Though you may be familiar with Jesus’ parable of the sower, you may be surprised to hear that you do not really know it yet! That’s because on the one hand, the Word of God does not change. Yet on the other hand, we need to keep hearing it again and again, because our circumstances are constantly changing. The parable of the sower tells of this mystery. The seed is God’s Word, God’s work of planting repentance and faith in ears who hear. We may think of the various kinds of soil Jesus mentions to be various sorts of people. Actually, however, He
is describing each individual in their changing circumstances. There are times when we are “good soil,” that is, we understand God’s Word and take comfort in it. There are other times, however, when we either cannot or will not hear it. Sometimes we become hard paths, rocky or distracted by worries or fears. For this reason, God never ceases planting, speaking, and growing faith in the heart, and we return repeatedly to continue hearing, reading, learning, and receiving God’s Word because He never gives up on you.