Seeds and Soil
In today's episode, we're looking at Jesus's first parable — the parable of the sower — and asking what this means for us today.
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If you’ve ever left church on a Sunday feeling inspired, thinking this week I’m going to really get into the bible! And then spent the week dipping in and out, trying your hardest to read it and understand it, and get the same kind of inspiration it feels like the preacher must be getting everyday, but then just feeling really discouraged, then slow down.
Here’s an important concept: we know God through Jesus. Reading the Bible like a text you’re studying for an English Lit exam won’t bring the revelation you’re looking for.
It’s so much more than a story written by humans. It’s God’s living word. Designed with transformation in mind.
That means we need a different approach.
We might think that if we were to simply learn the Bible off by heart, we’d be transformed, we’d have the word of God in us, and we’d feel as close to God as we possibly could.
This isn’t the case. I’m all for memorising scripture, but our heart and approach to the Bible as we read it is just as important as the reading itself.
Jesus’ first parable
You may have already guessed it, but the parable we’re looking at today is the parable of the sower.
We’re starting here because this is where Jesus started, it’s the first recorded parable we have. That’s not to say he didn’t say any parables before this, but this is the first recorded one and, judging by the reaction from the disciples, who afterwards asked Jesus why He spoke in parables, it seems to mark a shift in the way He taught.
At this point, Jesus is in a boat, teaching the large crowd that has gathered around Him. Here’s the parable as it’s told in Matthew 13:
A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.
The great news is that we don’t have to guess how to interpret this parable. Jesus told the disciples what it meant:
Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.
The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
Let’s take a step back then.
The familiar
Remember, a parable is a story where something familiar is thrown beside something not so familiar, so that our understanding of the familiar can help us to understand what is unfamiliar.
The unfamiliar that Jesus was helping us to understand was why God’s word doesn’t always have the effect we hope for. Why does it cause great joy in some, and complete indifference in others?
And here we find the answer from the familiar story: because of the soil it is sown in.
The seed is the same. God’s word is God’s word. But the soil is different.
What is the soil? Our hearts. This is quite good news because it means we have responsibility for the soil that the seed lands in. We either let our minds dwell on God’s word, fixing our attention on it, or we don’t. It really is our choice and God gives us the free will to choose. He doesn’t force us to have fertile soil.
With that in mind let’s very quickly look at Jesus’ explanation.
There are four types of soil.
The path or the wayside - that’s reflective of the person who hears the message but doesn’t understand it or take it in. From this we see that the enemy is active when we hear the word. And he is ready to snatch it away if it doesn’t land.
How do we stop ourselves from becoming this kind of soil? By paying attention to the Word and taking it in. Praying for Godly understanding, and for God’s word to take root in our lives.
I know the moments where my heart looks like this. It’s when I’m rushing to read my planned Bible reading for the day, simply ticking off the verses rather than pausing to actually take them in.
Then there’s the stony or rocky ground. This ground is reflective of the person who hears the word and joyfully receives it. They go a step further than the wayside. But unfortunately it stays shallow, and when trouble or persecution comes, they fall away.
How do we get the seed to take root in us deeply? By having the character that goes with the word. As we take in the word of God, we make a decision to trust in it, to repent when we feel convicted, and to set ourselves in a different direction. We aren’t responsible for transforming ourselves, but we are responsible for letting the word transform us. That is, meditating on the word, being open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction or reorientation.
Without the beginnings of transformation, the seed has no depth to hook into, and it much more easily falls away.
The thorny ground is reflective of the person who also hears and receives the word. But the power of it is choked out by all the other things they have in their minds - the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth, and the seed bears no fruit.
Notice wealth itself isn’t the issue, the deceitfulness of it is. Jesus talks about this a few chapters earlier in Matthew during his Sermon on the Mount teaching. You cannot serve two masters. It actually isn’t possible. How do we know if we’re serving the deceitful master of wealth? Our minds are constantly drawn to it, we make decisions in light of it, and all our best thinking goes towards it. Think of how much more fruitful life would be if we reserved our best thoughts, decisions and actions for God’s Kingdom instead.
And then the fertile soil. This is the person who hears the word, holds onto it, and acts in accordance with it. It’s that moment when you match your will to the Word. Or as Jesus more eloquently puts it, your will not mine be done. It’s that moment of surrender and humility where the follower of Jesus says okay, I believe what you say, help me to live in light of it.
It’s the soil that allows us to live in constant relationship with God as his disciple. Being with Jesus, becoming like Him, doing as He did. The Kingdom of God then becomes our new reality.
Jesus ends his parable with, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear”. That’s the New King James version. But here Jesus shows us where the responsibility lies. If you have heard this, then hear it and receive it.
Two ways to apply this truth
So what do we do with this parable? Here are two ways we can apply it today.
Firstly, we don’t have to read this parable like where the seed lands can’t be helped. As I’ve already said, take responsibility for the soil of your heart. Be open to hearing, receiving, and deeply meditating on the word. Be ready for the transformation it brings. If the soil has been rocky or thorny for a while, then acknowledge it, ask God to clear it out, and to give you depth of character and a mind focused on him.
Secondly, be encouraged, the growth isn’t dependent on you. Whether you’re the hearer of God’s word, or the one sowing, it isn’t up to you to make it grow. Think on the parable again, the farmer sows and leaves the seed there. He abandons it to do what it needs to do.
It’s what Jesus did too. He told parables and let the words do their job. The people who heard and received them, pondered them as they went about their days, whilst it continued to take root. Eventually proving to be fruitful in time. If you’re the hearer, you’re only responsible for the soil. If you’re the sower, your only responsibility is to faithfully sow the seed.
Sowing seed with no agenda
What does sowing the seed look like? It looks like living as a disciple, witnessing which is just to say being open with what we’ve seen and experienced in God’s Kingdom, loving people, and sharing the Gospel with them.
But notice, none of that requires force. None of it involves compelling another person to believe or think or act a certain way.
I love many things about Jesus, but the bit that always gets me is His gentleness and humility. As He shares this parable, He doesn’t tell anyone what to do, He doesn’t force them to believe in Him or the Kingdom he has declared as available. He doesn’t coerce or wager or gaslight.
He simply scatters the seeds and leaves it.
That isn’t irresponsible, that’s loving.
I’m still waiting for practically all of my family to turn to Jesus and follow Him. Maybe you’re the same. It’s hard isn’t it? As time passes, I’m so aware that I don’t want to end up with regrets about things I should have said, or how I said things. Thinking maybe if I’d said it more clearly or forcefully then they’d be compelled to finally follow Jesus.
No. That’s not our burden to carry. If Jesus himself refuses to force people into the Kingdom, if God, who has the ability to rewire our brains to choose Him, doesn’t do that, then why on earth do I think it’s my responsibility to make sure I get people into the Kingdom.
Anyway, I’m not sure how eloquently this is coming across so let me say it another way. God could rewire our brains. The question with God is never an ability question, because he has the ability to do anything and everything, it’s a will question.
What is he willing to do? Is he willing to do that thing? And no, He isn’t willing to force anyone into the Kingdom. It’s a personal choice, it must be because the essence of dignity is choice and God affords us every dignity.
As humans, we can think we know best, and it’s so easy to slip into a coercive mindset and to justify it by saying to ourselves that this is the best option for them. But that isn't our part to play. To love another person well is to afford them the dignity of choice. To release control and simply sow seeds.
Absolutely those seeds might look like sharing the Gospel, celebrating what Jesus has done in your life, dropping in a little line that you’re praying for them. They’re all seeds. But, when we sow them, we must sow them lovingly, without agenda, and we must then leave them.
We can’t compel anyone into the Kingdom. We can’t force them, we can’t convince them, we can’t reason them into the Kingdom. Only the work of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life can lead them there, and the decision ultimately lies with them.
How do we avoid this pitfall? By trusting in God’s power and timing. We get to sow and have confidence in His word, that doesn’t return void.
Question
This week's question is obvious, what’s the soil of your heart looking like at the moment?
Prayer
Let’s pray.
Lord, we thank you for your grace and faithfulness. For your word that brings transformation, and for your Spirit who brings understanding. We ask for hearts that are like the fertile soil, able to hear and receive what it is you’re saying to us, so that we can produce a crop that’s many times what was sown. And help us to faithfully and lovingly sow in the lives of those around us, that we might see an even greater harvest for you. In your precious name Jesus amen.