撒种人、种子和土壤
路加福音八章4至15节
4当许多人聚集、又有人从各城里出来见耶稣的时候，耶稣就用比喻说：
5有一个撒种的出去撒种。撒的时候，有落在路旁的，被人践踏，天上的飞鸟又来吃尽了。
6有落在磐石上的，一出来就枯干了，因为得不着滋润。
7有落在荆棘里的，荆棘一同生长，把他挤住了。
8又有落在好土里的，生长起来，结实百倍。耶稣说了这些话，就大声说：有耳可听的，就应当听！
9门徒问耶稣说：这比喻是甚么意思呢？
10他说：神国的奥秘只叫你们知道；至于别人，就用比喻，叫他们看也看不见，听也听不明。
11这比喻乃是这样：种子就是神的道。
12那些在路旁的，就是人听了道，随后魔鬼来，从他们心里把道夺去，恐怕他们信了得救.
13那些在磐石上的，就是人听道，欢喜领受，但心中没有根，不过暂时相信，及至遇见试炼就退后了。
14那落在荆棘里的，就是人听了道，走开以后，被今生的思虑、钱财、宴乐挤住了，便结不出成熟的子粒来。
15那落在好土里的，就是人听了道，持守在诚实善良的心里，并且忍耐着结实。
信息分享
这个撒种的比喻正是宣教工作的最佳写照。事实上，它全面地勾划了福音工作者所面对的各种禾场。最后能否获得丰收，责任未必在于撒种的人或是种子本身，而是在于种子落在的泥土，究竟是怎样的泥土，以及周边各种因素所造成的影响。
撒种的人所撒的第一把种子，若不是落在路边，而是落在土壤里，结果便会完全不同。(除非整块田的土壤都是一样。)由于路边的泥土不是软土，种子不能埋入土里生长，只能留在上面，被人践踏，或被飞鸟吃尽。从属灵的含意来说，人若没有把神的道理藏在心里，让它生根成长，撒但就会随时来把它夺去。
基督向门徒逐一解说种子落在每种土壤里的结果；我们听完这个比喻后，会否稍感心安，不再对传福音的成果耿耿于怀？撒种的人把种子撒到四处，可是，只有一处才能如愿地获得真正的丰收。而且，甚至是落在好土里的种子，结实的数目也有差异(参看可四8)。
当我们出去传福音的时候，情况也是一样，能不能结果，责任未必在于我们；听道的人如何回应，也是其中一个关键。然而，感谢神，只要我们每位信徒都尽忠地撒种，神就会确保有永恒的大丰收。
祷告：
主啊，求你帮助我，使我每天都能勤劳地撒种。
THE SOWER, THE SEED AND THE SOILS
Luke 8: 4 - 15
4 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:
5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.
6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.
8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold.” When He had said these things He cried, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
9 Then His disciples asked Him, saying, “What does this parable mean?”
10 And He said, “To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that ‘ Seeing they may not see,And hearing they may not understand.’
11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.
14 Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
15 But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.
Message
The story of the sower is a wonderful picture of missionary work. In fact it covers all kinds of evangelism wherever the gospel is given out. The harvest does not always depend on the sower nor on the seed, but on the nature and response of the soil on which it falls.
The first seed fell on earth which could have been different. (Was it the same kind of soil as elsewhere in the field?) Instead of opening its heart to the seed, the soil refused to allow it to enter. The soil was hard and Christ said the seed lay on top. In the spiritual sense, Satan was able to take away the seed before it could possibly take root.
In the same way Christ carefully explained each type of soil. Don't you find encouragement as a Christian in this story? The seed was sown in four places but only one place really gave the harvest that was looked for. Even in the good soil the harvest varied (see Mark 4:8).
Your harvest will vary and it will not always be your fault. There has to be a response on the part of the hearers too. But, thank God, if we are faithful in sowing the seed, God will see to it that there will be an eternal harvest.
A PRAYER:
Lord, help me to be faithful in sowing the good seed today.