The quote from Isaiah may sound rather harsh and difficult to accept. The New Living Translation may make this clearer: “To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them.” This underlines the importance of listening carefully to God’s Word whenever we hear it.

There is another aspect of this parable which highlights the same truth. The seed was the same good seed sown in different places. What made the difference in the results was the nature of the soil, leading some people to call this parable, “The Parable of the Soils”. The different soils reflect the differences in receptivity of people’s hearts to God’s Word.

So, what kind of heart do you have?