Some Seed Fell On Stony Places, Part I

"A sower went out to sow... Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away." (1)

Explaining the seed that fell "on stony places," Jesus commented, "But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles." (2)

"It is not because men receive the word immediately, nor because they rejoice in it, that they fall away. As soon as Matthew heard the Saviour's call, immediately he rose up, left all, and followed [Jesus]. As soon as the divine word comes to our hearts, God desires us to receive it; and it is right to accept it with joy. 'Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth.' (3) And there is joy in the soul that believes on Christ. But those who in the parable are said to receive the word immediately, do not count the cost. They do not consider what the word of God requires of them They do not bring it face to face with all their habits of life, and yield themselves fully to its control.

"The roots of the plant strike down deep into the soil, and hidden from sight nourish the life of the plant. So with the Christian; it is by the invisible union of the soul with Christ, through faith, that the spiritual life is nourished. But the stony-ground hearers depend on self instead of Christ. They trust in their good works and good impulses, and are strong in their own righteousness. They are not strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Such a one 'has no root in himself'; for he is not connected with Christ.

"The hot summer sun, that strengthens and ripens the hardy grain, destroys that which has no depth of root. So he who 'has no root in himself.' --Many receive the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a deliverance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion will free them from difficulty and trial... But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation... When the word of God points out some cherished sin, or requires self-denial or sacrifice, they are offended." (4)

1. Matthew 13:3, 5, 6.
2. Matthew 13:20, 21.
3. Luke 15:7.
4. Christ's Object Lessons, pp., 46, 47.