Shalom dear brethren,
Today, let’s reflect on the good soil in the Parable of the Sower:
“And those are the ones which were sown on the good soil: they who hear the word and accept it and are bearing fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
— Mark 4:20
The good soil is pictured similarly in this earlier part of the parable:
“And other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they were yielding a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
— Mark 4:8
Here, we notice that the assurance of growth for the seed is absolutely certain. Mark’s narrative simply states, “And other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up.” This is what happens when the seed finds favorable conditions for growth.
Unlike the seed that falls by the roadside, this ground has rich soil, allowing the seed to penetrate the top layer. Unlike the rocky soil, which lacks depth, the good soil is rich and deep. Finally, unlike the thorny soil that chokes the plant as soon as it grows, this good soil welcomes the plant to grow without opposition.
This illustration from the parable shows us that, unlike those to whom the word falls on deaf ears, the person represented by the good soil “hears the word and accepts it.” Unlike those who hear the word but fall away when afflictions and persecutions come, the ones sown in good soil develop deep roots, making them stable in times of difficulty. Unlike those who fall away when the worries of the world, deceitfulness of riches, and worldly desires kick in, those in the good soil stand firm, with their desires firmly rooted in their Savior.
Bearing Fruit
Another distinctive quality of the good soil is its ability to produce fruit. This concept of bearing fruit appears repeatedly in the Gospels and other New Testament scriptures. One such example is found in Jesus’ illustration of the vine:
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit.”
— John 15:2
John the Baptist also emphasized the importance of bearing fruit in keeping with repentance:
“Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.”
— Luke 3:8
Jesus further emphasized the significance of fruit in identifying true believers:
“Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”
— Matthew 7:17-20
Here, we see that a believer’s identity is closely tied to their ability to produce fruit. Furthermore, it’s not just the bearing of fruit that matters, but the kind of fruit they bear. A true believer will produce good fruit.
The fruit in question is that of the Holy Spirit, as Paul explains to the Galatians:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
— Galatians 5:22-23
The Amount of Fruit
In the parable, Jesus highlights the abundance of the good soil’s produce. The harvest is plentiful.
Interestingly, the size of the harvest is categorized into three levels: thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. This represents how the fruit produced by believers will vary in quantity, but it will always be abundant.
The fruit produced can also be seen in the good works that the believer walks in afterward. These are the good works God prepared for believers before the foundation of the world:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
— Ephesians 2:10
God expects and requires fruit from those who have received the gospel—fruit in the form of a transformed mind, daily Christian virtues, and duties faithfully performed. As Matthew Henry puts it:
“Let us look to the Lord, that by His new-creating grace our hearts may become good ground, and that the good seed of the word may produce in our lives those good words and works which are through Jesus Christ, to the praise and glory of God the Father.”
Encouragement in Evangelism
Let us be encouraged in our evangelism. Some seed will indeed fall on good soil and will produce much fruit for the kingdom of God. Let’s not be discouraged by the seed that falls on the roadside, the rocky soil, or the thorny soil.
Moreover, let us be mindful to follow up with those to whom we preach the gospel. This is what the latter part of the Great Commission calls us to do:
“…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
— Matthew 28:20
Finally, let us continually examine our own lives, assessing the fruit of the Spirit in us and the good works we are walking in.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
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