Matthew 13:23

“And he who was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it; who truly bears fruit, and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

In contrast with these men who were represented by these three types of soil were the people represented by the good soil. They heard the word, received it, understood it, and allowed it to produce fruit in them. But not all, of course, to the same level, for even here there were three types of soil. But in each case it was good soil. All thus grew to a completely acceptable level of blessing, depending on the level of their response.

This picture of an abundant harvest to come reproduces John's words in Matthew 3:11. It would also gladden the hearts of the people as it seemed to offer them the ‘good times' that they were looking forward to when God stepped in to deliver them. All rejoiced at the thought of abundant harvest. It sounded wildly attractive.

On the other hand they would not be quite so exhilarated at the thought of the conditions, ‘hearing the word and understanding it'. For that would mean responding to it, and being ‘healed'.

So while the proclamation of the Kingly Rule of Heaven would be welcomed in the hearts of some, and would produce fruitfulness and righteousness, in others it would finally achieve nothing because of their hardness, superficiality or being too concerned about other things. But one thing was sure. The Kingly Rule of God was among them and within them through His word (Luke 17:21), and all must ‘respond' in one way or the other, and that was what the parable was all about.

‘He who hears the word, and understands it.' Jesus lays great stress on the need to understand. Hearing and understanding was crucial to discipleship. In the same way in Mark 7:14 Jesus wanted the people to hear and understand, for not hearing and not understanding was what was the problem with the people (Matthew 13:13; Matthew 13:15; Mark 4:12). Indeed that they did not hear and understand was what marked the difference between the people and the disciples. See also Matthew 13:51 and compare Mark 4:13. It was so as to ensure that His disciples had understanding that He was explaining the parable (compare Mark 4:34). Secrets were being revealed (Matthew 13:11; Matthew 13:35), and truth made known, for that reason. But like all of us the disciples understood at the level that they had reached. We must not read into it more than is intended. They were responding to the Kingly Rule of Heaven in the terms proclaimed by John and Jesus. They would yet need deeper understanding before they fully grasped it, but that would necessarily be something that grew and developed. We all tend to forget what little understanding we once had at times when we thought that we understood. The young converts understanding of Christ is very different from that of the mature Christian. But the fact that he is a ‘convert' indicates basic understanding.