Recently I was pondering the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The first group never had any growth and the last group had great growth with little complication. But the middle two groups were intriguing to me because they had temporary growth for different reasons.
Group two, “fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away (5-6).” Jesus’ explanation of this group is that “this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away (20-21).”
Group three, “fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them (7).” For this group, Jesus says “this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful (22).”
What struck me is how the pastoral approaches to the two groups are essentially opposites: one needs something added, while the other needs something removed.
For the second group, their downfall was due to a lack of soil and poor root growth. I see this often in people who had a conversion experience in a camp environment or something similar but had no support system outside of that. When this person fails to get connected in a local church and to pastors or peers who can help, the shallow roots of the conversion experience quickly die off. The “treatment” for this person is to receive the nourishment and “fertilization” that helps establish strong roots. Discipleship, the means of grace, prayer, etc. all serve as means to add rich soil to a struggling sapling.
For the third group on the other hand, their downfall was caused by the surrounding thorns that chocked off the growth. This situation is something I’ve seen in those who, while being the model church attendee and youth group know-it-all are surrounded by bad influences at school or work. The “treatment” for this person is to remove those thorns that choke off the growth. They need to see that the surrounding influences are inhibiting their growth and how their attempts to appease both God and the world will ultimately lead to destruction.
We could possibly generalize these scenarios into spiritual nourishment (group two) and practical holiness (group three). In group settings, it is important to take a holistic approach that addresses both groups. A focus on spiritual nourishment to the neglect of practical application can leave at risk those who frequently cave to worldly pressures. A focus on practical holiness to the neglect of spiritual nourishment leaves at risk those whose roots are shallow and need a firmer foundation. The former can end in a sort of antinomianism where those surrounded by worldly pressure are not called to resist and cut off those temptations. The latter ends in a sort of legalism where the focus is only on lifestyle and action but leaves out the gospel foundations for the practice.
In our discipleship, leadership, and preaching, let us seek to present an all-encompassing message. Let us present a Christ who provides not only spiritual nourishment for those whose soil is shallow but also the strength to resist and persevere for those who are surrounded by the thorns of temptation.