Sowing the Seed

I often wonder about the parable of the Sower. The story we get seems really condensed. Now, I know I’m not a farmer, so this story doesn’t hit me as hard as it did Jesus’ audience. But, bear with me a second.

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable about the farmer out sowing seed. Some seed fell on the path, others fell in rocky soil, and still others fell among the thorns. None of those seeds bore any lasting results. But, the seed sometimes fell on good soil, and there is produced a huge crop of abundance. Jesus later goes on to explain that the seed is the Gospel of the Kingdom, and the farmers are us. Although it isn’t stated, each of us has been given the task of sharing the Good News with every person that we meet. That doesn’t necessarily have to be overt; sometimes it is just a smile, a nod, or a kind word. But each of us is called to scatter seed.

However, I have often wondered about this parable… Each time I share the Gospel with someone, it is immensely personal. It usually develops out of relationship, as we begin to share the most important parts of our lives with one another. Sometimes the Gospel takes root and multiplies in that person’s life; but sometimes it is like the three other types of soil, being choked out or stolen away or trampled on. Each time I see the person not respond, it hurts and sometimes feels a little personal. Maybe if I had only done better, or said something in a different way, or didn’t push at this instance, or maybe if I’d just pushed a little harder… Jesus seems to gloss over the personal nature of evangelism, comparing it simply to a farmer out tossing seeds around.

Yet maybe it is a good analogy. The farmer’s livelihood depends on the productivity of that seed, and he works them and makes them grow. His life and his hope are wrapped up in the seeds’ response. Yet it is God who causes the seed to grow. We aren’t always called to bring in the harvest; we can’t make the seed take root and grow. We are simply called to sow and cultivate seed. Maybe the seed will stay dormant for many years, suddenly springing up and thriving. Maybe it will be carried away, only to be dropped into good soil when the moment is right. We aren’t called to be successful, just to be faithful. So, keep on sowing the seed, Farmers for the LORD. You never know what harvest God will provide.