The parable of the sower is fairly transparent in meaning, especially since the Savior Himself explains it. What is most interesting here is the sequence in which the obstacles are listed...
The parable of the sower is fairly transparent in meaning, especially since the Savior Himself explains it. What is most interesting here is the sequence in which the obstacles are listed, the obstacles that stand before a person on the way into the Kingdom. It all begins with the need to hear the word about the Kingdom. This is, of course, not simply a matter of some words about the Kingdom reaching a person's ears; one must truly hear, pay attention, and then turn one's heart to what the witness says.
In fact, this is conversion, without which the path into the Kingdom will not begin. Conversion, however, varies, because in different cases it touches different layers of the human person, the soul and the heart. There is a superficial conversion, at the level of idle interest - and then a person remains an adherent of Christ and the Kingdom only until the first problems, difficulties, and persecutions. This does not necessarily mean some persecution organized by the authorities; the problems and difficulties that inevitably arise before anyone who wants to rebuild life according to a new ideal are enough.
If the ideal is received superficially enough, the person simply will not want the problems connected with it and will step aside. It happens, however, that conversion is deep enough for the new convert to endure even real persecutions. He has enough resolve; he is ready to follow Christ into the Kingdom, but he does not yet have experience of the spiritual path. Yet resolve alone is not enough; one also needs the skill of the path, experience connected with the process of spiritual formation. It is not acquired quickly; it requires consistency and persistence. The spiritual work itself connected with the Christian path often turns out to be rather dull, unflashy, outwardly unnoticed. It certainly includes bright spiritual experiences too, but they make up, conventionally speaking, about ten percent of this work, while the rest is painstaking effort to build one's own life, inward and outward. It is like artists and athletes: one or several bright days of glory presuppose several years of intense labor hidden from those around them.
If a person is not ready for such work, if he is constantly distracted by something else that matters more to him, he may set out on the spiritual path, but fairly soon he will inevitably turn away from it, remaining at best only an amateur of vivid spiritual experiences. But if a person is ready for the corresponding effort, then, showing resolve and consistency, he will surely bear his fruit - for God does not leave without help those who take spiritual life seriously. Here everything depends on the person himself.
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1:1 By the will of God - Not by any merit of my own. To the saints who are at Ephesus - And in all the adjacent places. For this epistle is not directed to the Ephesians only, but likewise to all the other churches of Asia.
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us - God's blessing us is his bestowing all spiritual and heavenly blessings upon us. Our blessing God is the paying him our solemn and grateful acknowledgments, both on account of his own essential blessedness, and of the blessings which he bestows upon us. He is the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, as man and Mediator: he is his Father, primarily, with respect to his divine nature, as his only begotten Son; and, secondarily, with respect to his human nature, as that is personally united to the divine. With all spiritual blessings in heavenly things - With all manner of spiritual blessings, which are heavenly in their nature, original, and tendency, and shall be completed in heaven: far different from the external privileges of the Jews, and the earthly blessings they expected from the Messiah.
1:4 As he hath chosen us - Both Jews and gentiles, whom he foreknew as believing in Christ, Pe1 1:2.
1:5 Having predestinated us to the adoption of sons - Having foreordained that all who afterwards believed should enjoy the dignity of being sons of God, and joint - heirs with Christ. According to the good pleasure of his will - According to his free, fixed, unalterable purpose to confer this blessing on all those who should believe in Christ, and those only.
1:6 To the praise of the glory of his grace - His glorious, free love without any desert on our part.
1:7 By whom we - Who believe. Have - From the moment we believe.Redemption - From the guilt and power of sin.Through his blood - Through what he hath done and suffered for us.According to the riches of his grace - According to the abundant overflowings of his free mercy and favour.
1:8 In all wisdom - Manifested by God in the whole scheme of our salvation. And prudence - Which be hath wrought in us, that we may know and do all his acceptable and perfect will.
1:9 Having made known to us - By his word and by his Spirit.The mystery of his will - The gracious scheme of salvation by faith, which depends on his own sovereign will alone. This was but darkly discovered under the law; is now totally hid from unbelievers; and has heights and depths which surpass all the knowledge even of true believers.