“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Mark 4:3-8
This parable describes 4 responses to hearing the Gospel. It’s probably a familiar story to many of you, but it’s always worth revisiting. Today we’ll look at the first response and continue in this parable over the next few months.
First Response: Don’t get it
- The first group of people don’t get the Gospel message. As Jesus explains “As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.” v. 15
- These are the people who are confused by Christianity, see only the contradictions, and miss important details. They may reject the message because of something in their past, or dismiss it as a waste of time. In some way, Satan has managed to keep the seed from getting into their mind and heart to take root.
- If you’re trying to reach someone like this, you may need to steadily continue sowing the seed even if they don’t seem to be responding positively and that can be discouraging. The best thing to do is pray that the Holy Spirit would soften their hearts and guard them from Satan’s attacks so that the seed can sink in. I’ve heard stories of people who have prayed for unsaved friends and family members for many, many years before their hearts were opened to the Gospel. Don’t give up hope; keep praying!