The See Produces Fruit - Not the Ground - Mark 3-4

Mark 4:3-9 (ESV Strong's)
3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 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. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The Seed Produces Fruit - Not the Ground

In the above passage we have the parable of the sower and the seed.   In Jesus explanation of the parable we see that the “seed” is the Word of God (Mark 4:14).   The word is put into the ground (the potential believer) and the word produces fruit in some and not in others.   The confusion on this parables lies in the fact that when the word goes out and is mixed with faith it produces faith.  But, when it is not mixed with faith, the WORD does not produce fruit.   The only contribution the “ground” (potential believers) provide is faith in the word.   It is too easy to read this passage and think that the believer has the effort and responsibility to produce fruit in their lives.  The only contribution we provide is faith.  And, even faith is a give from God.  Note what the writer of Hebrews stated:

Hebrews 13:20-21 (ESV Strong's)
20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

It is God who equips us to do the good things that please God.   When we know that our part is to believe and it is God part to produce faith, we can enter into real rest in the plan of God and cease from our own hopeless works.