Many of us are a lot like the closest followers of Jesus. We have no idea what He was talking about in this and other parables.
In the simplest terms it is:
When we plant seeds, find the best soil. Avoid as much as possible any soil that is under attack by Satan, hardened against faith or filled with mentally distressed people.
The people most responsive to faith in Christ are those already responsible, committed to a false religion, educated, tough minded and open to grow.
Does this shock us? It seems to shock many who constantly attempt to motivate the unmotivated to choose God and His people. It is a question I get a lot: "Dr. Gary, how do I motivate the people who argue and fight with me?"
In war, Medics do this in war. It is called "TRIAGE". When on a battle scene with hundreds of casualties, they treat the lightly wounded first! Why? So the people treated can assist the Medics with the most seriously wounded soldiers. Church planting and growth is largely triage because we need to look at recruiting the healthier people first so they can minister to others.
The Early Church grew from a few stragglers who followed Jesus to dominate the known western world. How did they do that? Largely by seeking good soil and planting there. (Many were wives and concubines of wealthy pagans,) As the churches grew in strength new Christians reached out to others with healing and support.
There were no buildings dedicated to church meetings. They met in homes in small family settings. The believers expanded from household to household,often led by deeply committed women and their children. (See Rodney Stark's books on the growth of Christianity.)
See our web for more.
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