A Soil Sample

This is the first of Jesus’ parables. What is a parable? It is an everyday story with a spiritual meaning, a story from real life to teach a spiritual truth.[i]

In the parable, there are three main elements: the sower, the seed and the soil.

I don’t know much about gardening, though I’m learning, so I wouldn’t boast any expertise. However, the little that I do know about gardening tells me that a gardener would be foolish to take a handful of seeds, and just throw them to the wind, hoping they landed on good soil. The foolishness of a farmer using that method is made more foolish if they throw seeds in an area where there is hard-packed, rocky, thorny, and good soil in close proximity. Chances are some of those seeds are going to fall on some of that bad soil. Granted, some of the seed will fall on the rich soil, but wouldn’t a wise farmer want to sow his seeds exclusively on good soil?

Why, then, would Jesus choose such a foolish example? After all, isn’t he a wise teacher who should know a thing or two about farming (this is an agrarian culture)?

Jesus’ description of the farmer tells us something important about God and God’s way. In the parable of the sower, the sower is none other than God himself.

What’s more, the rather unorthodox method of spreading seed—in such close proximity of bad soil—describes the unorthodox way of God’s kingdom. Perhaps the first truth of God’s kingdom is that it runs in opposition to the way of the world and the wisdom of man. The way of God’s kingdom is peace, wholeness, joy, and love. The way of the world is the opposite. So the sower casting seed randomly is not unwise in this parable. Rather, the sower is operating on his own terms, outside the conventional ways of man. Thus is the kingdom of God .

Fredrick Buechner says that if we’re living according to the principals of the Kingdom of God , “the everything goes topsy-turvy. Losing becomes finding and crying becomes laughing. The last become first and the weak become strong. Instead of life being done in by death in the end as we always supposed, death is done in finally by life in the end.”[ii]

This entire parable addresses the issue of reception of God’s revealed truth, symbolized by the seed. The familiar verse in the book of John says, “For God so loved the world that he sent his son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life”(John 3:16 ). In other words, “For the sower so loved the soil, that he planted his seed in it…”

Jesus left the father to come to the earth, not to condemn the world, but to save it (John 3:17 ).

Once again, this parable highlights the upside-down way of God’s Kingdom compared to the worldly way. Here, force and political maneuvering bring on change. Protest and war usher in new ways. People are taught to “take what they can get”, “go after their dreams”, and “look out for number one”. The way of this world is about force.

What was Jesus thinking? Around here things are done by force and commerce. If you want to bring in a different way of doing things, talk about money and guns.

But God’s way is brought on through the planting of a tiny seed. And, as seeds do, it has to die away in order to bring about fruit. Jesus came as the “seed” of God’s Kingdom. He came to teach, model and establish The Sowers’ way. There is no war or force used. The seed simply falls on whatever soil it finds, and does as much or as little as the soil can accommodate.

The different soils in the parable describe the different ways man responds to Jesus, and God’s kingdom truth. The soil is us, mankind. The soil represents the way we respond to the Word of God, the seed, sown by the sower, God. “It may be rejected outright, received in a superficial way with no lasting effect, received, but later crowded out by contemporary pressures, or it may be believed and obeyed.”[iii]

Earlier this spring, Lisa and I planted our vegetable garden. We visited a local garden center where we purchased several packages of vegetable seed. We went home and planted them in the ground. As seeds purchased from a store ought to do, they sprouted and are now growing strong. Again, I’m not a master gardener, but I have to think that in the vast majority of cases, seeds purchased from a store are good, and should grow.

Again, I’m not a master gardener, but I think that it is true that the seeds are rarely faulty. Going back to the parable, this principal is exclusively true. The Seed—Jesus, God’s Truth—is never, ever faulty. It is guaranteed to grow…if it is planted in the right soil. But that doesn’t always happen. As Jesus said, the seed sown by the farmer fell on different soils, and produced different results.

Thus is the case with the truth of God, the teaching of Jesus. It is not the seed that is faulty. Rather, the soil—people—may or may not be conducive to growth.

This is the soil of rejection. The seed falls on hard ground, can’t root, and the birds come to eat it.

This ground represents those who hear the word of God, the truth of Jesus, and reject it.

This is the soil of superficiality. The seed falls on shallow soil, over a layer of rock. The seed sprouts quickly, but soon withers because it’s roots can’t develop.

This soil represents those who hear the word of Jesus, choose to follow Him, even get baptized, but eventually wither and walk away, stop growing when challenge comes. This is the person who is swayed by an emotional response to Jesus but doesn’t take seriously the commitment.

This soil represents the one who hears the message and receives it, but their roots don’t go deep. “At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word”(Matthew 13:21 NLT).

This soil “represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth”(Matthew 13:22 NLT).

This soil represents one whose heart is divided, who can’t apply the truth of Jesus because they are preoccupied with the worries of the world. They are preoccupied with accumulating wealth and status, with ensuring they save enough. This is the person who has to work ridiculously long hours each week to afford their ridiculously over extended lifestyle!

The word of God cannot root and thrive in such an environment. It is choked, killed by the way of this world.

It is the desire of Jesus that His way transform the lives of those who hear and accept his truth. It is also his desire that such people bear fruit.

This soil represents this sort of people. This soil describes those who have heard the truth of Jesus and are committed to orienting their lives to his way.

This is the soil we need to nurture! There are some ways to tell if this is indeed the sort of soil we are, to gauge the state of our soil.

· Individual: Do you long to know what the Bible says and apply it—all of it—to your life? Do you talk to God? Do you listen to God? Do you participate in the life of a community of other believers? How do you feel when you do bad things, sin? Are you content with it, or does it cause you pain? The Fruit of the Spirit: “When the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”(Galatians 5:22 -23 NLT).

· Church: What are we devoted to? Are our people bearing fruit, becoming more loving, joyful, and peaceful, etc.? Are we looking outside of our four walls to the needs of our neighbors, to the fatherless and the widow? What do we hunger after? What shapes our thinking and activity? (Acts 2)

“(This) parable is a mirror: it shows people where they stand. It is held up to the faces of Jesus’ hearers.”[iv]

The seed has been planted. Jesus has made his way, God’s kingdom known to us. What has been your response to Jesus? What has Jesus done in you? What kind of soil are you? What kind of soil are we?

[i] Michael Green, The Message of Matthew, The Bible Speaks Today Commentary Series (Downers Grove, Ill: Intervarsity Press, 1988, 2000) 153.

[ii]Frederick Buechner, Listening to Your Life (New York: Harper Collins, 1992) 181.

[iv]Green 156

Capon, Robert Farrar, The Parables of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1985).

Loader, William, “Pentecost 8”, First Thoughts on Year A (found at www.textweek.com) 2002.

A Soil Sample (The Parable of the Sower)

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23