A stony ground has few things about it that are useful to us. A stony ground can be used to keep the dirt in place, but then the dirt is not able to produce anything of value. While I was teaching this lesson in Sunday School this past week one of my students raised her hand and told me that when they plow the ground to plant a garden her job is to pick up all the rocks and throw them out of the area so when they plant the seeds they will grow to produce the vegetables she likes. She understood the disadvantage of having a stony ground.
In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus is teaching the parable of the Sower. His second illustration in this parable is about sowing seeds on stony ground. This represents those who hear the gospel and think it is great. It is something that excites them and they receive it gladly, but the seed never penetrates the heart. There is very little dirt because of the stones and therefore no roots are put down. These are not true followers of Jesus. They are enjoying the different experiences, the sweet fellowship, and all the activities of the church. Yet, they have never seen themselves as a sinner worthy of hell, nor have they seen the superiority of Jesus and understood how a perfect God could die for their sins. After all, they do not see their sins as being “that bad.” They have not felt the guilt of their sins as viewed by a holy God. They are not committed to the gospel and when persecutions and hard times come, they fall away. They have no root to hold them steady. Just like the plants that have no deep roots to reach the water and nourishment of the earth, they wither when the hot sun bears down on them. Those seeds that fall on stony ground never put down roots.
Matthew 13:20-21 “But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy received it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he is offended.”
The person who is living on stony ground is excited to be connected to a body of believers. It gives them a sense of belonging but a false sense of salvation. They embrace all that the church offers and feel a sense of temporary peace and joy. They are happy for a while. As life would have it, problems arise. It could be physical pain, betrayal by family and friends, or problems at work. It could be a multitude of things that challenge us to trust God and keep moving forward with Him. Yet the person on stony ground begins to blame God for their problems. They seek to handle things their old way and soon forget about the God they said saved their soul. No longer do they attend church. After all, they think the church should bail them out of all their problems and when that doesn’t happen, they become bitter against God.
This person’s temporary joy and peace were not real. Their faith did not have its roots in the person of Jesus Christ. This person is a hard one to ever bring to Jesus because they think they tried religion, and it didn’t work. It is hard to convince them that they never were truly saved. There was no surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The word Lord in the Greek language means master or great teacher. Several times in the bible Jesus and God are referred to as Lord. He is the Lord Jesus Christ. He should rule our lives. Eighty-two verses in the New Testament use the title “Lord Jesus Christ.” A person cannot take Jesus as Savior without turning their life over to Him as Lord. As Paul said in I Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” A person on stony ground has never received Jesus as their Lord, therefore He is not their Savior.
Act 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
Act 10:36 “The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:)”
Have you fully accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior? Are you seeking to spread deep roots of faith by studying, praying, and obeying His word? If the answer is no or maybe, then now is the time to make it right before it is too late.
