It’s that time of the year again — time for many of us to break our gardens and begin preparing the soil for planting this year’s garden. As many of you prepare the soil and sow the seed your hopes are raised for an abundance of such fresh fruits and vegetables as tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, beans, peas, potatoes, squash, okra, peppers and a host of other things I have not mentioned.  Those of you who have repeated this process for several years know that the secret is good soil and the right amount of sun and rain.

In the passage before us Jesus has a “very large crowd” which has come to hear Him teach, but His concern is will the truly listen and respond appropriately. To address this concern, He tells a parable about a simple farmer who goes out with a seed bag hanging by a strap from his shoulder or tied to his waist rhythmically casting the seed. The seed which he is sowing is a powerful symbol for the Word of God. It is seed of the best quality — it comes from God Himself. It has infinite potential for life. The sower is Christ and anyone else who puts forth God’s Word. The soil represents our hearts and our receptiveness to the seed sown in them. As the sower casts his seed: a.) Some falls beside the road where the birds come down and take it away. b.) Some lands on rocky ground where it sprouts quickly but soon withers under the Palestinian sun. c.) Some falls among thorns where it is choked out and cannot grow. d.) Some finds its way to good soil where it produces an abundant crop thirty,sixty, even one hundred times the amount sown! ? As we look at this parable, I would like for each of you to ask yourself this question, “Which soil best represents my heart?”

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