So it was with those who heard the teaching of our Lord, who heard His words with the coldest indifference, and who only awoke up to energy when they shouted, “Away with Him, crucify Him!” For besides the prophetic import of this parable as showing what kind of reception His word would meet with afterward, it has an historical aspect, and describes the way in which the Jews received the preaching of the word of the kingdom from the lips of the Lord Himself. In this case it is the devil who is the active, and, awful to say, the immediate and direct agent in catching away the good seed.
In the two following cases he no doubt is busy, but it is by the means of other things. He acts indirectly, and in the case of the stony-ground hearer it is evidently the flesh that is the proximate and immediate cause of unfruitfulness. This is as fatal a case as the wayside hearer, though apparently not so unpromising. Nay, there is a promising appearance, for “forthwith they sprung up.” Those of whom this is the type seemed to be in advance of all the others. But it was this very “forthwith” that was the evidence of its worthlessness; for it was the consequence of there being no deepness of earth. There was no root; it soon sprang up, and soon withered.
What is the Lord teaching us here’ That a mere intellectual reception of the truth is worth nothing. The mere mind of man is capable of admiring the truth, so far as it is understood. The affections may be drawn by the exhibition of a Saviour dying on the cross; and there may be a profession of faith in Christ. Man believes after a sort (not with the heart-no man can do that of himself), and so he calls and professes himself to be a Christian. But it is only the acting of his own understanding and natural affection—which are only flesh—and the reception of the word is only superficial. The word, though admired, does not reach the soul, does not probe the conscience. It is not allowed to take root. The natural pride of the heart is not alarmed at being told that in it there dwelleth no good thing. There was no opposition, because the necessity of self-judgment was not felt.
Such may endure for a while, but the testing time comes sooner or later, and then the hollowness of their profession is seen. They are offended. Yet they received the word joyfully. No doubt there is joy and peace in believing. But is joy the only, or, indeed, the first effect of bowing to the word? I deny it. Where the work is real the sinner is brought into the presence of God as a guilty, lost thing, conscious of deserving hell, conscious, too, that his sins have been committed against God, and this swallows up every other feeling. David said, “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned,” but had he not sinned against Uriah? But he was in God’s presence, and saw only Him. In many cases he feels extreme terror. In a word, self-judgment is the prevailing, or at least an essential part of his feelings before God. Is this a joyous feeling?
Now, I apprehend that the Lord intends us to understand that in the case of the stony-ground hearer joy was the only feeling or sentiment produced in his heart; and so it is given as an evidence that there was no root. On the contrary, where the word takes root there is self-loathing, there is a bowing to the sentence of God against sin. No palliation, no excuses, are permitted in his heart for sin, but rather, in anticipation of God’s condemnation, he acknowledges the just sentence of God against himself. Of course there must be a measure of faith in the mercy of God, or hardness of heart and reckless despair would result. But I say that the sense of sin produces horror and self-condemnation, and that there cannot be any feeling of joy or gladness till Christ be seen as the One who suffered in our stead. Nowhere in Scripture do we read of one truly converted to God who received the word joyfully at first. We read in Acts 2:4141Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:41), “Then they that gladly received his word,” &c.; but it is known from the best authorities that the word “gladly “is an interpolation. Indeed it seems to me impossible that there could be gladness felt when a soul is first brought by the Spirit into God’s presence. Even Job, saint as he was, when he was once brought there, could only give expression to his own abhorrence of himself when he saw God: then, and not before, he said, “Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.” It must be so for the sinner who feels himself in God’s presence, in whose light all his deformity and sin are revealed. The Spirit, working in him, gives him God’s thoughts about sin, and he abhors himself, and repents in dust and ashes. I repeat, the very essence of repentance is self-judgment. Of course, true repentance is based upon faith in God’s testimony. There may be faith of a human sort in the word, without one feeling of repentance; but bowing to God’s word that I deserve condemnation forever, and the power to rest upon the blood of Christ for acceptance with God, are two different things. They go together, no doubt—that is, where there is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ there is always repentance towards God. But they are very different. It is only the Spirit of God that produces the former, and where He works He always gives the latter; and so the word is, “Repent and believe.”
What the Spirit produces in man is not a mere change of mind, as repentance is sometimes defined to be. No doubt there is a change. One can conceive of a change of mind without a bowing to God’s judgment; but where there is a bowing to God there must be a change of mind. I deny that repentance unto life is ever found in Scripture as signifying a mere change of mind.
The question is not what the etymological meaning of the Greek word (μετανοια) is, but what does the Holy Spirit mean when He uses the word. And that meaning is only, but surely, to be gathered from the context. We see repentance exemplified in the case of the Syro-Phoenician woman, who must confess herself a dog before she gets the blessing; in the prodigal, who confesses his unworthiness to be called a son—his having “sinned against heaven and before thee;” and every soul that would know true peace and joy must be brought to the same thing.
Many of those who listened to the words of our Lord were the exact anti-types of the stony ground. At one time they wanted to make Him king; at another, Jesus Himself rebukes them because they followed Him not for His word’s sake, but because they did eat of the loaves and were filled; and at the last, when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, there were numerous voices shouting—Hosanna! —Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Here was joy indeed. But what availed it all? —their hearts were untouched; they had no root in themselves. Instigated and excited by the priests and the rulers they cry out for His death, and demand a robber and a murderer—Barabbas—to be released unto them. This was the time when that power which had been around Jesus, and by which He had walked through their midst when they would have thrown Him from the hill, or have stoned Him, was withdrawn, and He gave Himself up (wondrous thought) to the power, and cruelty, and malice of His enemies. As Jesus said, “This is your hour and the power of darkness.” The base, ungrateful, fickle mass cried out to crucify Him whom a few days ago they had hailed with hosannas. The sun arose, and forthwith they withered away. What a picture of man!
Alas, it is a condition where some may now be found. The profession of Christianity is wide, and there are many who profess to believe the word of God (and so they do with a human credence) but whose hearts have never bowed to the name of Jesus, and who, if the powers of evil were let loose against the truth would not stand a moment, but would shout against all true and faithful disciples, as the Jews of old against Jesus, as they did against the servant of Jesus— “Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live.”
May the Lord keep us from being moved, faithful and true-hearted to Him, through all trial and difficulty.