The Way Side Heart

And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Matthew 13: 4

Jesus explains the meaning of this verse to his disciples in private after He had sent the multitude away and went into the house.

When any one hearth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Matthew 13: 19

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Mark 4: 15

Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Luke 8: 12

All three of these passages give a complete picture of what Jesus was teaching about in this lesson. But let’s take a step back. He was speaking to a multitude of followers that day by the sea side. He was not speaking to everyone in the world. He was talking to a specific group of people. They were following Jesus for one reason or another … and they all had one of the four heart conditions that Jesus was expounding on.

The first group of followers were those who had a “way side” heart condition. The word way comes from the greek word hodos which can be interpreted literally, a road, or implied, progress. The word side comes from the greek word para which means near, beside or vicinity. If you combine those thoughts you have those whose hearts are not truly in the road or Way. They are near, beside or in the vicinity of the Way but they are not making progress. These are those that were on the broad way instead of the strait gate (Matthew 7: 13-14). We would say today that they were on the side lines or they were spectators.

They were following Jesus. However, their hearts were not committed to being a disciple. They may have followed for various reasons; they may have needed healing; they may have just wanted to see miracles; they may have been religious; they may have liked being near Jesus but were not willing to give their all to Him. The Word came to them but they lacked understanding … and the Devil knew it. So he did everything within his power to take away what Jesus tried to plant in their hearts. Satan knew that if he could take the word out of the heart, these people would never believe and never be saved.

In agricultural terms, the way side portion of the field was not in the field. It was a hard path. It was a path that was well worn. Many people traveled on this path when they did not want to get into the field or they had to go around the field. The seed fell on this ground but really could not take root. The effect of this seed falling on this ground was that it was able to feed the fowls of the air because it never took root.

There were many in the crowd that had this way side heart condition. I would even say that it was the majority in the crowd. They were well worn and their hearts were hardened. They may have outwardly followed Jesus but it was hard for him to penetrate their hearts. The reality is that, although they were followers, they really did not want what Jesus had to offer. They were fine with being around him but they did not want him to deal with their hearts. They actually closed their spiritual ears while He was preparing to speak to their hearts. They could be likened unto people who come to church service. They love (or tolerate) everything before the man of God speaks the message. However, as soon as the preaching starts, their minds and hearts are elsewhere. Ironically, there was no sensitivity to the “word of the kingdom.” This condition remains, even, today. There are those who like religion. They like to be around that which is religious. They may even say that they are following Jesus Christ. However, the reality is that their hearts are hardened to the commitment that it takes to truly have the Word working in their hearts.

In America, 70+% of people consider themselves to be Christian. But how many are allowing the Word to penetrate their hearts in order to make a commitment to serve Him. It can be analogous to sports. A lot of people like watching sports. But how many people put in the time or effort to be a part of a sports team. 106 million people watched Super 52 between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. Both teams combined employ about 1500 persons, including players. A very small percentage of people were actually involved in the playing of that game in comparison to those that were spectators or by the way side. Where do we fit in? Are we truly in the work or are we just spectators? We like watching but are we “in the game?” Do we want to put in the work to even be involved? Do we go to church when the doors are open? However, is that as far as it goes in our commitment to Jesus Christ? Do we like having an association with Christianity but that is as far as that goes? The way side heart in a man (or woman) is one that only goes so far. It stands by the way. However, it makes no progress. It actually refuses to go any farther and the devil takes advantage of that refusal to keep a person in a state of unbelief and, therefore, the Word is of no effect. A person, in this state, refuses salvation or, in other words, refuses to be made whole.

There is an answer to this heart condition! Please continue to follow the lessons for the answer!