Mark 4:1-20, Luke 8:1-15, and Matthew 13:1-23, the Parable of the Sower gives us a clue as to what hinders some Christians from bearing fruit. According to the parable, some of the seeds fell on rocky grounds, and though they sprouted, they withered quickly when the sun scorched them because they had no roots. These are the weak Christians. Such Christians do not live by God’s word to undergo a proper transformation in their lives because they fear and give up in the face of persecution, mockery, hardship, trials, and challenges.
The seeds that fell among thorns are those who hear the word of God and believe it to become Christians. But after having believed to salvation and while trying to live their lives as Christians, the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, the lusts of other things, and the pleasures of this life sway them such that they stop bearing fruit and their lives become nothing different from those of the unbelievers. Combining the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke on the Parable of the Sower, these are the factors that hinder Christians from bearing fruit:
The cares of this world
The term cares of this world found in Mark 4:19 and Matthew 13:22 refers to the things in this world that Christians become obsessed and preoccupied with. The cares of this world is about a wide range of things; it encompasses one’s career, educational pursuit, ambitions, responsibilities, duties, and other material things. In a world in which success is measured in money and other material things, Christians are tempted to become preoccupied with their career, business, education, ambitions, and other material things.
A 21st-century Christian cares about having a house, car, clothes, comfort, etc. Yes, these things are necessary. However, it becomes wrong for Christians to become obsessed and pursue these material things to the extent that they are distracted from serving God. For in the pursuit of the things of this world, some Christians have lost touch with God; some hardly attend church, pray, read the Bible, or fast; and some have become greedy and stained themselves with many sins to get what they want. In short, Christians under the influence of the cares of this life do not care to bear fruit to the glory of God.
The deceitfulness of riches
The deceitfulness of riches found in Mark 4:19 and Matthew 13:22 refers to what people’s hearts are deceived to do in the quest for riches and what their hearts are deceived to do after getting riches. The deceitfulness of riches encompasses the shady means people use to become rich such as corruption, prostitution, theft, bribery, murder, etc. The deceitfulness of riches also encompasses the pride, arrogance, extravagance, excess, etc. that characterize the life of the rich.
It is worth mentioning that many Christians who are anxious to become rich have lost their values and have resorted to stealing, cheating, etc. to become rich. And some of those who are already rich are entangled in one sinful pleasure after another and have lost their fear of God.
The lust for other things
The lusts of other things: The word used for lusts here is the Greek word epithumia, which means a longing or a desire, especially, for what is forbidden. In this vein, the phrase other things in the context of Mark 4:19 could refer to secular entertainment, fame, worldly pleasures, etc. because, mostly, these are the forbidden things our carnal nature craves.
Therefore, the term lusts for other things refers to strong desires for narcotic drugs, alcohol, porn, illicit sex, money, hooliganism, etc. It is sad to say that some of our Christian brothers are languishing in these lusts and these carnal lusts have ushered them into all kinds of immorality, hindering them from fruit-bearing. The lusts of other things will inevitably render a Christian unfruitful if he gets entangled.
Pleasures
Pleasures or the pleasures of this life found in Luke 8:14 refer to all the sinful things or activities that excite our flesh. There is a wide range of what could be referred to as the pleasures of this life; this includes pornography, drug abuse, alcoholism, promiscuity, hooliganism, thuggery, secular music, sexual immorality, etc. No doubt, these carnal pleasures are thorns that will choke a Christian from bearing fruit and even ruin his relationship with God.
Persecution from the ungodly
While growing up as a Christian, I learned about fruit-bearing. I was a virgin before I got married, even at age 30, because I followed the Bible’s teachings on abstinence from sexual immorality and, as a result, I bore the fruit of chastity. However, I faced persecution for being chaste, especially at my workplace where I found myself among promiscuous unbelievers and backsliding Christians who made it sound like it was odd to be chaste.
They mocked me often, especially when I refused to participate in their profane discussions. But their mockery did not make me feel ashamed nor deter me from bearing the fruit of chastity; I continued, paying no attention to them. However, if I were a weak Christian, like the seed that fell among rocks, I would have given up on my Christian beliefs and virtues during these times of ridicule, hatred, trials, and persecution.
I believe I am not the only Christian who has had this experience. Since ungodly people are so numerous, it often happens that true Christians find themselves among them. Such a situation results in conflict in that the good fruit that the true Christians bear offends the ungodly and the ungodly respond with hatred, mockery, stigmatization, and all kinds of persecutions to hinder the true Christians from bearing fruit.
Evil communication
Do you think the playmate of pigs would ever be clean? Impossible. I have seen too many good boys turn bad. How? They were influenced by evil communication. Evil communication refers to being in a relationship with ungodly people – bad friends, bad husbands, bad wives, secret societies, etc. Many Christians who were bearing the fruit of soberness, gentleness, love, discipline, etc. become alcoholic, corrupt, promiscuous, rude, undisciplined, etc. because of the influence of bad friends, bad spouses, bad parents, secret cults, etc. Remember how the good and god-fearing King Solomon degenerated into an idol worshiper because of the influence of his pagan wives.
Conclusion
Are you conversant with the saying that many are called but few are chosen (Mt 22:14)? The one who does the job of selecting a few out of the many does not do it with the intent of wanting many people to perish. No! What makes the elect distinct from the rest is that they fulfill the purpose of their calling by bearing fruit to the glory of God. Hundreds of thousands of Christians out there are languishing in the deceitfulness of riches, the cares of this world, the lusts of other things, the pleasures of this life, and evil communication. Aside from rendering them unfruitful, these hindrances ruin their relationship with God and make them unworthy of being part of the elect who shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.