Oh, those evil birds …
As I said in Part 1, the Sower drops the seed indiscriminately, and in the first example, the Seed falls “on the path.” And because the path has been traveled, and well-worn, it is hard ground. The Seed just lays there on top of the ground, and those birds can easily get at the Seed and remove it from the ground.
As Jesus explains the parable, the birds represent the evil one, the wicked one. The Devil.
The idea that there is a spiritual enemy is debated and even mocked, and has been since the beginning, but Jesus teaches that there is a Devil (Satan, Lucifer) and demons, powers in unseen places. They are against us. They are out for us. They want to consume and devour. They are out to kill, for death.
Both God and the Devil are symbolized as lions in the scripture, searching the Earth. The difference between them is simple and clear. The Devil is out to kill and destroy. That is his agenda. God is out to reward those of faith, looking for anyone that will make a step towards him and choose life.
How does the Devil kill us? One of the ways, from this parable, is his ability to take truth, the message of the Gospel, the reality of the Kingdom, from the hearts of men. He removes the truth of the Kingdom from people. And since it is the truth that will set people free, the enemy can keep them in chains and enslaved.
But let’s not blame the Devil. Yes, the Devil is evil and out to destroy us by keeping us in the lie. However, this is the only type of soil where the Devil takes the truth outright. The problem with this soil, ultimately, is the hard heart.
Stubborn, prideful hearts cannot receive truth at all. At all. God resists the prideful and gives grace to the humble. There are some people who are so prideful and arrogant that truth has no chance to take root at all. For the enemy, the prideful, those who are hard of heart, are easy pickins.
How is this important in relation to the Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is about the power, authority, and dominion of God, the realm where he is in control, Lord, and King. But the Kingdom of God is not one of obligation or coercion. We are invited in, even recruited and called, but it is our choice. “They will be volunteers in the day of your power.” (Psalm 110:3) It is now, because of his love and kindness, a Kingdom you have the opportunity to submit to and enter through repentance to God. That is the Good News.
Therefore, being hard-hearted, prideful, rebellious, and the lack of humility allows for no opportunity to submit to the Kingdom out of love, voluntarily, because the value of the Kingdom is obvious in spiritual truth and revelation. Such a person is easily convinced by the lies of the enemy that they do not need to repent, to change, to turn to God.
The lesson? First, don’t be prideful. Don’t be so hard-hearted that you cannot be taught by truth, by God, or those speaking truth. Let’s check our hearts and remember to be humble. Submit to the Kingdom.
Second, do not be discouraged when people reject the Gospel of the Kingdom without any consideration. They exist. It is not the fault of the Sower. It is not the fault of the seed. Yes, we can speak the truth in a way that is not pleasing to God, but just because someone rejects the Gospel does not mean someone did it wrong.
And watch out for those evil birds.
Peace.
PS … I also feel there is some revelation about the path being well-worn and hardened. Any thoughts?
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