Matthew 13:23 … Sowing the Good Soil (04/03/17)
“But as for what was sown on Good Soil, these are the ones who hear the Word and understand It; who indeed bear its Fruit” ~ Jesus (Matthew 13:23)
First & foremost, it is important to realize that this, the Parable of the Sower (see Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20 & Luke 8:1-21), is “the Parable of Parables” – the very first parable Jesus ever utters in the Gospels, and the parable upon which all others are founded … And the hub of this particular parable revolves around the “seeds” that have landed in “the Good Soil” – the metaphoric representation of those people who actually comprehend what Jesus was teaching and what his ministry was truly all about.
And how can we know who these people are? How can we know if we are one of those so “saved”? Well, Jesus makes it all quite clear; noting in this verse that those who qualify as his true Followers (i.e. those who are the “seeds” in the “Good Soil”) are those who have the humility (Matthew 18:3-4) to hear the Word of selfless Love (Matthew 24:12-14) and the courage to fully understand that Word by experiencing it – by setting it into motion via acts of selfless service for others (see John 13:15-17, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 25:35-40 et al).
Indeed, it is the fruit of our actions that tell us quite clearly whether or not we have indeed walked The Way (Matthew 7:15-20), with all the deeds feeling Peace-full (via bringing Peace to others) counting as Right Action blooming from “Good Soil,” and all the deeds feeling stressed or discordant (while serving ourselves &/or bringing pain or stress to others) counting as wrong actions withered in “rocky ground” or choked by “thorns” (see Matthew 13:20-22).
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