In Mark 4, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower who scattered seed along the path, on rocky ground, among the thorns, and on good soil. The latter was the only soil to bear fruit. Clearly there was more than one patch of good soil, since some produced 30-fold, others 60-fold, and others still 100-fold. Success!

Jesus later explains this parable and tells several others to explain the nature of the Kingdom of God these disciples are about to serve in ministry.

What exactly made the sower successful?

Fruit? Fruit was borne, and in some cases, quite a lot. If this is the measure of success, then:

• He was more successful with the 100-fold fields than the 30-fold fields.

• He was unsuccessful with the first three sowings.

• If he never found good soil, he would have been a failure.

Is this Jesus' point?

Responses? Some argue that the parable is not about preexisting soil conditions (only people with the right heart in advance will respond to the Gospel), but rather that people will respond in different ways to the Gospel - ways that resemble sowing seed on different types of soil. If getting some good responses is the measure of success, then:

• If no one responded, he would have been a failure, just like the theory above.

• His success depends on how other people react, which he can't control.

Is this Jesus' point?

Sowing? I would say the sower was successful in all 4 cases because he sowed. 

• That's what he can control. That's his act of obedience, not someone else's. 

• There's nothing in the parable that suggests we're supposed to do soil tests before sowing. 

• He was successful because the lack of fruit in the first 3 cases didn't discourage him - he kept sowing (and eventually fruit was borne).

We are called to sow. The bulk of Mark 4 certainly encourages this. The Kingdom of God will start small and grow large and the growth will be God's work, not ours. And yet we are called to work hard sowing and harvesting. Some will respond - that's how the Kingdom works. Fruit will be born - that's how the Kingdom works. Some won't respond and some works will begin very small and unimpressive. That's how the Kingdom works.

Keep sowing, my friends.