Read Matthew 13:1-9Matthew 13:1-9
English: Contemporary English Version (1999) - CEV
A Story about a Farmer
13
1 That same day Jesus left the house and went out beside Lake Galilee, where he sat down to teach. p sat down to teach: See the note at .
2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he had to sit in a boat, while the people stood on the shore.
3 Then he taught them many things by using stories. He said:
A farmer went out to scatter seed in a field.
4 While the farmer was scattering the seed, some of it fell along the road and was eaten by birds.
5 Other seeds fell on thin, rocky ground and quickly started growing because the soil wasn't very deep.
6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched and dried up, because they did not have enough roots.
7 Some other seeds fell where thornbushes grew up and choked the plants.
8 But a few seeds did fall on good ground where the plants produced a hundred or sixty or thirty times as much as was scattered.
9 If you have ears, pay attention!
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Right now my son is doing a project for his science class in which he is testing the effects different food colors has on soil. He has planted the same seeds in three similar pots and is tracking the progress of each as he irrigates one pot with water that has been colored yellow, another blue, and another green. His objective is to discover whether or not the color of the water has any effect on the growth cycle of the seeds he planted. He has been faithful to monitor the moisture of the soil and to administer the same amount of liquid each time the pots need watering, in each various color. So far each sample looks the same, but time will tell what effects the different colored water may have on each.
Today’s Scripture passage reminds me of the experiment my son is doing, only it speaks of something much more significant than Calladium seeds and colored water. For, in this passage in Matthew, Jesus’ parable was referring to the seed of God’s Word being planted in various types of soil, and those different types of soil refer to the hearts of mankind. Like a hardened footpath whose dirt has been trampled and is no longer able to absorb seed or water, some hearts are completely hardened to the Word of God and the tilling of the Gardener as He tries to sow seeds of truth, love, care, and hope into their lives. As soon as a seed is invested, it is rejected by the hardness of the soil in their heart and bears no fruit in their lives. Other hearts reflect a soil that is shallow, where some roots start to form when a seed is planted, they wilt and wither soon after they sprout due to a lack of cultivating God’s Word regularly in their lives and resisting temptation. This soil lacks the nutrients it takes to sustain and endure when the searing heat of life beats down on it because the roots of the plant did not grow deep enough. The next type of soil was characterized by thorns that choked out the tender buds of the new seed. Bad influences, poor choices, sin, temptation, and the like grabbed hold of the sprouting seed and thwarted its growth, and in the end, cost it its life. The last and best type of soil is the fertile ground in which the seed was planted and able to grow to great health and full maturity. In fact, this soil was so rich in nutrients that it was able to produce a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted.
This final soil is the kind of soil that all of us must crave and cultivate in our own hearts. We should desire to be filled with the nutrients of God’s Word, filling our lives with prayer, and helping the roots of our relationship with Christ to grow ever deeper and stronger as we live in obedience and service to Him. And, as we do that and the seed of His Word that has bloomed and grown like a tall Oak tree or California Redwood, we too can bear seeds that will help us multiply and bear a harvest of other people coming to know the Lord and spread the seeds of His Word in the hearts of others. We must all strive to have the richest, most fertile soil possible in our hearts for God’s Word and Will, so that we can reap a harvest of more and more people coming to Christ for the growth and sake of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus closed this parable in verse 9 by saying, “Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!” I guess my final question would be, “What type of soil is in your heart?”
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