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Seed, Soil and Sower
By admin | January 29, 2010
Luke 8:8 “Some fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.”
 Jesus’ first year of ministry was a year of great popularity. People followed Him from place to place and He taught many stories. One of my favorite stories was the Parable of the Sower. We remember that story of the sower who went out to sow his seeds. As he scattered the seeds, some fell along the path and were trampled upon or the birds ate them. Some seeds fell upon the rocks where there was little soil and sprouted quickly, but because they had no nourishment, they died. Other seeds fell among the thorny ground and were choked. And some seeds, thankfully, fell on good soil and yielded up a great crop. As we think about this parable, we think of the three ingredients that it took: the seed, the soil, and the sower. As Jesus told this parable, the seed obviously represented the Word of God. The Book of Acts states: “…and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” The ends of the earth weren’t even dreamed of during that period of time. We are called as Christians to take the seed of the Gospel to everyone we meet. We must trust this seed will germinate in human hearts. Obviously, the seed must be planted there for it to grow. As a farmer, my grandfather took tender care that the seeds were from the best possible crops. I remember every time he would plow a field and planted - whether it was corn, watermelon, or squash - he would take his hat off and pray for that seed to germinate. He would always say, “Anybody can plant a seed, but only God can make it grow.” We, as Christians, are called to plant the seeds and trust God with the growth.  The soil in the parable was very important. The seeds were lost when they fell on the hard ground just like a seed on the pavement would be lost. The seeds that fell on the shallow ground or in the briar patch wouldn’t have much chance either. One of the tasks on the farm that was highly glamorous was having a trailer behind the tractor, driving through the pastures, and picking up the cow manure to mix in with the soil. I always looked forward to that aromatic pleasure. One of us would get to drive the tractor slowly while the other got to pick up the natural fertilizer. The soil or the environment is so important for the seed to grow, but it must be nurtured. A loving church family is one of the places where the seed of God is nurtured.We all have the opportunity to sow the seeds. All we must do is share God’s word with the people we meet. We don’t have to claim any responsibility except the sharing of the Word of God. The sower, just like my grandfather, trusts in God and prepares the soil. God must do the rest. We must simply tell the story of Jesus at every opportunity, and share the words of life with all whom we meet. My first sermon in my first church on my first Sunday lasted five minutes and I thought I had told everything I knew. I called a minister friend who said, “Don’t tell what you know; tell what God reveals to you in the Bible and through your heart.” From that point on, seldom did one of my sermons last just five minutes…ever again. Over thirty years of sermons and many hundreds of devotionals later, the Word of God is prolific. We just have to trust in Him. Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to sow the seeds and create a nurturing environment so that Your words may grow in every human heart. Amen. |
Topics: The "Enough" Series |
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