You may be familiar with the parable of the sower (Mark 4:3-9, 14-20), today however take a different look at the lessons the Lord was communicating to us. The first question we must answer for ourselves is: whose responsibility the word spoken is in this context? Is it the sower’s or the hearer’s (receiver)?

Knowing who the sower is is key to the action on the part of the hearer or receiver. Know the source of what or who you listen to (Mark 4:24). If it is the right source and the sower is God, then this Scripture puts responsibility on you, what you do with the word you receive!

Oh brother, how you need to discern. What is of the devil and his agents, don’t even allow it to stay, cast it off of the soil of your heart! Know who the prince of this world is. When those of the world speak, know Satan is speaking (1 John 4:5-6). Don’t receive poisonous seed in the soil of your heart, particularly you whose heart is good soil otherwise it will grow and offence will arise and roots of bitterness spring up.

A line by line comparison of Mark 4:3-9 and Mark 4:14-20 is very instructive on the matter of responsibility for the seed sown or the word heard, once you’ve discerned the sower or the speaker.

Compare

• Verse 4 with verse 15—what lessons are here for you?
• Verses 5,6 with verses 16,17—what lessons are here for you?
• Verse 7 with verses 18,19—what lessons are here for you?
• Verse 8 with verse 20—what lessons are here for you?

What kind of soil are you? A surface person, thin-skinned and easily offended? A shallow person with no spiritual root system? Or are the worries of this life, the lure of wealth and desire of other things choking spiritual life out of you? Or are you the rich, fertile ground that produces results?

Beloved, with the application of 2 Corinthians 5:16,17 and knowing that only those who are in Christ are new creatures, and even them, until they reach maturity can still spew evil communication that must not be allowed to take root in the soil of your heart. How much more those who are not in Christ!

O child of God, don’t just speak anyhow or just anything, knowing the gravity of letting your words bring offence, and what your expected response is to offence (Matt. 18:7; Luk. 17:1-5). Take heed what you mete out, what you speak, let your words be seasoned with grace (Col. 4:6).

Hebrews 12:12-15 admonishes us to look diligently lest we fail of the grace of God; don’t be provoked by insult or inconvenience into responses that will cause you to lose eternal values!

Finally, the seed of God’s word never fails (Isa. 55:10-11). And when it comes to utterances between matured sons of God, every word we speak that aligns with God’s words and promises will grow and produce results. Shalom.
 
 

Pastor Afolabi Oladele