Verse 4 says, “And as He sowed, some seeds indeed fell beside the way, and the birds came and devoured them.” Beside the way is the place close to the way. Because it is hardened by the traffic of the way, it is difficult for the seeds to penetrate it. This kind of wayside signifies the heart that is hardened by the worldly traffic and does not open to understand, to comprehend, the word of the kingdom (v. 19). The birds signify the evil one, Satan, who came and snatched away the word of the kingdom sown in the hardened heart.
If you compare the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens with the parable of the sower, you will see that this parable is based upon the concept of the constitution. The constitution covers the matters of being poor in our spirit and pure in our heart. Those who are the wayside cannot receive the seed because they are neither poor in spirit nor pure in heart. Because the wayside, part of the soil for farming, was so close to the traffic, it became hardened by the traffic. This made it impossible for the seed to penetrate it. Thus, the seed remained on the surface of the wayside. This signifies those who are not poor in spirit or pure in heart because they have so much worldly traffic. Education, commerce, politics, science, business, and other kinds of worldly traffic go back and forth within their mind, emotion, and will. They are occupied with promotion, position, and ambition. For this reason, it is very difficult to preach the gospel to those in politics. The politicians have too much worldly traffic in their being. Those seeking advancement in politics are ambitious to gain a position or to surpass others. Likewise, it is difficult to preach the gospel to those on Wall Street. Unless the Lord knocks them down, they are too hard to receive the word into them. Day and night they are preoccupied with figures, money, and business. They cannot be poor in spirit or pure in heart. The Wall Street traffic makes them hard in their heart. When you attempt to sow the seed into them, the seed cannot penetrate them. There is no room in them for the seed. This is also true among so many in education, especially those pursuing a doctoral degree. There has been so much traffic in their heart that their heart has been hardened, just like the wayside in the Lord’s parable. Although they may hear the gospel of Christ, not a word can penetrate their heart.
We thank the Lord that, in His mercy, when the gospel was preached to us, we were poor in spirit and pure in heart. On the day I was saved by the Lord, I said to Him, “If the whole world could be mine, I would not take it. I don’t want it and I don’t like it. Lord, I want to keep my heart for You. I don’t like to have any worldly traffic in my heart.” It is never good to have traffic through farmland. No farmer would allow this. Are you part of the wayside? Do not stay close to the way. Stay in the center of the farm. Then the worldly traffic will not touch you.
Verses 5 and 6 say, “And others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much earth, and immediately they sprang up because they did not have depth of earth; but when the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they were dried up.” The rocky places that do not have much earth signify the heart that is shallow in receiving the word of the kingdom, because deep within are rocks—hidden sins, personal desires, self-seeking, and self-pity—which frustrate the seed from gaining root in the depth of the heart. The sun with its scorching heat signifies affliction or persecution (v. 21), which dries up the seed that is not rooted. The heat of the sun is for the growth and ripening of the crop once the seed is deeply rooted. But due to the seed’s lack of root, the sun’s growing and ripening heat becomes a death blow to the seed.
The things signified by the rocks correspond to what is covered by the complemented laws in the constitution of the kingdom of the heavens (5:17-48). The second type of earth corresponds to the temper, lust, self, and flesh—the things hidden in our heart. Perhaps not many among us are part of the wayside, but I am very concerned that a good number may be rocky places. In appearance they are the same as others, for the soil is on the surface. But they have no depth. Rather, they have lust, temper, self, and flesh. All these are rocks hidden beneath the soil. Therefore, the first type of soil corresponds to those who are not poor in spirit and pure in heart, and the second corresponds to those who still have their temper, lust, sin, self, and flesh beneath the surface. Some of you may still be hiding your lust, your selfishness, and your flesh. You may shout hallelujahs in the meetings, but you do not have much depth. Instead of depth, there are rocks. Sooner or later, all these rocks will be exposed because the word that has been sown into you will not be able to be rooted in you. You may be happy and joyful, shouting praises to the Lord, but there is no root in you. Hence, when the affliction and persecutions come, you will be dried up like a plant without root that withers under the scorching heat of the sun. May the Lord have mercy upon us and dig out all the hidden rocks. May He dig out our temper, lust, self, flesh, and any other negative thing so that there may be room in our heart for the seed to be rooted deeply within us.