| “Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away” (Matthew 13:5-6). |
| Here is a different kind of soil. Remember that all the seed was good, but it fell on different kinds of soil. So the gospel is always true, but how various people receive it is different. |
| The soil in our verses today was not hard like the soil we saw yesterday. But there was another problem. There were big stones in it, and the amount of soil on top of the stones was rather thin. This kind of soil always heats up fast when the sun comes out, and of course the seed immediately tried to grow. But as the sun got hotter, the plants could not get enough moisture to keep them healthy, because the stones stopped the roots from penetrating down deep into the ground. The plants were scorched, and because they had no root, they withered away. |
| This sometimes happens where I live, for it is a rocky area. The soil on top of the rocks is sometimes only a few inches deep, perhaps 10 cm. Grass and other plants begin to grow quickly in it, but when it gets really hot, the grass starts to wither. We have to water it a lot to keep it looking healthy. |
| As the Lord Jesus told His disciples, this is like those who hear the gospel, and think it sounds good. But there is no real work in their heart; they believe only with their head. Then, when they find the Christian life difficult and encounter persecution or reproach from this world, they fall back into the same things that they did before they heard the Word. They were not really saved at all. |
