A guy fell off a 20-foot ladder but didn’t get hurt— how does that happen? (Keep reading to find the answer…) How does stuff work? And how does the kingdom of God work? How do people come to know Christ? How do people get saved? Jesus did not leave us in the dark on these issues.
“The kingdom of God is like a sower who went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold (Mark 4:3–8).” What’s going on here?
He explained: The sower sows the word. Some seeds get eaten by birds; this is Satan immediately coming and taking away the word that is sown in them. What about the seeds sown on rocky ground? These are people who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy, but they have no root in themselves; they endure for a while, then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. What about the seeds sown among thorns? They are those who hear the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold (Mark 4:14–20).
Why didn’t the guy who fell off the ladder get hurt? He only fell off the first step. And how does the kingdom of God work? We sow God’s Word. The Word of God spreads and some of it takes root. Spreading the Word is risky business because it won’t all develop, but we go about the task anyway, trusting Him. Faithfulness is the key. We don’t know how or why some seed works and some doesn’t; we depend on Him. Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Are you spreading the Word of God today? Who can you tell about the good news of Jesus? God’s Word will accomplish His purpose. Maybe you’re frustrated because you share with people but they don’t listen; it’s all part of God’s design in His kingdom. That’s how it works.