“A sower went out to sow.
What is the purpose of this parable? Let us first take note that the sower does not discriminate about the type of soil in which he sows. He sows on the path, on rocky ground, among thorns, and even on rich soil. The sower is clearly not concerned about a shortage of seeds. He must see that the seeds will sometimes grow in surprising circumstances. At the same time, he wants the best possible environment for the seed.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
Jesus wants us to cultivate rich soil. This parable helps us to see what that looks like. It is free from the cares of the world. It has an understanding that can't be easily subverted by the evil one. It isn't just adopted as one fashionable opinion but has roots which go deep, into the core of the believer.
Jesus wants us to have such soil in our own hearts. He wants us to help others cultivate such soil as well. The children of Israel in Egypt display many of the soil problems about which Jesus warns us.
“Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt,
as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread!
But you had to lead us into this desert
to make the whole community die of famine!”
They are being choked by the cares of the world. Their trust in the LORD doesn't go deep enough yet. But the LORD continues to lead them anyway. He is transplanting from desert sands to the promised land. He is fulfilling their needs so that they may come to trust him in a way that is more deeply rooted.
“I have heard the grumbling of the children of Israel.
Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh,
and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread,
so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.”
The LORD is definitely a sower with little regard for soil quality. He is more than able to transform the worst soil into the best, provided we allow him to do so. The Israelites learn to trust him by relying on the bread he supplies from day to day. Just so, we who have been given the true bread from heaven must learn to rely on it for our strength from day to day.
Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
Let us therefore seek to make our hearts good soil. Let us not grumble about the true bread from heaven which not even the angels are privileged to eat!
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