The Most Important Parable in the Bible

“And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts (Mark 4:13-15).”

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved (Luke 8:11-12).”

a.      Notice this class of people ‘hear the word;’ the gospel.

b.     Some people ‘do not understand it’ – thus, ‘many (Matt. 7:13)’ ‘perish for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6).’ And telling His disciples, ‘how will you understand all the other parables’ shows both the significance of this parable as being paramount; and the entire or holistic nature or environment in which we live: on an earth (with its soil) where our Father in Heaven; ‘the Lord our God’ [יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ (YHWH/Y_hv_h/Yahweh/Yehovah/Jehovah) Eloheinu; Deut. 6:4] and Sower – sows or sends forth His word (Holy Scriptures and commands) ‘at various times and in various ways speaking in the times past to our ancestors by the prophets, and in these last days to us by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2);’ ‘the Light’ and ‘Wisdom’ and ‘Salvation’ – Yehoshua HaMashiach (Yeshua Ha Mashiach) “God our Savior/Salvation – the Anointed (sent) One,” Who taught and sent forth His disciples to make ‘followers of Christ/Christians’ and send them ‘into all the world to preach the gospel’ to others.  And the Holy Spirit – ‘the Spirit of Truth’ will ‘teach all things (John 14:26; 15:26)’ to these if they desire it.   So the word in sowed in this environment; but also in the environment is ‘the deceiver,’ the ‘evil one’ and demons and Doctrines of Demons  who come and not only ‘seek to devour (1 Peter 5:8)’ and to ‘kill and destroy (John 10:10)’ the people of the earth; but to ‘steal (John 10:10)’ the very word/seed before it can ‘planted and watered (1 Cor. 3:6)’ and thus, grow and flourish ‘like a tree planted by streams (Psa. 1:3)’ and ‘rivers/fountains of living water (John 4:14; 7:38; Rev. 22:1-).’

c.      Others the word is ‘snatched’ out by doctrines of demons and cunning deceptions.  SOURCES of INFLUENCE Part V (see section 9).

d.     By the ‘evil one,’ ‘Satan,’ the ‘devil’ – see Rev. 12:9

e.      Thus, the Lord teaches us to pray, “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (Matt. 6:13, NIV).”   Likewise, the Lord prays, “My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one (John 17:15, NIV).”

f.      “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in you heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).”

g.     Thus, for this case the devil and his wicked ones – demons – are able to tempt or sway or deceive or harden the hearts – so that this class of individuals do not ‘believe’ or have ‘faith’ that Jesus is Lord and that His blood and resurrection can bring us eternal life and salvation.

h.     “Broad is the way (wayside; road; path) that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13).”

i.       So they are NOT SAVED – this class received no and has NO SALVATION.

“These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble (Mark 4:16-17).”

“But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away (Luke 8:13).”

a.      Stony place or rocky ground – poor ground not good for growth or harvest.

b.     Thus the Lord says, ‘break up your unplowed (hard; fallow) ground (Hosea 10:12).”

c.      Yet, this class of humans ‘hear the word and’ ‘RECEIVE IT with joy.’

d.     There is a fair argument that they gain ‘the joy of …salvation (Psalm 51:12).’

e.      They ‘endure;’ but only temporary ‘for a while.’  They do not ‘endure hardship as discipline (Heb. 12:7);’ nor ‘endure temptation (James 1:12);’ and thus, do not ‘endure to the end (Matt. 24:13).’

f.      Thus, they had ‘joy and peace in believing (Rom. 15:13),’ but did not endure and most unlike David do not pray, Lord ‘restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to obey you, to sustain me (Psa. 51:12).’

g.     And why, because ‘when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word’ of God, they ‘immediately stumble.’

h.     Many of them know ‘blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness… (Matt. 5:10);’ or ‘for Christ name sake,’ even that these are promised ‘the kingdom of heaven;’ yet, some this class of individuals here when ‘hated’ ‘for Jesus name’s sake’ do not ‘endure to the end (Matt. 10:21, 22) but rather ‘fear those who kill the body… rather than God who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell (Matt. 10:28).’

i.       Some are ‘cowards and unbelievers and idolaters and liars… and shall have their part in the lake with burns with fire… (Rev. 21:9).’

j.       Some of them have heard and some even believe ‘who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or persecution or famine…(Rom. 8:35);’ but when they are not rescued at the point of stress or great pressure, before the point of death; they forget or are ignorant that for many of us and most in the great tribulation… ‘for Christ sake we face death all day long… many are killed all day long; and we are considered as sheep for the slaughter (Rom. 8:36).’

l.       These have ‘no root’ – no ‘root of Jesse’ – no ‘root of David’ – of Jesus Christ (Isa. 11:1; Matt. 1; Rev. 5:5).’  No root in good soil.

m.   They ‘believe for a while’ – the have faith in Jesus like many of the 500; ‘many of His disciples turned back and did not follow Him (John 6:66).’

n.     And ‘immediately’ because they have no good solid foundation in the Word and Spirit of God.  They are easily moved.

o.     They ‘fall to temptation’ as James says, “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death (J 1:14,15).”

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4:18-19).”

“Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity (Luke 8:14).”

a.       These class ‘hears the word’ as all the others, but are unfruitful; for the Lord says, “all day long I have stretched out My hands to them, but they were disobedient and obstinate (Isa. 65:2; Rom. 10:21; Pro. 1:24)”  “I spoke to them but they did not listen (Jer. 35:17).”  “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son (Heb. 1:1-2).”  And so “God… gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life… and so the Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil (John 3:16-20).”  And “The Light shined into the darkness; yet the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:5).”

b.     This class ‘heard’ and dwelled among us briefly; some even ‘abided in the vine (John 15:4)’ for ‘a branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, except’ it ‘abide in’ Christ Jesus and the Spirit of God.  But these individuals; once the ‘go out’ – that is ‘go out’ into the world and are met by the temptations and general nature of the world and schemes of the evil ones (John 17:5); leaving from ‘dwelling in the shelter of the Most High… in the shadow of the Almighty (Psa. 91:1),’ they ‘conform to the pattern of the world’ (Rom. 12:1).’

c.      That is they ‘conform’ to the weaknesses and failures of those who fall in the world.  This class hears the truth, but go out without ‘the armor of God (Eph. 6);’ many not ‘sober or vigilant;’ unprepared for the ‘adversary the devil …who goes about seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8).’  These ‘people no longer listen to sound doctrine; but seek their desires (2 Tim. 4:3).’  So they are they are overcome by ‘deceptive spirits and teachings of demons (1 Tim. 4:1).’  They are ‘heard’ but do not “let their roots grow down into the foundation of Jesus Christ… so their faith will grow strong in the truth… (rather they are taken) captive through empty deceit and deceptive philosophy, according to the tradition of men and human thinking and according to the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (Col. 2:7-8).”  Thus they ‘hear the words of Christ… (but do not) build their houses on the Rock.  And the rain (of the world) fell and the (the enemy comes in like a flood – Isa. 59:19) floods came, and the winds (of adversity) blew and beat on their houses… and because they were built on the (sinking and shifting) sand it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matt. 7:24-27).’  ‘Great’ because it is a matter of eternal salvation.

d.     And what specifically causes these to fall and to not become fruitful – thus be cut from the vine?  The disciples name these things: the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the desire for other things, and the pleasures of life.

e.      “The cares of the world” come upon them and they are unable to ‘cast their cares upon the Lord so that He alone sustains them (Psalms 55:22; 1 Peter 5:7).’  Christ says, ‘come to Me, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Matt. 11:28);’ but they do not.  They are burdened, stressed and depressed by moods that affect their appetite, sleep and energy.  Many have cares due to debt; and debt often due to excessive desires or poor choices; many have not taken care of their bodies and suffer problems; many are in abusive homes or have failed relationships and or divorce and these things weigh them down; some are old and have lost loved ones and can’t overcome anxiety.  And a hundred other cares our adversity seeks to place upon us.  DEPRESSION: Disease, Disorder, Choice and or spirit

f.      “The deceitfulness of riches” puts forth a false image of success or fulfillment; yet the ‘love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10),’ at least for most; and it is directly related to coveting or covetiveness of others things or it is ‘love of things of the world (1 John 2:15).  Most in this class ‘lay up for themselves treasures on earth (Matt. 6:19);’ and more so most serve ‘mammon’ or love the accumulation of wealth at almost any cost, and thus do not ‘serve God (Matt. 6:24).’  This class would rarely ever pray, “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only portion (my daily bread).  Lest, I have too much and disown You Lord… or that I may become poor and steal and thus dishonor the name of My God (Prov. 30:8-9).”

g.     The desire for the things of the world according to the apostle John include, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life… (1 John 2:16).”  Such desires led to “sexually immorality, adultery, greed, theft, idolatry, hatred, discord, jealousy, anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, envy and the like… for which those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God  (1 Cor. 6:9-11; Gal. 5:19-21).”

h.     The pleasures of life are not speaking of ‘the pleasures forever (Psa. 16:11)’ through the Lord, or ‘His peace which passes all understanding,’ here Christ speaks of desires for worldly pleasures which like idolatry are placed above the love for the Lord or will of God or even worshiping God and Christ Jesus.  Many in this class of individuals put television or video games or hobbies or sports ahead of the will of God and any thought to Him.   Some always prefer their food or interest above caring for another soul or their neighbor or the lost or widow or orphan.

i.       Thus, this class of individuals become unfruitful and brings no fruit to maturity, and they also are cut from the vine of Christ and His salvation.  (For an exhaustive look at how we are influenced: SOURCES of INFLUENCE)

“But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred (Mark 4:20).”

“But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience (Luke 8:15).”

a.      This class ‘hears the word’ and ‘understands it;’ and loving the Lord and the words of His prophets and apostles they continue in the ‘doctrine of Christ… going on unto perfection (righteousness; understanding) …repentance from dead works (of the flesh; having) faith toward God (Heb. 6:1).’  They understand and believe in the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment as elementary teachings of Jesus and His disciples.  They love the ‘milk of the word’ but desire soon after ‘meat.’

b.     And what is the good ground and what makes it good?  It has ‘Living Waters’ so that they do not ‘lack moisture.’  The Scriptures say, ‘He who believes in Christ Jesus… shall have ‘rivers of living water (John 7:38).’   Waters which flow even from ‘the throne of God and of the Lamb… causing the yielding of fruit (Rev. 22:1).’

c.      It has ‘fertile good soil beside the abundant waters, that (also aids in) yielding fruit (Ezek. 17:8).’ And its soil is on a foundation of good sound doctrine.

d.     It root is grafted into the Holy One and spiritual root.

e.      Members of this class grow like ‘oaks of righteousness (Isa. 61:3).’

f.      They ‘fear God and obey His commands (Eccl. 12:13).’

g.     They ‘love the Lord’ and desire to ‘serve Him’ and ‘walk in His ways (Deut. 10:12-13).’

h.     They desire to ‘worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).’

i.       They did not simply float down on some personally predestinated preserved and reserved good ground as a few might think.  But as they were given grace and mercy; a measure of faith and a consciousness to ‘see clearly… God’s creation and …eternal power and Godhead (Rom. 1:20),’ they believed and confessed Jesus.

j.       Nevertheless, as Calvin warned in his commentary on Hebrews and the apostle said (10:26), “if we (this class are any righteous or unrighteous – see Ezek. 18) go on willfully sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains (the blood) sacrifice (to atone) for the sins, but an awful and terrifying judgment.”

k.     Yet, this class desires and does the ‘will of the Father (Matt. 12:50; John 6:40).’

l.       Like wise men they do works to ‘saves souls (Prov. 11:30).’

m.   They bear good spiritual fruit of the Spirit, even ‘fruit of …love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).’

n.     The ‘bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).’

o.     The ‘keep the word;’ ‘holding steadfast’ to hope and truth, and the knowledge of salvation.

p.     They ‘endure’ with ‘patience.’

q.     And those among them ‘who endure to the end shall be saved’ and ‘receive the crown of eternal life.’