the soil of our souls & the cross

so in the last two days i've had to confront two people separately on some serious sh*t. one of them responded with humility, while the other replied with defensive ire. what was the difference? i don't know. i could compare their beliefs about god, forgiveness, and redemption (which i think had something to do with it), but alas, i'll refrain from such assumptions in this assessment. perhaps it was my approach to each of them, or the subject matter.... i don't know. but the differences in their responses got me thinking about the soil of our souls. how ready is the soil of our souls to receive a seed of truth, rebuke, reminding? how ready is mine? i don't know the answer to that either, but the parable of the sower came to mind as i thought it over. it seems appropriate on maundy thursday to share it, since the disciples had heard jesus speak of his death and resurrection time and again, but even during the last days before his crucifixion, they couldn't hear what he was saying. their hearts refused to accept it. you can't really blame them that much. who would have thought that God's strategy for restoring the world and saving his people first entailed humiliation and death? who would think that maybe that's still the strategy for his Church?