“Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “Consider the sower who went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much soil, and they sprang up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them. Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop: some 100, some 60, and some 30 times what was sown. Anyone who has ears should listen! ”
Matthew 13:3‭-‬9

Jesus taught His disciples many things using stories and after all, who doesn’t love a great story! Jesus’ stories were about ordinary people doing seemingly ordinary things, but with a message that has eternal significance! So, in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus beging teaching in parables. This parable is about a simple farmer scattering seed. Remember, Jesus lived in a day when there was very few farming implements, so in order to plant seed, the farmer would simply pull seed out of a large poach that he wore and sow it (see OU pic: https://goo.gl/images/L6ZHTP).
So, this sower goes out to sow and his seed falls on 4 very different soil types and places
•along the path
•rocky soil
•among weeds and thorns
•on good soil
So, the seed thrown on the road or by the path were easy pickings for birds, so they never grew.
The seed thrown on rocky soil came up, but had no good root systems and it died when the sun got hot.
The seed thrown in the thorny weeds also grew, but got overgrown and chocked out by the thorns.
Finally, the seed thrown on good soil took root, grew up strong and multipled itself many times over in the form of a great crop!
This Parable baffled the disciples- later on in the chapter, after the crowds have left, they asked him what it meant.
Jesus explains that the gospel represents the seed and the soil represents the hearts of those who hear the gospel. Sometimes the gospel is shared but easily forgotten- kind of like the seed picked off by the birds. Sometimes the gospel is shared, well received and taken in- but the hearer doesn’t take the time to send its spiritual roots down deep-thus, when life gets tough, they wither spiritually like the seed planted in rocky soil. Sometimes, the gospel is shared and well recieved, but the cares and worries of life choke it out-like the seed planted in the weedy/thorny soil.
However, sometimes the seed of the gospel is planted in the good soil of a heart. It grows up strong and good and multiply itself hundreds of times over!
What kind of soil type is your heart? I want my to be the type that reproduces itself, time and time again and goes the distance for God!
Think about it!