When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to him, he spoke in a parable. "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold." After saying this, he called out, "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear."… (Lk 8:4-15)
The aim of this passage is to tell the listeners how they should hear the word of God and act on it. Word of God should be the guiding force of the life of the people. 'One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.'
The people are the soil on which the word of god is sown. The soil is not just passive to receive the word of god and produce its fruit. The soil has its conditions and influences from outside. They are the devil (evil force), trials, anxieties, riches and pleasures of life. All these conditions do not allow the word of God to have its effect on the lives of the people.
These conditions remove from man the following: faith, salvation, joy, perseverance, and maturity. So with out the word of god man ends up worse than what he began. Man’s goal in life is salvation, joy, maturity etc. All these will be worked out only through the word of God.
