Thank God for Good Ground!

Mark 4:20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience

Last week, we briefly surveyed the parable of the soils mentioned in the synoptic gospels. We ended the discussion on Thursday on a rather somber note....looking at the three types of unfavorable soil(s). Today we're going to look at the positive aspect of the parable. I ended the previous discussion by stating that we shouldn't get discouraged if we're met with a 75% rejection rate (after all...3 out of the 4 types of soil are not conducive to harvest). Good salesmen know that they can't get discouraged when the first person doesn't buy the product. We know from Paul's letter to the Corinthians that "he that sows sparingly will reap sparingly." The law of sowing and reaping assures us that the greater the sowing effort...the greater the harvest. Great inventors usually go through a tremendous process of trial and error before they uncover a masterpiece. We also must not grow weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap if we don't give up! (Galatians 6:9)

The beautiful thing about the good soil is that it not only hears the Word and receives it...but bears fruit. Christ is concerned with fruit bearing. We will be judged by the type of fruit that we bear. Jesus said that a tree (whether it be good or bad) is identified by the fruit that it bears. An interesting point about the good ground is that even though it is good ground...there are still various degrees of fruit-bearing among good soil. Some seem to hit on all cylinders- they hear the Word of God and want to do everything they can for the LORD. Others joyfully receive the message, but are content with a "moderate" approach to the faith. Not wanting to be too radical, but not content as a pew-warmer either...these are the sixty-fold group.

Then you have the thirty-fold group. These are the ones mostly content to have eternal life, but show little interest in eternal reward. They are often difficult to motivate because their motivation ended the day they got saved. These types of people tend to view salvation as an "event" that has taken place and now they are content to ride out the storm safely on the boat. This doesn't mean they are bad people, only that their level of fruit-bearing will not be on par with the hundredfold crowd.

The final note about this parable is that fruit bearing is done with patience (that's why I posted the passage from Luke's account). It takes endurance to be a good seed-thrower. Rome wasn't built in a day, and we seldom receive instant deliverance from our trials. But in that great process of endurance, God is able to work in us a far more and exceeding weight of glory than could ever have been imagined.

May God richly bless you today and get out there and sow some seeds!
-HH

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