#1. He that received the seed into stony places... (Matthew 13:20)
#2. He that received seed among the thorns...(Matthew 13:22)
#3. and He that received seed into the good ground...(Matthew 13:23)
By examining these "3 Christians"; who at first accepted the word with joy when they first heard it, we will be able to discern what's in each one of their hearts that caused them to either later "fall away" or continue walking in the word they all first received....
Jesus says that at the first big sign of trouble; whenever persecution or tribulation arises because of the word he first received, then he becomes "offended" by it - in other words - he is in conflict with God's will and doesn't want to hear God's instruction or do His will anymore.
It is precisely because he heard and received the word (the Gospel of Christ) into his heart that God puts him to the test in order for just such a person to realize just how shallow their commitment to Him is, and correct it before it's too late.
Now the "heat" that causes stress to the plant in the parable stands for the persuctions and tribulations (all of the "pressures") that comes because of the word. Because of his reception of the word soon he is being pressured to witness the truth before his family and/or friends, or pressured by calamities hitting him all at once, or pressured because his enemies (who were once his "friends") are making fun of him and of his faith, etc.
So when it starts getting a little too hot in testing his true motives, the word in him begins to play havoc with what God wants verses what he wants, and rather than lean upon God he begins to distance himself from Him as he begins to shrivel up.
Then when he is "offended" (because it is infringing upon his life-style and freedom) by the same word that he once had received with joy, he will lose what he once had, and like a plant who has no deep roots (i.e. no outward confession of the inward Christ in his life), he soon begins to wither and die as the sun comes out until this "drought of rain" (which represents a lack of the word of God in his heart) starves him out .
#1. (The 'Stony Places' Christian) is the one who has no 'root' in himself (v.21). By the Lord's standards He considers them to be: "Very Shallow Christians". All that this means is that they have no 'backbone' - no 'endurance' in them for the truth and to go the route.
"Enduring in the faith we first received" is an absolute and necessary commodity needed to make it to the end. It is imperative that we end the way we began: By hearing and receiving the word of God, and thus acknowledge and abide by it.
To this "Shallow Christian" Christ says:
"He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." Matthew 10:37-38
These are the kind of people who believe they can attain and maintain the best of both worlds. What really happens is that shortly after they receive the word with joy, they allow the cares and problems of "this" life along with the deceit of its riches (which they never gave to the Lord when they came to Him) to come back in again, and shortly after they've received the word, they become steered by these "Cares" all over again. These 'Thorns or Weeds' steer them further and further away from the Lord and what He is after and deeper into self and what they are after.
What I am talking about is easily understood through scriptures as Matthew 13, verses 44 through 46...
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it."
They are not "Sold Out" for Christ! They lack walking in the fear of the Lord!
So, what the 'Thorny Ground' people have failed to do at the very outset is to rid and purge themselves of all of the other "Seeds" in their heart that later may well spring forth and come between them and the Lord.
They should have allowed the Lord to have A FULL AND DEEP ACCESS (instead of Partial Access) to their hearts. He, in turn, would have proved to them that NOTHING is worthy of nor comparable to Him and His Love (John 14:21)..."NOTHING"... and they, in turn, would have acted accordingly in true repentance selling all they have.
To this "Uncommitted" Christian Christ says:
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Therefore, I say unto you, Take no thought, for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on..." Mathew 6:24-25
The reason they are called the "Good" soil is because they have been "prepared" to receive the truth. Generally speaking, this world has lost its luster for them and it has nothing to hold them captive anymore. Usually these are the ones who are weary and heavy laden and are ready to come to Jesus without reservation.
These have received the word deep within. There's nothing shallow or worldly about these. Their roots have sunken down into the source of living water. In this "Good/Prepared" ground the seed is able to take root deeply and grow up strong in the faith.
To this "Committed Christian" Christ says:
All of this happens because they took the word of God for granted and didn't allow the seed to penetrate deeply and take hold. So they soon come to forget what that "heavenly taste" was like and end up losing sight of it forever before the word of God can grow and come to maturity in them setting them free and producing "spiritual" fruit fit for God's table.
As for #3. the "Good Soil" Christian, these are the ones who continue to the end (in the revelation of Christ they first received - Matthew 13:12), and take all of God's words seriously to witness Him and live them.
"Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Those who represent the "other" soils had a "taste" of what was to come as well.
However, soil #1 and soil #2 have not taken the word of God seriously enough to walk in it (John 8:31-32), that is, to continue "obeying" it as when they first heard and received it (for it is in the doing/obeying the word of God that causes the seed to root deeply and grow into maturity).
Soon they become no different than everyone else (2 Peter 2:22), heeding the world, the flesh or the Devil instead of heeding the word of God (John 10:27) and responding to it as they did in the very beginning like a child when they first heard. Now they only hear what they want to hear and discard the rest as being unecessary or unloving.
