Jesus tells a parable about a sower and the various sorts of soil on which he dispersed seeds in the gospel of Mark, chapter 4, verses 3–20. Let's start by looking at a minor, yet crucial, detail: the name of the character "the sower." A farmer will engage a sower to plant seeds in a particular field. A sower doesn't just ramble over the countryside scattering handfuls of seeds everywhere. He scatters the seeds in the location where he has been told to. In other words, the farmer's field contains all four types of land (the path, the rocky, the weedy, and the good ground). So, regardless of whether he thought it was worth the effort or capable of receiving what he sowed, the sower sowed every patch of ground. That is merely a clarification for scene setting; it is not the central idea.
Let's get to the meat of this: dirt frequently contains rocks and weeds. In fact, finding a region of the globe that was entirely devoid of these things would be rather remarkable. However, a road is a whole different affair. Why is there a trail in the farmer's field, and what does it mean?
A path is simply regular earth that has been walked on—intentionally placed underfoot rather than accidentally trodden upon. This "path" is made of earth that has been repeatedly trodden to the point where it has become hardened and barren, unsuitable for receiving any seeds, and incredibly resistant to being softened by rain.
Most paths used to be soft, fertile soil until someone passed by and noticed a practical shortcut to achieve what they needed. This soil was quite simple to walk on without any difficulty because it was free of pebbles and brambles. Others would soon walk on the earth, some of them unaware of what they were doing and some of them fully aware but unconcerned. After the first individual took use of it, others passing by frequently noticed the same practical shortcut that was now clearly evident to onlookers and adopted it. Those who wanted to maintain the convenience of the path would rapidly stomp down or even pluck out anything that had been growing in this soil.
Rocks and other debris always wind up lodged in these paths, seemingly out of nowhere, if you observe such paths in the real world. Even if the road is finally forsaken and left alone, the soil will remain hard for a very long time, and only weeds will grow in the now stony, hard ground. When seeds do fall to the ground in such circumstances, the earth is unable to absorb them, and birds can readily collect them. (If you want to learn more about these roads in the real world, I suggest reading about the "Desire Paths" phenomenon and its issues.)
It is crucial to keep in mind that no path comes into existence by itself or overnight. To create a trail, one must repeatedly step on it over the course of months or even years. As a result, turning a path into the rich soil it once was is frequently a slow process. Treatment for this illness is frequently exceedingly laborious. The soil needs to be softened before seeds can be sown, weeds can be pulled up, and rocks can be sifted. The soil must be properly watered, slowly and regularly, allowing the water to progressively soften the soil. This procedure typically requires time and patience. The soil may only be sifted, rocks and rubbish removed, and weeds uprooted after it has been softened. Good soil should not be removed at the same time. This operation can take quite a while on certain paths that are really old, have seen a lot of traffic, or are substantially overgrown with weeds.
The preservation of the soil is essential during the entire process; if people continue to choose this approach, their labour will be in vain. It is essential to correct those who are treading on the ground or to build a physical barrier to halt people who won't cease their conduct. Unfortunately, individuals frequently trample over even the most lovely flowerbeds if it means they will obtain what they want. However, keep in mind that if there is one thing a farmer hates, it is when someone ruins his soil, tramples through his field, and eats into his crops.
The farm represents God's dominion, and the farmer is a representation of God. The seeds are the truth and living word of God that Jesus came to plant inside of people, and the "sower" is Jesus, the son of God. Last but not least, the various soil kinds stand in for humanity. The sons and daughters of God who have hearts that are receptive to his word are the healthy soil. People who have been harmed, mistreated, and shattered make up the routes; the sorrow of their wounds have hardened their hearts.
The people who are on the rocky ground are those who hear the word, but because there are so many rocks around them (which stand in for difficulties, worldly concerns, and temptations), the word cannot take root deeper and perishes. God tends to individuals who have been so harmed and wounded in the same way that farmers labour for a very long time to repair a route that has been trodden on, abused, and used. The wonder of our God is that no one else can repair a path that has been so heavily travelled, like the centuries-old one.
Good one.
Thank you for sharing