A Lesson in Evangelism, Part 1
A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matt. 13:3-8, RSV.
Parables always have a context. The rejection of Jesus by so many in Matthew 11 and 12 not only led to a radical shift of His teaching methodology in chapter 13, but also dictated the content of the parables. After all, Matthew faces a dilemma as he writes his Gospel several decades after Christ's death. How is it that so many spurned the Messiah? That rejection seems to go against Jewish eschatological expectations. Why do some respond to Jesus, while most do not?
Jesus' answer begins with the parable of the four types of soil. In essence, He teaches that the root of the trouble does not lie with God. After all, He has made provision for the preaching of the gospel to all types of people (soils), but all do not respond in the same way.
Two constants continue throughout the parable. First the sowing seems to be the same for all types of soil. They all get the same treatment, the same Word. Second, all four types hear the message. Where they differ is not in hearing but in responding. One point the four types share is that they are all potential disciples in the sense of being followers of Christ's message. Whether potentiality advances to actuality is not in hearing the Word but in responding to it.
In the parable Jesus sets forth four types of soil, three of which fail in developing to maturity and one in which the Word succeeds. We are left with two impressions after reading this parable. First, those who receive the Word and remain faithful are definitely in the minority. That insight lines up with the experience of Jesus' first hearers and with the reality of evangelism in our day. Second, fruition depends upon human response.
The overall message of the parable of the sower to those early disciples and to us is not to give up just because evangelistic results look so meager. Our responsibility is to sow the Word. And if we do so consistently there will be results.
The end lesson: Keep on sowing in spite of the level of outward success.
A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matt. 13:3-8, RSV.
Parables always have a context. The rejection of Jesus by so many in Matthew 11 and 12 not only led to a radical shift of His teaching methodology in chapter 13, but also dictated the content of the parables. After all, Matthew faces a dilemma as he writes his Gospel several decades after Christ's death. How is it that so many spurned the Messiah? That rejection seems to go against Jewish eschatological expectations. Why do some respond to Jesus, while most do not?
Jesus' answer begins with the parable of the four types of soil. In essence, He teaches that the root of the trouble does not lie with God. After all, He has made provision for the preaching of the gospel to all types of people (soils), but all do not respond in the same way.
Two constants continue throughout the parable. First the sowing seems to be the same for all types of soil. They all get the same treatment, the same Word. Second, all four types hear the message. Where they differ is not in hearing but in responding. One point the four types share is that they are all potential disciples in the sense of being followers of Christ's message. Whether potentiality advances to actuality is not in hearing the Word but in responding to it.
In the parable Jesus sets forth four types of soil, three of which fail in developing to maturity and one in which the Word succeeds. We are left with two impressions after reading this parable. First, those who receive the Word and remain faithful are definitely in the minority. That insight lines up with the experience of Jesus' first hearers and with the reality of evangelism in our day. Second, fruition depends upon human response.
The overall message of the parable of the sower to those early disciples and to us is not to give up just because evangelistic results look so meager. Our responsibility is to sow the Word. And if we do so consistently there will be results.
The end lesson: Keep on sowing in spite of the level of outward success.
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