and pleasures in our hearts, we must cast aside all these things. However, mere confession and repentance with our lips are not enough. The reason is that if we only confess with our lips, our hearts will remain blocked, and we will not be able to live according to God's word, no matter how much we hear it. To live according to God's word, we must completely discard the worries of the world, temptations of wealth, and other desires and pleasures in our hearts, similar to getting rid of cancer cells. By doing so, we can listen to God's word and live according to it.

Fourth and last, the seed sown on good soil.

Look at Matthew 13:8 - "Other seeds fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." What is the meaning of this parable? Jesus explained the meaning of the parable in Matthew 13:23 - "But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown." In other words, the one on the good soil is the one who hears and understands God's word, producing a fruitful yield, be it a hundred, sixty, or thirty times. Luke 8:15 says: "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop." Here, the term "noble and good heart" uses two different words in the original Greek, but their meaning is akin to "good." However, there is a nuanced distinction between the two words. The second word, “good heart.” points towards a morally upright and noble heart. On the other hand, the first word, "noble," also has a sense of "beautiful," encompassing meanings like 'healthy,' 'sound,' and 'fit' (Friberg). Considering these nuances, when we look at the translation of the first word as “fit,” “suitable” in the Korean Revised Version and "beautiful" in the Modern Korean Bible, it seems appropriate. Therefore, we can understand that the heart described in Luke 8:15 is not only morally upright and noble but also beautiful, healthy, sound, and fit for receiving and retaining the word of God. The reason for distinguishing between these two words is to understand more accurately the heart of the one on whom the seed falls in good soil. This heart is both upright and healthy, fitting for receiving God's Word. Additionally, it is morally upright and noble, presenting a beautiful heart in the eyes of the Lord. When contemplating this heart, I am reminded of Acts 17:11 - "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." The reason this verse comes to mind is that when thinking about the English translation of "a noble heart” in Luke 8:15, Acts 17:11 refers to the Bereans as being "more noble" or "more noble character" (depending on the translation) because they received the word with eagerness and diligently studied the Scriptures daily to confirm its truth. Reflecting on these two verses together, I gain a more enriched understanding of what a "good soil" heart, where the seed of God's Word is sown, entails. This heart is not only upright and healthy, fitting for receiving God's Word, but also morally upright and noble. The reason for this nobility is that the individual receives God's Word with an earnest heart and diligently studies the Scriptures daily to confirm its truth. Wouldn't it be wonderful if our hearts, yours and mine, could embody such characteristics?

When meditating on this passage, I was reminded of the Korean gospel song "A Little Spark" with the lyrics of the second verse: ‘A nameless blade of grass stands before the Lord, asking for strength to endure the cold wind. Oh Lord, help it to stand. Like a fruitless barren tree, a sinner who failed to bloom, this life, spent in vain, falls prostrate before You. In times of sadness and anxiety, we hope for the heavenly kingdom and pray to live eternally in the Father's embrace. May we remain as a small blade of grass spreading the fragrance to the world, blooming and becoming a gardener.’ Particularly, the phrase "a sinner who failed to bloom, like a fruitless barren tree" came to mind as I contemplated this passage. With a desire to become a believer who bears fruit, I aspire to meditate on this passage anew and bear fruits, like the seed sown in good soil in today's parable of Jesus, yielding a harvest of a hundred, sixty, or thirty times. Furthermore, I pray that all of us may cultivate a heart like good soil and become believers who bear fruit. To achieve this, our hearts need to be beautiful and fitting in the sight of God. A heart beautiful and fitting in God's eyes is a healthy and upright heart, pure and noble. Such a heart listens with an obedient attitude to God's Word. Moreover, a heart like good soil sends its roots deep into Jesus Christ within the Word of God. Therefore, regardless of any pain or adversity caused by the Word (faith), it remains unshaken, endures, and overcomes. Furthermore, a heart like good soil is not obstructed by the worries of the world, temptations of wealth, or other desires and pleasures. Instead, it listens to God's Word, keeps it, and bears fruit with patience. May all of us bear such fruit.