‘Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”’

‘“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”’ – Matthew 13:3-9; 22

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus shares the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23), an agricultural illustration that fits with his audience, to explain how different people respond to the word of God. The seed falls on four different types of soil: the path, rocky ground, thorns, and good soil. As Jesus later explained, the seed represents the word of God, and the different types of soil symbolize the various ways people respond to God’s message. While the full parable includes various soils, the seed that falls among the thorns is the focus of these meditations.

The Game Plan of the Thorns

The problem here is not the absence of the seed. The seed, good and viable, possessing within itself all that is needed for it to sprout and grow to fruitfulness, is sown. The seed lands on soil that ordinarily should be the right environment for seed to germinate, grow and bear fruit. However, there are elements in the seed’s environment that hinder its growth. Jesus identifies these elements as thorns. The thorns are not just lying on one side of the piece of land; they seem to be everywhere. Their widespread presence means that the seed fell among them – surrounded by thorns. The thorns are not inactive as they might appear. They have a purpose and they get to work to accomplish it. These thorns compete with the seed for the nutrients in the soil, then they grow up. The natural sequence of events is that by feeding on the soil’s nutrients, the thorns grow. If they were only growing, perhaps that wouldn’t be much of a problem but the thorns have sinister motives. First, they seem to outgrow the seed, and then the thorns choke the seed. Phillips says they “choked the life out of them” while the Easy to Read says the thorns “stopped the good plants from growing.” The purpose of the thorns all along is here revealed: to choke the life out of them and stop the good plants from growing. If they do not grow, there will be no fruitfulness. We must therefore be mindful of the ultimate aim of the thorns: to prevent growth and fruitfulness. The thorns are not harmless neighbours to the seed; they are insidious elements.

We must therefore be mindful of the ultimate aim of the thorns: to prevent growth and fruitfulness.

The Thorns of Life

Jesus explained that the seed is the word of God while the thorns he said are two things: firstly, “worries of this life” and secondly, “the deceitfulness of wealth”. The hearer may not be opposed to the word of God; they actually hear and receive it but the soil has not been cleared of thorns so the seed falls among them. The cares of this life are not some remote, out-of-sight elements; they are around you, nay, even within you. If uncleared, whatever seed that is sown in the soil of your heart will fall among them and be liable to the seed-choking work of the thorns.

The cares of this life are not some remote, out-of-sight elements; they are around you, nay, even within you. If uncleared, whatever seed that is sown in the soil of your heart will fall among them and be liable to the seed-choking work of the thorns.

The cares of this life include things like concerns about money, career, relationships, or other material worries. There is another world from which the seed comes and care for that world – the kingdom of God – would support the seed’s growth but care for this world chokes the seed. Let’s not forget that the cares of this life, referred to as thorns, came as a consequence of the fall. Adam was told the ground “will produce thorns and thistles” for him (Genesis 3:18). It is therefore in the nature of the thorns to choke the seed. The cares of life are a great hindrance to profiting by the word. The nutrients of your heart like your time, affections, preferences, thoughts and meditations are eaten up by these cares. They take the energy and zeal which you could have invested in spiritual matters and distract you to worldly pursuits. The mind set on them has an insatiable desire for them. Haven’t you wondered why the extremely rich never stop working for more? The result is a heart that is diverted and distracted from eternal things and is taken up with the concerns of this transient life. The love for God and the fire for kingdom affairs is then snuffed out.

The cares of life are a great hindrance to profiting by the word. They take the energy and zeal which you could have invested in spiritual matters and distract you to worldly pursuits.

It was this kind that ailed Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, when Jesus came visiting. Her concerns about the welfare of the Lord were legitimate but they became cares that stood in the way of her profiting by the word.

The deceitfulness of riches particularly troubles those who have gathered wealth. While the things that trouble most of the population like how to pay basic bills and get life moving may not be their concern, the wealth they have accumulated can become a thorn. The riches become a snare. Note that the riches themselves are not the thorn but it is the deceitfulness of the riches that becomes their undoing. It is not without reason that Jesus said you cannot serve both God and mammon. There must be something about mammon that made Jesus to speak about it in the same line as God. The least that it does is to promise you virtually all that God offers in this life – power, connections, peace, security, satisfaction, worth, fulfilment, providence, etc. While money itself is not evil, the love of money can consume a person’s thoughts and desires, leading them to prioritize material gain over spiritual growth (1 Timothy 6:10). Once you shift your confidence from God and put it on the riches, the deceit is complete and the thorns get to work. Your attention is taken over by trying to preserve, maintain and grow them and your pure and sincere devotion to the Lord is diverted. The word is choked.

Once you shift your confidence from God and put it on the riches, the deceit is complete and the thorns get to work.

It was this that stopped the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-24 from following Jesus. While riches themselves are not the problem but their deceitfulness; and while not money but the love of money is the problem, we must recognize that an increase in wealth is a predisposing factor. Jesus said, “it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven” and that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24). What is the possibility of a camel going through a needle’s eye? So, there is something about an increase in money (not even the love of, or deceitfulness, of it yet) that increases the difficulty of entering the kingdom. We must be wary of this.

The Thorns Grow

Just as you can grow in your spiritual life, I need to highlight to you that the thorns also grow; they are not lifeless entities. With the right environment and appropriate nutrition, they will grow. If you feed them, your cares in this life will grow; if you feed it, wealth’s influence in your life will grow. It can appear as a natural part of life that as you take on more responsibilities in church, at work and in society, raise a family etc, your adult concerns will grow. Don’t think that somehow, your load will lighten.

Worries about the future, the stress of daily responsibilities, and the overwhelming distractions of entertainment and technology can also act as thorns that rob you of the peace and focus you need to grow in your faith. Just as the thorns in the parable grow unchecked and overwhelm the seed, so too can the distractions of life grow and crowd out your spiritual life if you do not stay vigilant.

Just as the thorns in the parable grow unchecked and overwhelm the seed, so too can the distractions of life grow and crowd out your spiritual life if you do not stay vigilant.

The writer of Hebrews says “land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned” (Hebrews 6:8). We must ensure that is not our end.

Cultivating a Fruitful Life

While the thorns are a common part of human experience, we are not powerless against them. There are practical steps we can take to avoid being choked by the distractions of the world and ensure that God’s word can take root and bear fruit in our lives. These steps are basic, but they remain key.

First, we must actively prioritize the kingdom of God. In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” When our focus is on God’s will and his eternal purposes, the cares of this world lose their grip on our hearts.

Second, cultivating spiritual disciplines such as prayer, Scripture reading, and worship helps keep us grounded in the faith. When you spend regular time in God’s presence, he will enable you to discern his voice amidst the noise of life. It will also strengthen you against the temptations and distractions that would pull you away from him. Check then, how is your devotional life/quiet time faring?

Third, fellowship plays an important role. Being surrounded by fellow believers who encourage and support you is vital in maintaining a focus on spiritual growth. The body of Christ helps you stay accountable, reminds you of your true priorities, and encourages you to persevere when the thorns of life seem overwhelming. When you immerse yourself in fellowship, you provide other believers with the opportunity to “see to it that no one falls short of the grace of God” (Hebrews 12:15) and in this case you are the beneficiary.

Fourth, the discipline of the Lord. Jesus said “every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2). We must submit to and respond positively to his disciplines so that all excesses are done away with by his pruning work and we bear fruit, fruit that will last and abide on to eternal life.

The End Goal

Ultimately, the goal of this parable by Jesus is to inspire us to become like the good soil, where the word of God can take root and bear much good fruit. In contrast to the thorns, the good soil represents a heart that is receptive to the word of God and undistracted by the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches. When the seed – the word – is allowed to grow freely, unperturbed by thorns, it will bring forth a harvest of righteousness, peace, and joy.

May the Lord satisfy you with his steadfast love, leaving no room for the distractions of this life, that you may rejoice and be glad all your days.