“13 Then He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables? 14 The sower sows the word.
15 These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.
16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short- lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.
18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word, 19 but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times what was sown.”
Mark 4:13-20
—
Again, verse 13, “Then He said to them: “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?” This parable lays the foundation for understanding how people will respond to all the others and to the teachings of Jesus. This is the condition of the human heart, all humanity is represented here in this one lesson. Every last human being falls within one of these groups, and their understanding of God, His Kingdom, His will and most importantly, His Word, all fall within the parameters of these soils. Why is someone responding the way they are when we GoLove and share the Word with them? Look at their heart. What type of soil do they have? Find your answer and understand.

Within this one parable, The Word is mentioned eight times, it is obviously the central point of the parable. Then, hearing is mentioned four times. It is how the The Word is received. When we present Christ to anyone and everyone, The Word is the first and primary vehicle for teaching. It is how they are going to hear. The Word is not secondary, it is not introduced at a a later date. Reliance on the Word keeps the focus where it belongs, on God. Reliance on the Word keeps our humility in check and relays our position as a servant, not as one who is ‘in charge’ or ‘authoritative’ on our own. Reliance on the Word points hearts and minds toward God, not toward a pastor or teacher, as if a human being has the wisdom that the Word commands. Every moment we share the things of God, we need to be focused on Him, through Him and be motivated because of Him. There are no Christian celebrities, only God is famous and worthy of praise and recognition. We simply serve, sharing the truth of His Word with those who do not know it. That is our primary passion, our drive and our concern, that the Word is preached, taught and shared in every way possible. The Word cuts to the heart, not us. The Word brings conviction because of the Holy Spirit’s power, not ours. The Word is the vehicle for change and gives us direction, it is not a human plan or undertaking. We simply stand as servants of the Word. We are sowers, and sowers scatter seed. We cannot make it grow, it is beyond us to carry that task out. We must be faithful, and spread the Word.