A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Luke 8:5-8

Upon returning home earlier this week I received an email alerting me to a company policy I am required to acknowledge, but the form wouldn’t load properly on my iPad, so I contacted the tech person and we ended up doing a video chat so she could see this issue on my end and then it was resolved and I submitted the required response.

The parable of the sower demands the same from each of us. Later, Jesus explained that the seed is the word of God and the different kinds of soil describe the responses of four types of people in Luke 8: 12-15

• The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
• And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away.
• And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.
• As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

The path, the rocky places, the thorns, and the good soil responded differently to the seed. So, the initial question for us is, what kind of soil am I?