It is most important for us to remember, that all that which is the power of death in the unbeliever is the hindrance to fruit-bearing power in the believer’s life. This is brought out into full light, with its specific remedy, in this parable. There is the case of the fowls of the air, the stony ground, the sowing among thorns, and in the good ground, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold. The first of these is the power of Satan — the power of death. When the Word (the power of life) is sown in the unbroken heart, the devil takes it away as soon as it is sown. The devil brought in death by a lie, and holds men in it; on the other hand, by the truth of God are we made alive.
But there is One (Himself the Word) who is specifically the quickening power, even the Son of God. “The last Adam [is] a quickening Spirit” (1 Cor. 15:4545And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45) JND). The Son of man sows the seed, but it is the Son of God which quickens. “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:88He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. (1 John 3:8)). He declares Himself, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:2525Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (John 11:25)), and in this power He raises Lazarus from the dead. We have then the Son of God, by the Word, destroying the works of the devil in the power of death. This is the first case of the parable.
The Stoney Ground
But there is another case which is equally destructive — the receiving the Word into shallow ground. It was received superficially; it speedily sprang up “because they had no deepness of earth” (Matt. 13:55Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: (Matthew 13:5)). It had no searching process of power in which it entered into the conscience and quickened the inner man. It rested in the natural affections and understanding, which are simply the flesh; it is received merely by the natural feelings, and therefore immediately acts with joy. Since it does not reach the conscience, the same natural feelings were as speedily acted on by trouble and persecution, and “by and by he is offended” (Matt. 13:2121Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. (Matthew 13:21)). This is all merely the flesh, and comes to nothing. To this we know how uniformly the Spirit is opposed — “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other” (Gal. 5:1717For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. (Galatians 5:17)). We need not multiply passages of Scripture to show the opposition of these two, but we have here in the Spirit the antagonistic power which overcomes the flesh, and assuming a man to have life, still does so. This case, however, is still the natural man, though affections or intellect may have been charmed with the marvelous plan of redemption.
The Thorny Ground
But the same point holds good in a believer. When they do not walk in the Spirit, they are profitless and low in their state. It is in mortifying the flesh by the Spirit that the fruits of the Spirit find comparatively free growth. This, then, is the contrast here — the flesh and the Spirit. The fairest form of the flesh, the apparently joyful reception of the Word, comes to nothing.
The third case is equally clear. The hindering power is declared directly: “the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word” (Matt. 13:2222He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. (Matthew 13:22)). The world, and the love of it, are continually opposed to the Father. “All that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:1616For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)). The hatred of the world to the Son showed that it was not of the Father. The children, as connected with the Father, were not of this world, even as Christ the Son was not of the world.
Every one acquainted with the Gospel of John has noticed the opposition between the world and the Sonship of Christ. Our Lord thus concludes the whole presenting of His work and His people to the Father: “O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me” (John 17:2525O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. (John 17:25)). We well understand the opposition between the two. But in the believer, who recognizes at once the evil of the flesh, how often do we find the world holding a prevailing power and recognized title over the judgment or habit, and the fruitfulness, comparatively speaking, utterly marred!
Let us then recognize from Scripture, that the world is a positive hindrance to fruitfulness — the “much fruit” in which the Father is glorified. For this plain reason, our sonship, our inheritance, the kingdom, are often not recognized. The devil, who acts on us by the flesh, is the god and prince of this world; in contrast, the Spirit in them that are quickened, where not dimmed by the spirit of this world, bears witness that we are sons and heirs. Thus, at liberty, we cry by it, Abba, Father, and the fruits are a hundredfold. The energy of the kingdom is there, and hence, in deadness to the world, we have power over it.
The Devil, the World and the Flesh
Regarding the explanation of the parable, I would say a very few words more. The inseparableness of the evils is not in question; the devil, the world and the flesh are very intimately associated. Of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit I need not speak, but we must not forget their unity in every act, whether of creation or anything else. They invariably act in one, and as invariably in the same order; that is, by the Son, through the energy of the Spirit.
Another remark is necessary. Although we have looked at the love of the world as hindering the full fruitfulness of the children of God, we must remember that this knowledge in principle is the position of every believer. “I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father” (1 John 2:1313I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. (1 John 2:13)). Otherwise we could not put all believers under this responsibility. But it will be found that the measure of the fruitfulness of the life depends much on their exercise in the truths we have noticed here. The apprehension of the Father in the full development of the Sonship glory attaches quite a new character to the whole course of the Christian’s life. This is our proper calling, and a defective apprehension of the principle of heavenly glory will somewhere or other break down the efficiency of Christian service. At the same time, we do appreciate the Son, as administering the power of the kingdom against “the wicked one”; the Spirit, as overcoming the deceitful power of the flesh, and the Father in contrast with the love of the world. The fullness of all was in our Lord. The fullness of all help is to be found in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and it is our practical responsibility to avail ourselves of this help. At the same time; the enjoyment of fellowship with them is our blessed privilege.
Neglect of Power
Ill-proportioned Christianity continually springs from the power of Satan, through neglect of the special power of one or another of the divine Persons, while indulgence of any of the evils is apt to throw us into the hands of Satan. Here is the wisdom of ministering to sick souls, for the source of the evil may be one; its manifestation may be another. A believer will be healthful and strong against the enemy, to the degree that he has just reverence to all.
The believer will make spiritual progress from knowing the Father and the Son through the Spirit, and the manifestation of the power and glory of their work will gradually unfold itself. The quickening by the Son will make the believer discern well the operations of the Spirit against the flesh, and both of these find their full development in the manifestation of the Father’s glory, in the consciousness that His kingdom is not of this world.
The Spirit of Obedience
I feel too, in speaking this way, that I am treading on holy ground, but ground which our God in His mercy has opened to us, and on which we are set to walk. Let us also remember that the indulgence in one of these seemingly remote evils brings in the power of the others, for God is not there. Thus, Solomon’s indulging of the world brought in the indulgence of the flesh, and the consequence was the direct power of Satan in the idolatrous worship of his wives. Only one more thing it is important to remark. It is not either by speculation or knowledge these things are obtained, though they are ministered. Rather, we are sanctified “unto obedience” (1 Pet. 1:22Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. (1 Peter 1:2)). The Spirit of obedience is the great secret of all the present and practical blessings of the believer, for the Spirit is not grieved, and so becomes the minister of the grace and knowledge both of the Father and of the Son. The poorest, simplest believer, walking thus, enjoys the blessings of the pledged faithfulness both of the Father, and the Lord, and the Spirit, to the blessed purposes of love in which we stand, and of divine glory.
J. N. Darby (adapted)