“Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away.”- Mark 4:5-6
“Superficiality is the curse of our age.”- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline
John Ortberg continues his discussion of the Parable of the Sower (Soul Keeping, Chapter 3).
2. The Shallow Soul. Pastor Ortberg notes that the idea here is that there is only a thin layer of topsoil, with solid rock underneath. The world, he states, conspires against our souls to keep our lives superficial:
“The world conspires against our souls by blinding us to the depth and glory of their God-given design and tempting us to be satisfied with immediate gratification.”
Writers in the ancient world, including Biblical writers, would address the soul in the third person. They understood the depth of the soul. Depth is the desperate need of the soul. Yet, Pastor Ortberg asserts, for most of our lives we live in the shallows, until a crisis gives us a glimpse of tremendous depth. Our soul has depth when it is connected to God. The author concludes:
“It takes a little, such a tiny little depth in the soil to give the seed a chance. The shallow soul is closer to being saved than it knows.”
Today’s question: During your transitional journey, what has helped you focus on depth rather than superficiality? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The Cluttered Soul”
