Bring Forth Fruit

“And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.” Mark 4:20

The Parable of the Sower contains four types of soil: the wayside, stony ground, thorny ground, and good ground. Three of the four types of soil have the potential to germinate seed, but only one type of soil brings forth fruit. Jesus explained that the sower is one who sows the Word of God. Everyone needs the opportunity to hear the truth of the gospel, and the only way that people will hear is if Christians share the good news. Some people hear the gospel and it has no effect on them. They reject it or ignore it and immediately begin thinking about something else. Other people hear the gospel and they are happy about becoming a believer, but they soon face problems and stop growing in grace. These are Christians whose growth is stymied by affliction, persecution, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things. They are believers, but they never bear fruit.

Good ground produces fruit, but it requires cultivation. The ground needs to be tilled and the stones need to be removed. The thorns and weeds need to be pulled and discarded. It seems that Jesus is saying that if we want to bear fruit as Christians, we are going to have to work at it. If we want God to classify us as good ground, we must allow His Word to cultivate our hearts until we begin to bring forth fruit for His glory.