“The Sower Went Forth to Sow”
21
It is not because men receive the word immediately, nor because
they rejoice in it, that they fall away. As soon as Matthew heard the
[47]
Saviour’s call, immediately he rose up, left all, and followed Him. As
soon as the divine word comes to our hearts, God desires us to receive
it; and it is right to accept it with joy. “Joy shall be in heaven over
one sinner that repenteth.”
Luke 15:7
. And there is joy in the soul that
believes on Christ. But those who in the parable are said to receive the
word immediately, do not count the cost. They do not consider what
the word of God requires of them. They do not bring it face to face
with all their habits of life, and yield themselves fully to its control.
The roots of the plant strike down deep into the soil, and hidden
from sight nourish the life of the plant. So with the Christian; it
is by the invisible union of the soul with Christ, through faith, that
the spiritual life is nourished. But the stony-ground hearers depend
upon self instead of Christ. They trust in their good works and good
impulses, and are strong in their own righteousness. They are not
strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Such a one “hath
not root in himself”; for he is not connected with Christ.
The hot summer sun, that strengthens and ripens the hardy grain,
destroys that which has no depth of root. So he who “hath not root in
himself,” “dureth for a while”; but “when tribulation or persecution
ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Many receive
the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a deliver-
ance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion
will free them from difficulty and trial. While life moves smoothly
with them, they may appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint
beneath the fiery test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for
Christ’s sake. When the word of God points out some cherished sin,
or requires self-denial or sacrifice, they are offended. It would cost
[48]
them too much effort to make a radical change in their life. They look
at the present inconvenience and trial, and forget the eternal realities.
Like the disciples who left Jesus, they are ready to say, “This is an
hard saying; who can hear it?”
John 6:60
.
There are very many who claim to serve God, but who have no
experimental knowledge of Him. Their desire to do His will is based
upon their own inclination, not upon the deep conviction of the Holy
Spirit. Their conduct is not brought into harmony with the law of God.
They profess to accept Christ as their Saviour, but they do not believe