The Parable of the Sower

Today after church as it was a lovely sunny and warm day we decided to make a start on tackling our garden.  David had cut the lawn yesterday but the rest of the garden is badly overgrown and untidy and there is lots of work to be done to get it back to looking its best.

We used to have a beautiful huge Rosemary bush which was great for fresh rosemary for my cooking but unfortunately it did not survive the winter and David set to work to pull it up.

Meanwhile I attacked the weeds on the patio and around our decking area.  Weeding is usually not one of my favourite jobs as I have quite a weak lower back and often end up unable to walk for a few days after a couple of hours bending over weeding.  However, I do find it quite therapeutic and very satisfying as it doesn't take long before you can see the results.  I spent a good couple of hours pulling up weeds and grass and scraping up moss that was growing between the bricks. 

As I was clearing the weeds and uprooting them without too much difficulty I was reminded of the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13: 3-8) when Jesus spoke to a large crowd who had gathered around him by a lake

"Then he told them many things in parables saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.  Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown"

Jesus then explained the parable to his disciples (Matthew 13: 19-23):

"When people hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts.  This is the seed sown along the path. 

 The seed falling on rocky gound refers to people who hear the word and at one receive it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 

The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word but the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

But the seed falling on good soil refers to people who hear the word and understand it.  They produce a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

In this parable the seed represents the word of God and the soil is the heart of man which is either receptive to or resistant to the truth of God.  Sometimes it can be disheartening when other people seem to close their hearts and minds to the the Gospel and it can feel a little like flogging a dead horse. I know that there are some people who I care about very much who I would love to see saved but I need to accept I cannot change the soil or their hearts by merely desiring it.  

I guess this parable is encouragement to keep sowing and hoping that one day some seed may fall on good soil where it can take root, grow and be fruitful and trusting that God will prepare hearts to receive him.

Although I hope that God can and will use me and work through me, ultimately he is immeasuably greater and more powerful than I and thankfully the harvest does not depend upon me or my skills at sowing!

Anyway, the old Rosemary Bush burned really well in my Chiminea and gave off huge big flames and lots of heat.  I realised I was wearing a slightly flammable pink fleece which now has several lovely scorch marks on it.

And we now have a rather huge gap in the garden where the rosemary bush used to be.  Now what can I plant there? . . . .