The Story Of The Seeds

Mark 4

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Here's a story for you," said Jesus. "There once was a farmer who went out to plant seeds. Some of the seeds fell upon the hard-packed footpath, and hungry birds came gobbled them up. Other seeds fell into a rocky place where there was no good soil for roots, but the plants storm anyway–until the sun came out and they withered and died.

"Then some seeds fell among the weeds and they but before long the weeds choked out the good plants so they never produced any grain. And finally some of the seeds were planted into the good, healthy soil. And these seeds grew up strong and tall, and produced a good crop."

But the people didn't understand the meaning of the seed story. Later, Jesus explained it to His disciples.

"You see, the seeds are like God's word. Some people hear God's word, but Satan steals it away—just like the hungry birds that ate the seeds right off the path. Other people are like the seeds that sprang up quickly in the rocky soil—they are excited and joyful when they first hear God's word. But their faith isn't deep—they have no roots. When troubles come they have no strength, they're like the plants that withered in the sun.

"And then there are those who hear God's word, but worry about getting rich. Their worries crowd out the truth—the same way the weeds crowded out the good plants."

"But finally," continued Jesus with a smile. "There are those people whose hearts are eager and ready to hear God's word. They are like good healthy soil, and God's word can make deep roots in them. They will grow and God's goodness will be like fruit in their lives."

Keep a Good Attitude about Jesus' Teaching

Even though Jesus used simple stories to explain his message, some people still did not understand. It's not that they were stupid; they had the wrong attitude. They didn't want to listen to things that made them feel uncomfortable. They didn't want to change.

Attitude is very important. A bad attitude can keep the truth of God from taking root in our hearts. If we are hesitant to believe, or quick to give up, we need to exaine our attitudes. Poor attitudes cause faith to fail. A good attitude is like rich, moist ground that is good for growing. When we change our attitudes, we see how God changes our lives.