Mark 4:1-20

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18–19, NKJV)

Whenever Jesus spoke to the crowds, He always included parables (Mark 4:33-34). The word “parable” means “to cast alongside.” It is a story that contains a spiritual principle. The key to their interpretation is to identify the main principle and not to get bogged down in the details.

The parable of the soils is one of the best know parables. It is also a “decoder ring” to interpret other parables because Jesus Himself gave the interpretation to His disciples. It calls us to examine ourselves to determine what kind of soil we are. Are we receiving the “seed” of the Word and allowing it to grow and produce fruit?

The first soil is hearts that are hardened to the Word. As with a well-worn path, the seed has no opportunity to germinate, so the birds come and eat it. The birds represent Satan who snatches the Word from hearts.

The second soil has a thin layer of topsoil with rock underneath. The seed germinates, but because it has no root the plant quickly withers and dies in the summer sun. This represents those who receive the Word with joy, but because they have no spiritual “roots” they only endure for a short time.

The third soil contains thorns. When the seed germinates, the thorns grow up and choke it so that it is unfruitful. These are those who receive the Word, but the cares of this life, the deceitful allurement of wealth, and desires for other things choke the Word. Most Christians in our culture likely fall into this category. Our affluence, love for things in the world, and concerns for this and that choke out God’s commandments so that we do not produce the fruit that we could produce.

The fourth soil is what we want to cultivate. This is good, well-watered soil that is free from thorns. This represents those who humbly receive the Word implanted in their hearts and obey it. They resist the devil, cast off weights and sins, and abide in Christ. Consequently, they produce a lot of fruit, some thirty, sixty, or a hundred times as much as they receive.

So, the big question is what soil am I? And what must I do to become good soil producing much fruit?