Infatuation is a funny thing.  Here is a great definition- an intense but short-lived passion or admiration for someone or something. Example- “he had developed an infatuation with the girl”.

I briefly remember my first “girlfriend”.  Her name was Carol.  I was in the sixth grade and minding my own business hanging out with the guys at recess, when three giggly girls crossed the playground.  Carol wants to “go with you”.  For you youngsters out there, that’s what we called going steady back in the day.  I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant but I agreed to their terms.  At the end of the recess, the same 3 giggly girls approached me and informed me that Carol wants to “break up with you”.  Talk about a fickle female.  And I didn’t even see her during our “relationship”. Oh well, I guess that is just the way love goes sometimes.

Short lived love is the essence of the rocky soil.

Shallowness is the essence of our study today.  We are looking at the parable of the Sower.  Specifically, the section about the seeds on the rocky places.  We pick up in Matthew 13 (NASB).

     3       And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow;

     4       and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up.

   5     “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil.

   6     “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

     7       “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out.

     8       “And others fell on the good soil and *yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

     9       “He who has ears, let him hear.”

This parable is a great look into how different people respond to God’s truth.

Look at Jesus’ explanation in Matthew 13:19

  18       “Hear then the parable of the sower.

  19       “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.

20     “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy;

21     yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.

  22       “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

  23       “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.”

Let’s make some observations:

• Word is sown on rocky places
• Man hears
• Man immediately receives word with joy
• No root in himself
• His belief is temporary
• When affliction or persecution because of the Word he falls away
• Falls away is Greek word skandalizo- which means to be offended
• Happens Immediately

The temptation in this passage is to be overly concerned about whether the hearer is saved or not.  But for this treatment let’s peer into his (her) response to difficulty.  At the first sign of trouble this hearer is out of there. 

The temptation in this passage is to be overly concerned about whether the hearer is saved or not.  But for this treatment let’s peer into his (her) response to difficulty.  At the first sign of trouble this hearer is out of there. 

They hear and immediately respond with joy. But that is so short lived and is described as one who has no depth of soil.  It’s like the relationship that one of the spouses is always throwing around the D word (divorce). 

My wife and I were counselled years ago that DIVORCE was not part of the married couple’s vocabulary.  Having both come from divorced homes we embraced the idea and have lived that out for over 34 years (at this writing).  Working through the difficulties is part of the solution of a long happy marriage.

But that is exactly what is going on with this person’s faith.  They want to believe and even have an emotional response.  But their commitment is shallow at best. Working through persecutions and afflictions to the faith is part of our longevity as believers.

I don’t know if the thorny ground person is a believer or not.  I do know that it is sad to see someone walk away from the God who loves them because of a little trouble.

“He who has ears, let him hear.”

Tim Howington. Follower of Jesus. Husband to Terri. Dad to Josh. Wanna-be writer. Bird Watcher. Novice Fly Fisherman. Discipler of Men. Some people call me the Howitzer.