Mark 4 is a familiar parable. However, you can read it and miss the central truth.

Jesus Christ tells of a farmer who cast his seed on different types of soil. Some seed was cast on the path, some on rocky ground, some on thorny ground, and some on fertile soil. The parable isn't primarily intended to tell you how to prepare your heart to be like the rich soil.

Instead, the central truth is the powerful Word of God will produce eternal results. In fact, God will produce a spiritual harvest greater than you can imagine - a harvest that is perhaps a hundredfold (v. 8). A miraculous harvest will come from the Word of God. The Triune God will cast the seed of the Word of God throughout the earth and he will produce a harvest of spiritual sons and daughters that is larger than our limited perspective allows us to see.

Sometimes we lack the proper perspective.

In April 1861, the initial shots of the Civil War were fired from James Island to Ft. Sumter. Captain George James of the South Carolina Artillery fired the 1st shot at 4:30 a.m.

Many locals anticipated this event and a crowd gathered along the Charleston Battery to watch the bombardment over the harbor. The Charleston Mercury reported that on the Battery, "several hundreds of persons were promenading....anxiously gazing at the dim lights, barely visible through the haze." Historian Walter Edgar wrote that a "carnival like atmosphere prevailed as all the agreeable people in the South descended upon Charlesotn as soon as the shooting started."

Can you imagine it? People along the Battery, sitting on the rooftops, being entertained by the bombardment.

How many of those folks, entertained by the cannon fire, had the persepctive to know that this bombardment would lead to a national conflict? How many of those citizens anticipated that over 30% of the young adult male population would die in the next several years? In Lancaster, almost 300 of the 1,000 men who went off to fight never came home.

As they watched the bombs fly over Charleston Harbor on that April night, many of the residents did not have the perspective to know what was coming for South Carolina and the country.

Similarly, this parable provides spiritual perspective. It often seems that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is widely rejected in our culture. Often, individuals would rather live for themselves and for the moment than receive the Word of God and live for him. Moreover, even churches and denominations struggle to accept biblical Christianity - with many mainline churches preaching false view of Scripture and morality, and many Evangelical churches prioritizing marketing and church growth over truth and obedience to God's Word.

However, Jesus Christ promises that his Word will produce spiritual fruit. He will produce an eternal harvest. 

This parable gives us the perspective we need in a culture that is often antagonistic to Christ and his church. It reminds us that Jesus Christ is faithful to his plan of redemption. He will not fail. Further, he calls us to listen to his words, believe them, and then share them with those who need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.