The parable of the soils

Luke 8:13  They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

The Parable of the Soils speaks of four kinds of hearers. The way side soil represents someone who hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan comes along and plucks the message away, thus preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word and accepts the Word readily. However, his faith is shallow because it does not take root and soon he falls away. The thorny ground depicts one who receives the Word, but his heart is too occupied with riches, pleasures, lusts, and the things of this world such that his attention is divided which prevents him from growing unto spiritual maturity; he is unfruitful in the kingdom of God. Lastly, the good ground portrays one who hears, understands, and receives the Word and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. He grows as a fruitful Christian for God. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly converted.  

For today’s devotion, I would like to dwell on the seed that fell on stony (rocky) ground. This is a person who, when he hears the word, becomes excited over it. He receives it readily and with joy. He starts to grow really fast, and shows much enthusiasm as a Christian. You would think he is a very zealous Christian. But suddenly, he stops coming to church. Why?

Our Lord explains: “these have no root” (Luke 8:13). The problem is that in this kind of soil, the roots cannot go very deep. Let’s look at a tree. The two main functions of roots are to deliver water and nutrients to the tree and provide an anchor that keeps the plant or tree in the soil. Luke wrote that this plant “withered away, because it lacked moisture” (Luke 8:6). The root is not providing the nutrients that are essential for growth to the tree.

The seed that fell on stony ground represents a Christian who has a short-lived faith. It has an appearance of growth; but not for long. It makes the farmer happy for a while. Indeed, this Christian makes the elders and members of the church happy for a while when he became a Christian and was with them; he fell as quickly as he became a believer.

In the spiritual life, it is not how we start our walk with the Lord that counts but how we continue till the finish line: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). It is unfortunate that some people had a good start but ended the race prematurely; they didn’t complete the race. They didn’t get the reward of eternal life as a result. The crown of life is only promised to those who have finished the race: “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev 2:10).

When we read this parable, it should dawn on us the importance of having a strong root. The root system serves to guarantee the existence of the whole tree. It is because the roots cannot grow deep, the tree is weak and cannot withstand the beating of the wind. The Christian whose root is weak does not have the spiritual strength to withstand the pressure of persecution and temptation. In time of temptation, he falls away.

How strong is your root? The prophet Jeremiah expressed one of the most beautiful analogies in the Old Testament, comparing the faith-filled person with a strong, flourishing tree: " Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer 17:7-8).

Paul says to be strong in the faith, we must be “rooted and built up” in Christ (Col 2:7). A strong root grows deep so that it ensures the tree grows tall. Being rooted is indeed one of our basic needs. Only when we are rooted we can grow. When we grow deep in Christ, we can grow tall as Christians.

How can we then get our roots firmly and deeply planted in Christ?
1. Study the Word of God for growth (1 Pet 2:2).
2. Pray. By spending time with God, we draw closer to Him (Jas 4:8).
3. Be faithful in attendance to receive strength and encouragement from others (Heb 10:24-25).
4. Serve God (Matt 4:10). Service keeps our faith active.

Let us be rooted in Christ so that we can grow and become strong in the faith.


Jimmy Lau
Psa 119:97  Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.