In the parable of the sower we got a glimpse into the nature of the human heart as seen in the response to truth. Let’s go back to the beginning of time to get some background into what we discovered in the parable.
Man is the highest of the created beings referred to in the creation account in Genesis 1 & 2. God blessed Adam and Eve and commanded them to subdue and rule over all else which was created. To do this effectively, man would need to possess superiority over the other created beings. In this sense man was given significant power.
Over the years of human history, man has demonstrated his ability to accomplish fantastic feats of power. Consider the ancient Egyptian pyramids, the remains of the ancient Inca civilization, and other phenomena of human achievement.
In our present day man has made great strides in scientific accomplishment by developing nuclear power, traveling to the moon and sending probes to distant planets.
The problem man faces, however, is that he often doesn’t progress in his ability to utilize his accomplishments for the benefit of humanity. Pollution has increased to the danger point in many parts of the world. Morality runs at such a low ebb that man’s advances become submerged in his degenerating drift.
Man is powerful, but without a proper relationship with God that power backfires and man destroys himself. Jesus warned, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
