Hello ,

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  “Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some  a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

 Matthew 13:3–9

The focal points of this parable are the four different kinds of soil that the seeds fall upon. Jesus is using something common and ordinary to teach an eternal lesson. 

The Wayside

The first soil that Jesus discusses is the ground on the wayside. This "wayside" would be akin to something that we might call a "path" on the edge of a field. Because this path has ground that has become hardened by so many travelers walking on it, the seed that is scattered on it never really germinates that way that seed is supposed to. 

This soil represents the superficial hearers of the gospel, where the truth of God's mercy and tenderness has no effect.  The birds represent the devil (or Satan), who comes along (once someone has heard the beautiful truth about God's love), and devours those seeds of the Gospel. 

The Gospel makes absolutely no sense to the "Wayside" hearers. 

A question to contemplate:  Has there ever been a time when you were a "Wayside" hearer, and what did that look like?  

We'll discuss the next soil in the parable, tomorrow!

Have a great day and God bless!

Pastor Mike / The Open Word