Producing Abundant Crops

Yesterday in my mailbox, I recieved a package from the Arbor Day Foundation and inside the large yellow envelope was gifts of letter labels, a 2021 calendar, stickers, and a survey. On the survey it told me that I would receive 10 tiny spruce trees as long as I fill out the survey. As you kept reading the survey it comes there’s a cost. “Pretty sneaky Arbor Day Foundation.” Those trees are not free, because the survey says to complete it and then send them five dollars. This isn’t our first rodeo with Arbor Day Foundation.

Two years ago, Sarah and I got a package from them, so we proceed to “donate” our five dollars and receive our 10 spruces and two lilac plants and if you don’t remember 2018 Summer was a brutally dry. We planted all the trees and bushes and then prayed they grew. As most of you are already wondering, did you water your newly planted trees or bushes? There absolutely not! We thought they would grow and God would send the rain. The only thing that survived and is still growing today is our one lilac bush. I guess you can say, Sarah and I have brown thumbs.

But we’re not going to give up that easily with our planting projects. This Spring was a prime year to start something new - Sarah and I (mostly her) were going to begin a new garden in our backyard. So Sarah started making a layout of the garden ordering the seeds and I was in charge of digging up the grass and rototilling the soil. A little later the garden was ready to begin. Our seeds were in hand and now it was time to plant, water, and tear out the weeds and be patient and behold, God gave us green thumbs after all! Tomatoes, kale, cucumber, corn and more all appeared out of nowhere and it all came from planting just a tiny seed.

Without seeds, there be nothing growing in the garden. Even 1st century Romans/Jews knew this truth with is why when Jesus teaches his disciples around growing vegetation he uses a parable to describe what makes take place for a little seed to grow. For in order for life to form, a seed must be planted and grow in fertile soil.

With that being said, we go to the parable (which means story) of the sower. In this parable Christ is illustration a spiritual point along side with reality to teach us something valuable. Whenever we come across a parable within the bible, it’s always a good principle and read it slowly so we don’t miss what Jesus is teaching us.

Beginning in the parable found in all the synoptic gospels, Jesus is teaching off the shore in a boat to all the people who are gathering around him. All the men, women and children are interested in what Christ has to says, so they stand silent on the shore waiting for Jesus to utter a word of wisdom to them. In Mark 4, Jesus begins to say these words to the people.

Mark 4:3–9 ESV

3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

This only makes sense, a healthy seed cannot germinate on a hard path, a rock with shallow soil or survive with thorns. It must have fertile soft soil in order seed to grow life and to the fullest. But what is interesting is Jesus final statement to those who were listening. “ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” In other words, those who can accept my teaching, do not be offended.

And because Jesus spoke in these parables, people who are spiritual dull would not understand what Jesus is speaking about, so the crowds dissipated and all who were left were his disciples and even they were confused about what Jesus meant, so being a teacher, Jesus told them these words.

Mark 4:11–20 ESV

11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ” 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”

What is fantastic about this parable is it is the only recorded parable in which Jesus tells us the spiritual principle so we’re not left guessing to interpret the story. The Sower represent Christ, whom is spreading the seeds which represent the words of the kingdom according to Matthew 13:19 (that is his teaching on the ethics and values of the eternal kingdom of God). Then the sows these teaches to four types of different soils which represent the human heart, you get the point. Only good soil grow healthy plants that produce fruit. Other ground will fail and result no fruit. For today I have three take away lessons we can conclude from Christ’s parable of the sower.

First is in wind, rain, or shine we sow.

Jesus taught his disciples these words for the purpose of telling them their mission. To spread the good news of Christ and his kingdom’s teachings. For once Jesus died and ascended to heaven, he then entrusted his church become the sowers of the word. I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to talk a student on our kayaking trip what it means to Jesus and what’s the destiny for the world. What was happening in those moments was God was giving me a seed to plant within their heart and my prayer is God can eventually break ground and sprout a living soul in which brings forth the fruit of righteousness.

However, I think it’s easier to sow other kinds of seeds though. Seeds that are not from God, but the devil. The seeds of hate, lust, bitterness and anger - in this difficult year it seems that many followers of Christ are picking up and chucking seeds of Satan at one another. What good is that? We needs to be spreading the seeds of the teachings of Christ. The words that are from the scripture will not come back empty, but will leave a mark on the soul.

Which is why we must take every chance to share the words of Jesus with those we come across. When we’re at Mejers, on vacation, scrolling through social media, walking in town. That’s when the gloves come off, and we lift our green thumbs to heaven and ask God for our seeds to land on fertile ground. Yet, we know many seeds will go to waste just as Jesus prophesied to us.

Secondly, most don’t grow, however we sow.

Three out the four soils produced no fruit. Why was this the case, the first one landed on the path. Their heart was to hard and Satan snatched up the word. The other two took root and began to grow, so they did for a short time believe, but one with shallow soil that landed on the rocks fell away on the account of tribulation or persecution. The other seed landed on thorns and when they sprung up choked it to death on account for the the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and desires of other things.

So we know, that when we the news about Christ and his kingdom, some will never believe. Others will believe temporally, but eventually will fall away from the faith because of fear or love of this world. Only a few seeds will actually grow up to make fruit. So when you share your faith with people and they outright reject it or never go all in for Jesus, don’t be surprised. Jesus told us this was going to happen.

The biggest thing is never becoming discourage about the harvest. If all farmers took that same approach to farming and had one terrible year because the season, soil, and equipment failed and quit the occupation then we would be stuck with no farmers. In the same way, if the church gives up quickly to make disciple just because they failed many times prior then there would eventually no church. And this cannot be God’s will for he said that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church.

When we share the faith and the teach of the kingdom and it lands on deaf ears, then we need to pray for God to break down the harden path, the stone, and to weed out the thrones so that the seed can germinate and grow. Never lose heart, believe God can work any ground because once he does only amazing fruit comes outs.

Thirdly, God prunes those who grow, so they can sow.

The last spiritual principles comes to those who believe and obey the teachings of Christ. We bear spiritual fruit. Some thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and others a hundredfold. When we embrace Jesus and abide in him, we grow fruit and our heavenly Father is our vinedresser who prunes us so that we grow even more in the likeness of his perfect Son.

At times God prunes our sins and shortcomings so we can be better at sowing his seed. Whatever keeps us from being like Christ, our heavenly Father will prune. The more we grow spiritual with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the more we will feel compelled to spread more of God’s seeds upon the world. But maybe you feel distant from God lately, this is the time for you to ask God to prune your life. To help you grow more fruit so you can carry out the mission he has given especially to you.

The reason you want to spread his seeds to others is because you know the love that Christ has for you. His love was demonstrated by sending his Son to free us from the bondage of sin and death through the death and resurrection. He loves you through and through and desires all us to bear fruit so our Father who is in heaven will be glorified.

At the end of the day, we are all called to be sowers of word. If we all practice what Jesus instructed for us, we would truly make more disciples. It doesn’t take too much work to plant seeds. Share how God is good to you and how you know he love others. When we begin to spread the seeds of Christ, truly Ubly Christian will be the church that will make an impact for eternity.

Healthy churches sow God’s seed everyday.