Parables - Matt 13:5-13; Mark 5:5-13; Luke 8:4-15

Jesus continues the parable of the soil as he changes focus from the seeds cast on the way side to the seeds which “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 the had no root, they withered away.” The IM defines the stony places as “rocky surfaces covered by a thin layer of fertile soil. Though seeds could send forth shallow roots, the rock that lay just below the surface prevented the roots from going deeper, and the plant was unable to withstand the scorching heat of the day.” To me, this is like people who like the gospel initially, but have difficulty adhering to the commandments, or don’t want to change their lifestyle. The Lord continues, “And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them.” The IM comments, “The round with thons was fertile soil; however, it was overgrown by thorns and other weeds that crowded out more productive plants by depriving them of water and needed nutrients.” The soil was good and would have grown the seeds large and strong, but weren’t given the chance because of outside factors beyond their control. This could signify the many many people who have lived in mortality without having the opportunity to receive the gospel.  It could also be referencing the people who would accept the gospel but are not because of addiction or life circumstances that prevent them from being able to. Jesus finished the parable saying, “But others fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.” Even when all the conditions conspired to give the seed the perfect opportunity, the outcomes were different. This reminds me of the statement made by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in this most recent general conference when he said, “It is by divine design that not all the voices in God’s choir are the same.” The amount of fruit produced by each individual tree grown from the seeds isn’t what’s important; it’s that the seed grew in the first place that is the most important part. The parable stops there, he doesn’t go on to explain which tree is better or anything like that. Clearly the best outcome is for the seed to grow, and beyond that, it’s a matter of personal progression.

Jesus’ disciples as him why he’s teaching in parables, to which he answers, “because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever receiveth , to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance; but whosoever continueth not to receive, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.” That’s the JST version. Interestingly, there is a cross reference to Proverbs 9:9 which says, “Given instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser: teach a just man, and he will increase I learning.” These are not static principles; they are dynamic, even changing, growing or shrinking depending on your trajectory. The IM says, “This underscores the importance of individual agency in understanding the gospel. Even an all-powerful God cannot give to someone who will not receive. Another Book of Mormon passage reinforces this principle, teaching that when people continue to harden their hearts against spiritual truth, they may lose the spiritual knowledge they once had… ‘The parable coveys to the hearer religious truth exactly in proportion to his faith and intelligence; to the dull and uninspired it is a mere story, ‘seeing they see not,’ while to the instructed and spiritual it reveals the mysteries of secrets of the kingdom of Heaven.”  The IM also quotes President Henry B. Eyring as teaching, “that studying the word of God can open out hearts to spiritual things: ‘The word of God is the doctrine taught by Jesus Christ and by His prophets. Alma knew that words of doctrine had great power. They can open the minds of people to se spiritual things not visible to the natural eye. And they can open the heart to feelings of the love of God and a love for truth.’”

Finally the IM quotes President James E Faust as teaching, “For the seeds of faith to sprout in our lives, we must avoid Satan’s grasp. We also need to prepare our own seedbed of faith. To do this we need to plow the soil through daily humble prayer, asking for strength and forgiveness. We need to harrow (break up) the soil by overcoming our feelings of pride. We need to prepare the seedbed by keeping the commandments to the best of our ability.”