I’ve been mulling over the Parables of the Four Soils for nearly three years now. When I left my church in Fortine, MT to come to Dallas, TX for seminary, I was preaching through Luke, and had stopped at Luke 8:3. I did preach a sermon on Luke 8:9-10, but I never did preach on Luke 8:4-15, the Parable of the Four Soils. I was a bit relieved, because I had no idea what this parable meant. And the scary thing, Jesus says that this parable is the key to understanding all the rest (Luke 8:10).
But as I have thought more and more about it, the meaning has slowly emerged. I now agree with my friend Ken Wilson that this parable has nothing to do with determining who is a Christian and who is not. That’s the way most people read this parable, and it’s all because of the word “saved” in 8:12. Some people think that only the fourth, fruitful soil is a Christian, while others think that the final three soils represent Christians because they at least have life. And while “saved” can refer to receiving eternal life, it most often does not. Instead, it most often (nearly always) refers in Scripture to being delivered from some sort of temporal problem or calamity.
That’s what this Parable is about. When people hear what the Bible has to say about how to be delivered from whatever problem is in their life, there are four basic responses to the Word (8:11).
The following context makes this abundantly clear. Jesus doesn’t just want hearing; He wants obeying (8:16-21), just as He gets from the wind and the waves (8:22-25), demons (8:26-39), and a Jewish leader and a sick woman (8:40-56). Jesus then sends out the twelve to see how they will do at hearing and obeying, and also to give them some experience at seeing how others respond to the Word (9:1-6).
The bottom line is this: Whenever the Word of God is proclaimed, to whomever it is proclaimed, there will be four basic responses. How do you typically respond?
On Monday, I will share with you something surprising about the fourth soil, the good soil, and how to find it.
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Jeremy,
This is good info as it challenges us all who say the word “disciple” in reference to ourselves but never obey what has been revealed to us. Even more so to those who think everyone is a disciple and live life only for themselves. I have one area in particular in my life that is a grey area and I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that it isn’t grey.
Grace and peace,
Jim
I beleive the four soils represent how spiritual we are. Or how receptive to Gods word.
Mark,
I agree with you about the receptivity to God’s Word.
Christians are short-changing themselves if they feel that this parable refers only to determining whether a person is saved or not. What Christian has not experienced all of the situations described in the parable. Hasn’t everyone experience some kind of persecution and shrunk back? Hasn’t every Christian had to struggle with the distractions of worldliness? Maybe we should begin to look at the four soils as a progression in the person’s life. Not necessarily linear, but areas that any Christian must struggle through in their walk with Christ.
Larry,
Thanks for the comment. I believe you are exactly right. The four soils can represent our reaction to any of life’s circumstances. Hopefully, as we Christians progress toward living more like Jesus, we live more and more like the fourth soil. Thanks for weighing in!
I believe that Mark 4:21 gives the “witness” as to which type of soil we have. That is what is hidden but to be disclosed. The fourth soil, which brings a multiplying of 30, 60 or 100 times is the life that allows Christ to live through them, as without Him, nothing can be accomplished. The multiplying refers to the spreading and growth of the seed.
Jeff Herr
I agree with Jeff Herr.
I have heard theory as to suggest that
the farmer was Jesus and that this parable is key to understanding Mark’s gospel. Jesus says it himself, “if you do not understand this, how will you understand the rest of my parables.” Saying that this was the key. Mark’s gospel is filled with irony, and I think that this was no different. this parable also falls completely in sink with Marks gospel. The first soil with the birds represents the demons that came and took Jesus’ good news. All throughout the first 6 chapters of mark, he is seen driving out demons and constant runins with them. Then the second soil represented Jesus’ disciples. from about chapter 6 through 10 or so, the disciple’s slowly digress in their understanding of Christ. Christ even named Peter which means rocky… connection with rocky soil? The third soil represents Jerusalem, who heard the message amongst all there worries of life, gave up on the good news. They did this by “choking” jesus. or sacraficing him. I believe the same greek word is used for both the choking thorns and the killing of Christ. These are from Mark 11-15. Now the final point goes like this. In order to take in this theory, we can’t think of it as a normal harvest. Back in those times, when farmers grew and harvested, their season was during the wet season, from about November to May. Now if a farmer had 3 bad years in a row, he would lay everything he had left on the following dry season, having all hope that a miracle rain would hit. The theory supports this by the parable talking about a “hot sun” and how a farmer would only let weeds grow in his fields in the dry off season. So what was Christ’s last last hoora? His reserection and his ascending into heaven. From chapters 16 on… This last fulfillment is what produced disciples and why his 100 fold of production leaves us followers here today chewing on what He said.
This is not my idea nor my new testment teacher’s, but he is the one that challenged us with it and I wanted to know what other believers thought of it. The fact that Mark uses it to line out his gospel and Jesus’ ministry I think is really cool, but somehow it almost streches it a little to far.