And another part fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it did not bear fruit.
This soil is especially dangerous, because it is neither absolutely hard like the path, nor obviously shallow like rocky ground. Here the seed grows, but beside it there is already something else growing: the thorns. That is, the heart is not completely empty toward the word of God, yet it is also full of various things that little by little steal away the strength of life. The thorns choke the plant. They do not allow it to reach its goal and bear fruit. Thus, spiritual life is not always destroyed because of outright rejection. Sometimes it is choked by competing love, worldly cares, endless desires, and clinging anxieties. Here there is a great lesson for the believer: it is not enough simply to accept the word to some extent. One must also beware of everything that can grow alongside the word of God and finally choke its influence.