Jesus knows we struggle to listen to God, so he teaches us the Parable of the Sower. Each soil described represents a condition of the heart which affects our ability to hear and respond to God’s word. He is diagnosing what makes us spiritually deaf.

As in medicine, a diagnosis is the first step to healing. As Christ exposes our deafness, he invites us to cultivate a heart that understands, responds, and flourishes from God's words. He teaches us how to listen well.