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(a) What individuals resemble the thorny soil? (b) According to the three Gospel accounts, what is represented by the thorns?—See footnote.</p> <p id="p23" data-pid="23" data-rel-pid="[51]" class="sb"><span class="parNum" data-pnum="16"><sup>16</sup></span> What kind of individuals resemble the thorny soil? Jesus explains: “These are the ones that have heard, but, by being carried away by anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life, they are completely choked and bring nothing to perfection.” (<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/30/0" data-bid="31-1" class="b">Luke 8:14</a>) Just as the sower’s seed and the thorns grow in the soil at the same time, so some individuals try to take in the word of God and the “pleasures of this life” at the same time. The truth of God’s word is sown in their heart, but it faces competition from other pursuits that vie for their attention. Their figurative heart is divided. (<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/31/0" data-bid="32-1" class="b">Luke 9:57-62</a>) This prevents them from giving sufficient time to prayerful and meaningful reflection on God’s word. They fail to absorb God’s word fully and thus lack the heartfelt appreciation needed to endure. Gradually, their spiritual interests are overshadowed by nonspiritual pursuits to the point that they are “completely choked.”<a id="footnotesource3" data-fnid="3" class="fn" href="/en/wol/fn/r1/lp-e/2003082/2">c</a> What a sad ending for those who do not love Jehovah wholeheartedly!—<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/32/0" data-bid="33-1" class="b">Matthew 6:24;</a><a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/32/1" data-bid="33-2" class="b"> 22:37</a>.</p> <p id="p52" data-pid="52" class="qu">17. What choices do we need to make in life so as not to be choked by the figurative thorns mentioned in Jesus’ illustration?</p> <p id="p24" data-pid="24" data-rel-pid="[52]" class="sb"><span class="parNum" data-pnum="17"><sup>17</sup></span> By giving spiritual matters precedence over material considerations, we avoid being choked by the pains and pleasures of this world. (<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/33/0" data-bid="34-1" class="b">Matthew 6:31-33;</a><a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/33/1" data-bid="34-2" class="b"> Luke 21:34-36</a>) Bible reading and reflection upon what we read should never be neglected. We will find more time for concentrated and prayerful meditation if we simplify our life as much as possible. (<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/34/0" data-bid="35-1" class="b">1 Timothy 6:6-8</a>) Servants of God who have done so—who have, as it were, uprooted the thorns from the soil to give more nutrition, light, and space to the fruit-bearing plant—are experiencing Jehovah’s blessing. Says Sandra, aged 26: “When I meditate on my blessings in the truth, I realize that the <span id="page13" class="pageNum" aria-hidden="true" data-no="13" data-before-text="13"></span>world can offer nothing that compares with it!”—<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/35/0" data-bid="36-1" class="b">Psalm 84:11</a>.</p> </article> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> <ul class="results"> <li class="linkCard"> <a href="/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/2003082#h=29:0-29:324" class="jwac showRuby publicationCitation html5 pub-w docId-2003082 pub-w03 pub-w pub-w03 docClass-40 jwac showRuby ml-E ms-ROMAN dir-ltr chrome cardContainer noTooltips cardLine1Prominent lnk" data-nav-scope-data="[]"> <div class="cardThumbnail "> <span class=" cardThumbnailImage thumbnail publication icon-default publication pub-w03 cat-w " data-pub-symbol="w03" ></span> </div> <div class="cardTitleBlock"> <div class=" cardLine1 ellipsized cardHalfHeight cardLine1Prominent"><span class="sectionIcon"></span> “Remain in My Word” </div> <div class=" cardLine2 ellipsized cardLine1Prominent"> The Watchtower—2003 | February 1 </div> </div> <div class="cardTitleDetail"></div> <div class="cardChevron"> <div class="icon"></div> </div> </a> </li> <li class="result"> <ul class="resultItems"> <li class="publicationCitation html5 pub-w docId-2003082 pub-w03 pub-w pub-w03 docClass-40 jwac showRuby ml-E ms-ROMAN dir-ltr"> <article class="scalableui"> <div id="footnote3" data-fnid="3" class="fcc fn-ref"><p id="p29" data-pid="29"><a href="#footnotesource3" class="fn-symbol">c</a> According to the three Gospel accounts of Jesus’ parable, the seed is choked by the pains and pleasures of this world: “The anxieties of this system of things,” “the deceptive power of riches,” “the desires for the rest of the things,” and the “pleasures of this life.”—<a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/37/0" data-bid="38-1" class="b">Mark 4:19;</a><a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/37/1" data-bid="38-2" class="b"> Matthew 13:22;</a><a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/37/2" data-bid="38-3" class="b"> Luke 8:14;</a><a href="/en/wol/bc/r1/lp-e/2003082/37/3" data-bid="38-4" class="b"> Jeremiah 4:3, 4</a>.</p></div> </article> </li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </article> </div> </div> <div id="regionFooter" class="chrome showRuby ml-E ms-ROMAN dir-ltr" lang="en" data-lang="E" dir="ltr"> <input id="returnToLibrary" type="hidden" value="Return to {LibraryName}" /> <div id="userStatus" class="hidden" data-library-color=""> <div class="ellipsized currentLibrary"> <a class="chrome librarySelectionLink spriteLink" data-lang="E" href="/en/wol/li/r1/lp-e"> <span class="icon"></span> <span class="label ellipsized showRuby ml-E ms-ROMAN dir-ltr" lang="en" data-lang="E" dir="ltr">English Publications (1950-2025)</span> </a> <div id="cookieLibrary"> </div> </div> <div class="currentUser ellipsized"> <a id="userStatusLabel" class="statusLabel" href="#"> <span class="userName ellipsized"></span> </a> <div id="userControls" 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