These verses describe, in the parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20), a third soil-type into which God's Word may be sown.  It is full of thorn bushes.  This is a picture of people who have a desire for God and an interest in what Jesus has to say, but seem to be overwhelmed with the pressures of living in a troubled world.  It is as though their hearts are being asphyxiated.  Choking is not pleasant, but worse, it can be fatal.  As God's Word springs up taking root in our heart, worries can easily put a stranglehold around our relationship with Jesus.  Often, Satan does not have to intervene personally - there is quite enough in our confused and hectic lifestyle to put us off our spiritual stroke.  We hear the Word and may relish it; we agree with what God says ... and then our minds and hearts get swamped by worries, and Jesus seems far away (Luke 24:34-36).

Jesus categorises these troubles into unresolved lifestyle issues, concern over money, and frustrated ambitions. Everybody has at least one of these to contend with, most have all three!  Have you noticed how easily relationship problems or issues at home can erode your concentration at work, and vice versa?  The same is true of working with Christ and letting Him work on us.  But there is no way we can live in a spiritually sealed world.  The key question is whether we will allow the world and flesh to choke the life of Jesus ... or allow the life of Jesus to order our chaotic private and work lives (1 John 2:15-16).

In the parable, Jesus describes the end result of a choked spiritual life.  It is unproductive.  It cannot multiply grace, bring others to know Jesus, or glorify the God who has made these people.  They may be religious and might live morally but God's Word does not manage their minds nor fill their hearts.  They may think that they are OK with God but because His Word has no space to rule their lives, they are working against Him (Philippians 3:17-19).

The answer to the question, 'Is this true of me; am I allowing God's Word to be choked in my life?', is tested by the degree to which the Word of God bears fruit in us.  When we see the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) shaping the way we conduct our business and interactions with others; when we find ourselves glad to share about Jesus and when others are strengthened in Christ because of us; when our friends ask us to pray for them and we see them transformed by His power - then we know that we are being fruitful.  When that is not true, the world and our fleshly nature have colluded to take control away from Jesus: we are being choked.  In that case, gardening is well overdue!  But what about those who have yet to believe and are being bombarded by squadrons of problems.  Focussed one-to-one time with them, reading the Bible and praying on a regular basis, may give them the encouragement to see their lives through the lens of God's Word instead of their pressurised minds and confused feelings (Philippians 4:4-9).