Planting | Agricultural Grace

Week Two | “A farmer goes out to scatter seed.”

Agricultural Grace | A 5-Week Series

The image of a garden– sowing, planting, and nurturing seeds gives us a way to reflect on our own spiritual growth and the ways that grace shows up in our lives. Sometimes we need to be reminded that not everything is a quick fix. Growth takes time. Grace transforms. We plant seeds and wait with the truth that God is always with us.

Planting

Matthew 13: 3-9 (CEB)

He said many things to them in parables: “A farmer went out to scatter seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it scorched the plants, and they dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked them. Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. Everyone who has ears should pay attention.”

First, what is a parable? 

A parable is a story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson. They are different from instructions or law, like the 10 commandments. They are not an actual account of history. With a parable, it’s not always clear what Jesus is saying. Oftentimes, there is more than one meaning. Bible scholars say that is why Jesus intentionally used parables as his primary way of teaching — because parables invite us to wrestle with truth. To see ourselves in different parts of the story. 

What are some ways that we could read and interpret the parable of the four soils? 

We could focus on the seed. There is no sowing or no growing without the seed. Jesus tells us later in Matthew 13 that the seed is the good news of the Gospel. It is the word of God. Those who have ears, let them listen, Jesus says. 

We talked a lot about seeds last week. The process of germination. All of the potential one seed can carry. The good news of the gospel is resurrection, new life, and possibility. We have story after story of how this pattern of possibility shows up in scripture, and in our lives. The seed opens itself up to transformation – bursting forth with new possibilities and growth. Literally. 

Photo by Neslihan Gunaydin on Unsplash

We could focus on the soils. In this parable, Jesus talks about four types of soil. 

• The soil that became hardened from being repeatedly walked on and so the seed simply sits on the surface, waiting to become food for the birds.

• The rocky soil that makes it difficult for the seed to take root and access the nutrients necessary for growth. 

• The soil that is covered in thorns— already has well-established, invasive plants, giving little chance for new seeds to grow.

• And finally, the good soil that has been prepared, turned over and loosened, replenished with nutrients — good soil cultivated to produce good fruit. 

We could learn a lot if we focused on what it means to prepare the soil of our soul for the seed of the gospel, of God’s love, to take root and grow in our lives.