SKANDALON 3 (b): the scandal of suffering [i] the parable of the sower

Our first example, the stumbling-block of suffering, occurs in Jesus’ explanation of the parable of the sower. The seeds which fall on stony ground represent those who respond to the gospel message with initial joy and enthusiasm, but “when tribulation or persecution arise because of the gospel, immediately they are ‘scandalized’”, because they have no deep root of careful teaching and pastoring to sustain them; if they had, the hot sun which shrivels their faith would, instead, ripen it and make it mature and fruitful. Matthew (13.21) and Mark (4.17) both use ‘skandalizo’ here: suffering and persecution ‘trip them up’, so that they give in and turn back. Luke, in the equivalent passage (8.13), describes them as ‘temporary’ ( 'pros kairon' in Greek, 'for the moment', or perhaps 'opportunist') believers, who fall away in a time ('kairos') of ‘peirasmos’, which here obviously means ‘testing’ by outward circumstances. Suffering is, perhaps, the litmus test which distinguishes between true Christians and fair-weather followers.