“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Matthew 13:9

Many get discouraged as we try to reach out to the unsaved and get little response. We must remind ourselves that that was the case even with Jesus. The crowds flocked to him because he gave out healing and miracles, but very few wanted to follow him.

Jesus spoke of a sower going out to sow seed, and he describes the soil that the seed would fall into, the condition of men’s hearts which determine how they will respond. There are four types of “soil:”

. Soil that’s off by the wayside
. Soil on stony ground
. Soil among thorns
. Good soil

These are the qualities of the hearts of men that you will find when you bring the seed.

The soil off by the wayside is the heart that doesn’t understand. It’s not speaking of the intellect, it’s speaking of those who have no spiritual insight, so Satan can quickly snatch the seed away from such a person.

The soil that’s on stony ground is the heart that receives the Word but only superficially. This heart doesn’t have roots that go down deeply, so as soon as trouble comes he can’t maintain it and falls away.

The soil that falls among thorns represents the heart of one who hears the Word and receives it, but his attention is quickly distracted by his interests, the cares of his world, and the preoccupation with riches and things which choke out the Word.

The good soil represents the heart who hears and receives the Word of God, and because his heart is good soil, fed and watered by the Word, he goes on to follow the Lord and to serve him, producing much fruit.

The point is that not everyone will be receptive to the Word of God. That was true when Paul and John and all the apostles of Jesus preached it, it was true when Jesus preached it himself, and it will be true with us as well as we reach out to others. We are not to become discouraged because of it, we are to go on reaching out, knowing that the Lord will touch the hearts of those who “have ears to hear.” Don’t judge whether someone has ears to hear, leave that to God who alone knows the heart. Just preach the Word!

“Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.
Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine,
but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears,
they will heap up for themselves teachers,
and they will turn their ears away from the truth,
and be turned aside to fables.
But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions,
do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
2nd Timothy 4:2-5

Be faithful in your ministry and calling regardless of the response or lack of response. Don’t be discouraged. It is God who called you, and it is God who will quicken the Word to those who have ears to hear, and most importantly, you will never know this side of heaven what the seed you sowed eventually produced. Just keep sowing.