Hearing the word

In Matthew 13 Jesus gave the parable of  the sower, who went to sow his seeds. The seeds fell in various types of grounds.

1. Some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up
2. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root
3. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants
4. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

The explanation.

Before Jesus explained  the parables to the disciples, He talked about insight and understanding-  that is going beyond the physical senses of seeing and hearing, to the point where we involve our mind, our emotions and our souls.

• When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. What would make my heart be like the path? The paths are usually dry, hard and without any cover hence when the seeds fell, they were exposed and the birds had it easy picking em up. when we do not take time to let our souls be softened by God's spirit, when we walk in sin, and not repentant, our hearts becomes dry and there is no place for God's word.
• The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. This is when we receive the word with excitement but do not take time to meditate on it, and apply the word to our lives. It does not take enough depth, it is when we are unwilling to take the risk of been vulnerable with the God's word, it is when we fail to make the decisions the word we have heard compels us to make. Since we do not allow it to be part of us, anything can make us go away from the word.
• 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. This is when we receive the word alright, we meditate on it and make decisions to follow it, but we get concerned about things like wealth, wealth here could be material, emotional or social, our need to fit in a group, to be accepted, not to look stupid etc make us compromise the word we received, we believed in. Thus the word gives no fruit. It also when we doubt God, his word and His love. 
• But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” This is when we allow the word to work in us, producing the beautiful fruits of God's will in our lives, making us achieve what He intends for our lives. May God always help us to achieve this beauty.