In “The Parable of the Sower” presented in the text from Mark 4:1-34, Jesus tells a clear story about how we should receive the “seed” or invitation to follow the Kingdom of God. Jesus was speaking to many people, so he wanted to show potential obstacles preventing the receiving of the invitation to the Kingdom. This parable emphasizes the types of soil, or what may stop the listener from hearing Jesus’s invitation. Our task is to evaluate what our soil looks like and what may prevent God’s Kingdom from taking root in our lives. He said to them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables. This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven. Mark 4:11-12
