I am not a gardener. My mother and my aunt could make anything grow into something beautiful. Not me!
My aunt use to work for a greenhouse. The owner would throw away a small plant; my aunt would take it out of the trash, fill a new pot with dirt, water the plant, talk to it, and watch it grow into something beautiful.
My mother loved working in the yard: mowing, trimming, planting, and tending new plants. She could make beautiful arrangements from the flowers in her garden.
My only claim to fame is a very large Christmas cactus. It continues to grow larger every year, and it usually blooms from October through May. My orchid, on the other hand, remains bloomless.
Jesus told a parable in Matthew 13 about a sower, a farmer, who sowed seed in various locations with various results. This parable is a reminder that our sowing doesn’t always produce the results we hope for.
The first time the sower went out to sow his seed, the seed fell along the path. The birds came and ate the seed, and there was nothing left to grow.
The sower next sowed seed that fell on rocky ground. The seed came up quickly, but there wasn’t enough soil to hold it in the ground. The sun came out and scorched the plants, and they died.
Some of the seeds were planted and fell next to thorns. The thorns grew with the seed, but they choked out the seed.
Last of all, some seeds fell on good ground. They grew and produced strong, healthy plants. The sower had a bountiful crop!
This parable is a reminder to us about our spiritual seed sowing. The seed eaten by the birds is like the Word of God being sown in the heart of a man or woman. The heart did not understand the word the way he or she should, and the devil snatched it away before they could learn more.
The seed that was sown among the rocks is like someone who hears the word and is happy to know what God wants them to do. That person is faithful for a while; but when suffering and trials come into the picture, they fall away.
The seed sown with the thorns is like those who hear God’s Word, but they let the problems crowd it out of their lives. They care more about having wealth and fame than being obedient. The physical things of life choke out the gospel, and they fall away.
Lastly, there are those that hear the gospel and obey it. They study and understand what they need to do, and they teach others. Because of their teaching, more are added to the faith.
Just as our physical gardening sometimes fails, so is the planting of the spiritual seed. Some hearts are touched and receive the gospel with enthusiasm. Some remain faithful, and some fall away.
We cannot let the outcome of one seed-sowing be the determining factor in our decision to keep spreading the gospel.
May we pray for continued opportunities to share the gospel of Christ with those around us. May we do as the Lord commanded His disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Sandra Oliver