Mark 4:13-20
And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.

Was this not illustrated in the people surrounding Jesus during His ministry on Earth? There were those like the Pharisees who rejected His Word and His teaching, and so the Word did not enter into their hearts at all. There were those who followed Jesus for a time but then were offended by His message of being the Bread of Life, and they turned back and followed Him no more. There was Judas Iscariot, whose focus on riches and money led him away from receiving the Word, and the rich young ruler who came seeking eternal life and went away, sadly, back to his riches and away from Jesus and His truth.

But then there were those who endured to the end—the faithful apostles, a group of women who followed Jesus and ministered to Him, a multitude of other followers who remained faithful to Jesus and His Word and thus bore much fruit for Him and His kingdom. They were the ones rooted and grounded, abiding in the vine, committed and obedient, imperfect but willing to be used. And we reap the benefit of their fruit even today, as their testimony of Christ ensured that we have the Gospel with us today.

So where along the spectrum do we fall? Are we at that first stage, yet in unbelief and needing to believe God’s Word and believe in His Son? Have we been offended by something in His Word and abandoned it instead of surrendering and submitting? Have we become unfruitful due to a misplaced focus on the things of this world or some other distraction? Or are we living lives faithful to God, sowing His Word into the world around us and allowing it to work in us so we bear much fruit for His honor and glory?