And he spoke to them at length in parables
In one sense parables themselves can easily become seed sown along the surface of the path that never penetrates the soil. Parables seem so simple as to be superficial, their meaning so evident as to not require any effort. But if we don't actually engage with them we don't actually gain anything from them. It's easy for the enemy to persuade us that we don't need to pay much attention to the word of God, either because we've heard it before and assume we already know all it has to say, or because it is archaic to the point of irrelevance, or for any number of other reasons. But if we actually allow it to be planted like a seed, it may start off small, but it grows. The same is true when the seed is planted but it encounters obstacles like rocky ground. The rocks seem like the more significant and insurmountable facts. The seed seems to have negligible importance. As persecutions come it may seem that we should disregard it redirect our efforts into more practical approaches or ideas. And it certainly is not in an advantageous position compared to the thorns of anxiety or wealth. All of those things seem more pressing. The idea of a small seed outpacing all of those things in impact seems far fetched. But the seed is actually the only fruit-bearing option.
A sower went out to sow.
The sower seemed so generous with the seed as to be reckless. We know anyone with limited resources would never be so incautious with their resources. But this sower was not going to run out. This meant that he was able to place seed even in edge cases that were far from what seemed to be ideal soil conditions. But that he did this seems to imply that the seed might take root even in some unexpected places. We know from the word of God that we are are to count it all joy when we experience trials since trials produce growth (see James 1:2-4). So perhaps seeds that manage to sprout from worse conditions sometimes do so with a greater resilience and heartiness.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
The way seed manages to grow or not grow in certain conditions may seem inevitable to the point of being predetermined. But this parable more likely describes what is usually the case and why in order that it may not always be the case. It is clearly a warning about the devil, about tribulations, and about riches and anxieties. And if it is a warning it must be because it is possible for us to respond. It is not necessarily possible for us to avoid such circumstances, just as it is not for the seed to determine where it falls. But it is possible to direct such resources as we have toward the good soil with growth is possible. It is possible to open ourselves to the word of Jesus in such a way that the circumstances of life need not defeat us. He himself is the gardener, the one who wants us to grow, and who himself gives the growth (see First Corinthians 3:6).
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