Good Soil

For over a week now, I have been enjoying spending time in the book of Luke, one chapter a day in my current favorite Bible, “The Way”. Yesterday in chapter 8, I read the parable of the farmer scattering seed and was moved to write some thoughts by this passage.

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed (Luke 8)

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant.
11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.
12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.
13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.
14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.
15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

Spring has sprung in New Jersey and my thoughts are wandering towards gardening which I like to do. Proper soil condition is needed for the seed to first geminate, then grow into a strong plant and finally yield a respectable harvest. It may be the most important factor in a successful harvest.

Jesus is saying here that when the Word of God sown, seeds will fall on four different types of people, i.e. human soil conditions. Three soil conditions will fall short of a harvest but one that soil condition will succeed in producing a harvest.

The hard path where some seed fell represents the hard hearts of those who hear the words of God, but then the devil comes and steals the words away and prevents people from believing.

The stony ground represents those who enjoy listening to sermons, but somehow the message never really gets through to them and doesn’t take root and grow. They know the message is true, and sort of believe it for awhile; but when the hot winds of persecution blow, they lose interest.

The seeds among the thorns represents those who listen and believe God’s words but whose faith afterwards is choked out by worry and riches and the responsibilities and pleasures of life. And so they are never able to help anyone else to believe the Good News.

But the good soil represents honest, good-hearted people. They (1) listen to God’s words and (2) cling to them and then (3) steadily spread them to other people who will soon believe. This is the type of people that need to rise up and be movers and shakers in developing community at PAC so people can discover how to live life to the fullest.