Yesterday, I looked at the Parable of the Sower. Today, I want to focus upon the second heart condition in that parable, namely, that of the rocky soil. It is similar to the wayside type of heart in that both are hard hearts. I know of nothing that grows on a rock. Life grows between rocks, but never on one. A seed needs soil in order to grow. I am reminded of seedlings growing between rocks in soil that one would never believe could be enough to nourish a flower, never mind a tree. Yet, not only does the seedling grow into a tree, but in the process the constant pressure of life growing in a little crack will eventually break up the rock! I can hardly believe it, yet I know it is true. The tree, consisting of wood breaks up the hardest of rocks. Such is the power of the word of God. Given the slightest bit of loose soil (softness of heart), the seed of the word of God (Luke 8:11) will begin to break up the heart and make it more and more sensitive.
During this time of one’s walk with Christ misunderstand, failure and defeat seem to rule the season (Luke 8:6, 13). I can remember praying so often as a babe in Christ and believing I would receive, but coming up empty. Today, I can be grateful I didn’t receive what I had asked of God. When I was a babe in Christ, I didn’t know how to ask, because I lacked a mature, sensitivity to his will. I was very zealous and thought I was a bright light, but all too often I found what I told others was true about God and his word really wasn’t true at all. I had to learn to guard my tongue (Psalm 39:1-4). The Spirit (symbolized by the moisture – Luke 8:6), and a Root in himself (Matthew 13:20-21; John 15:1-5; Romans 11:16; Revelation 22:16) needed to permeate my life. At this point I often zealously labored without God’s call or appointment. I ran ahead of Jesus instead of following, so I failed often in what I thought to do. I became easily offended, and thought either God’s word was not true, or something was wrong with me. The problem was that I was speaking and acting without Christ. I was a bit too vocal and dogmatic at work, bringing more attention to myself than I could handle at the time. I failed, because the Lord, though he was with me, was not in what I was doing or saying. People made light of my faith and ridiculed me. I had too little sensitivity for Jesus, either to hear his voice or to know his will. However, the word was still at work in me, breaking up the hardness (rocks) of my heart.
I know how many would interpret this part of Scripture, but I believe the traditional interpretation is wrong. Matthew says that when tribulation (G2347) or persecution (G1377) arises, because of the word, he that receives the seed among stony places is offended (G4624). Mark says nearly the same thing. Luke adds “and in the time (G 2540) of temptation (G3986) they fall away (G868).” Concerning the parable of the sower, most commentaries say that the one who is symbolized as receiving the seed upon rocky soil is never really a believer. The theory is that believers don’t “fall away.” I hate to spoil a good doctrine. I wish I could say, “Yep! I stood tall; I fought ‘em all. In the time of trial I heard the call, and forevermore, my name is written in the saints famous hall.” Poor poetry, I know, but also a very poor doctrine.
I failed many times! The word of God did not! Are all people blind to the treasure of hope we have here in God’s word? Notice the words used in this Scripture. Tribulation in Matthew 13:21 or affliction in Mark 4:17 (G2347 – same word), means “primarily a pressing or pressure, anything that burdens the spirit,” and the verb (G2346) means “to be troubled… due to the pressure of circumstances or antagonism of others” (W.E. Vine’s An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words)
In my previous post I wrote that I experienced a split in the membership of a body of believers. The leadership had not been as faithful to God as they should have been (2Corinthians 11:13-15). Other men exposed the behavior of the leaders to the church body. There was much controversy and I found myself having to decide who was correct. I was married only a few years and my decision threatened to place my young bride and myself in different churches. Thank God, that possibility did not linger for long. It did, however, separate me from my mother and brothers, and sisters (I am the eldest of eight). They no longer believe that I am a Christian.
The newly formed church, though promising a great deal in the beginning, offered little in terms of leadership. I thought that since “a little leaven leavens up the whole lump” (1Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9), some consideration should have been given to what brought us to this place. At least a rethinking of some of our doctrines seemed to me to be in order. The new leadership, however, suddenly grew deaf, dumb and blind. They heard well enough, saw well enough, and spoke well enough to break away and split the membership of a body of believers, but they could not carry the controversy beyond replacing the old leaders with themselves.
A group of us began meeting and worshiping together, but I believe there had been too much suspicion created and that carried into our small group. Before long we all stopped meeting together. I tried worshiping with what is considered a mainstream Christian church, but I was not received as a Christian. I was weary of the constant battle, which by this point had stretched out for about a year. I began trying to be a solitary Christian, but this cannot be done, and when I failed, the only one surprised was me.
I was under some pressing and trying circumstances. Many have successfully endured such pressing trials, some being of an even more strenuous nature, nevertheless, these circumstances pressed (G2347 – Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17) upon me, and I fell away (G868).
The word for persecution, found in Matthew and Mark is dioko (G1377) and means to “put to flight, drive away or pursue.” Obviously, I was not tortured or imprisoned, which is how I had always understood the meaning of the word “persecute.” However, I was constantly having to defend my position as men from the newer church wrote to me or visited me. They made light of my faith in efforts to get me to submit to them. Furthermore, the church from which I had come, so blackened the names of those who left that my mother and brothers and sisters all but believed I was in the bond of Satan. They stopped thinking of me as a Christian, and the many happy hours we had spent speaking of God and his word ended abruptly. This hurt more than anything else. Even now, over 30 years later, though we may speak of Christ, I am the one who begins speaking about our Savior. They have been taught that it is wrong to speak about spiritual matters with one who has gone out from among them (cp. 1John 2:19). When we would leave one another to return to our own business, I would nearly always part by saying “Lord bless!” However, not even one time in 35 years has a blessing gone from their lips for me and my family, though I know they love me, and they tell me so. They have relaxed a bit in my presence, but they still do not consider me a Christian.
In this sense, I believe that I have been persecuted. I was pursued by men desiring to lord it over me, and my name and relationship with my family had been damaged by the lords I had left behind.
It must be kept in mind that while this was happening to me, I believe my heart was only somewhat sensitive to God. I was a legalist who was beginning to see a little more clearly. My heart was still pretty hard, but God’s word is alive and stronger than my hard heart. In Luke the word speaks of “a time of temptation” (Luke 8:13). This was a season of trial to prove me. It is difficult to describe how I felt not having a church I could call home. I had a kind of confidence that God would bring me to a good church, but my confidence was not enduring. I should have gone on with the Lord a little longer and permitted him to bear the fruit of faithfulness in me, but I did not. My patience endured for only a short period of time. When I failed to find a place of worship where I would not be constantly judged or scrutinized, I stopped looking. I know that God would have led me to brethren who would have loved me, helped me, and received me just as I was. Instead, I failed. I was “offended” (G4624). I stumbled and “fell away” (G868). I “withdrew” and “stood away” from my brethren. To make matters worse, I began to pass judgment upon them, telling my young children that churches were nothing but religious social clubs. I began to enjoy the world and all that it had to offer.
Some believers would maintain, once I “fell away,” it was because I never believed to begin with. Now, I’m back, and guess what. No one came looking for me. I’ve returned, yet not by the power of any evangelist on the TV or in the neighborhood. The Scripture says:
Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
I had many acquaintances who knew I was “overtaken in a fault,” but they all passed by me (Luke 10:30-32) fearing that any contact would make them unclean. Galatians 6:1-2 just never occurred in my life. No “spiritual” brother ever came to my door, approached me at work or stopped me on the street. So, why am I here? Do the blind open their own eyes? Do the brokenhearted have the power to mend themselves? Who preached to me and got me to say the sinner’s prayer, if I was never a Christian? I was already back with Jesus and worshiping in a good church before I knew anything about a sinner’s prayer.
So, how did I get saved, if I was never saved before? It was the Shepherd who noticed I had lost my way (Luke 15:4). It was the “certain Samaritan” (Luke 10:33), who found me and had compassion for me and took me to an inn (a good church – v. 34), where I’ve been cared for. No one came, but Jesus. I failed the test, but he didn’t fail me.
I have trouble fitting into men’s ideas of what a Christian is like. I always have. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever find a place so comfortable that I could say, “this was made just for me!” I believe I know how Isaac felt in Genesis 26 as he searched for a place that had room enough for him and his family. Man’s doctrinal interpretations of Scripture often deny my struggle and my identity in Christ, but as the Scripture says, I know the voice of my Shepherd and I don’t listen to that of the stranger. I know Jesus and Jesus knows me (John 10:4-5, 14). Praise God!
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