Seed Planting

Read Mark 4:1–7:23

1. Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore.
2. He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables. . . .
3. “A farmer went out to plant some seed.
4. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.
5. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
6. But the plant soon wilted under the hot-sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.
7. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.
8. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Mark 4:1-8

If you’ve ever tried to garden, you know that each plant, each vegetable or flower, is a unique living thing. Each grows differently. And one growing season can differ greatly from the next. But you’re always hoping for the best every season.

Jesus knew that parables from the land would find receptivity from an audience who understood gardening and farming. We, too, can learn how faith can grow and thrive, or shrivel and die. We can see that there is more than one possible response to God (soil), more than one way that the seeds of faith can fare. As you read, consider what kind of soil you are. That is, how receptive are you to God’s seeds?

As the parable illustrates, not everyone who hears the Word of God receives it. Some forget what they hear almost immediately. Others receive it with joy but fall away when persecution comes. Some receive the Word but then let the attractions and wealth of this world crowd out God’s Word from their lives. A few, however, receive God’s Word and take it to heart, producing a good crop of righteousness.

When you hear or read God’s Word, do you harden your heart and refuse to believe what you’ve just heard or read? Or are you easily distracted by the cares of this world from paying attention to God’s message? If you struggle with one of these attitudes, here are some steps you can take to receive God’s Word with joy: (1) Whenever you read the Bible or hear a sermon, do not close your heart to the message. (2) Watch out for the world’s distractions that try to turn you off to God’s Word. (3) Realize that although parts of God’s message will bring joy, other parts may bring sorrow, especially when you examine your life in light of his Word.