In the parable of the sower that Jesus Christ told... - All The Good Seed Daily Devotionals for 2025

A sower went out to sow, and as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away.
Matthew 13:3-6.

In the parable of the sower that Jesus Christ told the seed falls on four different types of soil. The seed itself is an illustration of the Word of God, while the pathway on which some seed fell stands for a hard heart that the Word fails to penetrate.

The second kind of soil is a stony field, where the seed first grows. The Lord explains it in this way: "This is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy." God's Word is accepted joyfully. At first everything seems more promising than in the previous case. But then the plant dries up. Jesus' explanation continues: "He has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles" (vv. 20:21).

One might ask: "Can it be wrong for someone to hear God's Word, receive it joyfully and look forward to the resulting blessing?" In its content and significance the gospel is indeed good news.

God's gracious message is one of salvation, forgiveness, blessing and eternal life. It presupposes our understanding of our hopeless, lost and guilty state before God. This necessity causes pain rather than joy. But the Word of God can take root in our heart, only if we open it for this realisation. Then it will bear fruit (cf. vv. 8 & 23).

Today's reading: Esther 5:1-14 · Proverbs 20:1-10