Day 9: Sowing & Growing
“The sower sows the word… And those like seed sown on good ground hear the word, welcome it, and produce fruit thirty, sixty, and a hundred times what was sown.”
Mark 4:14&20
When we lived in Edinburgh, we grew our own fruit and vegetables in the community vegetable garden. The first year we had it, I got excited and sowed many different seeds including carrots, turnips, coriander, onions, spring onions, potatoes, chillies and other seeds I don’t recall. I must have used about £200 worth of seeds. As we waited until the end of the growing season, I think I had about 4 edible carrots. These were the most expensive carrots ever recorded. We did laugh, but Bex did often consider killing me for my feeble efforts.
In Mark chapter 4 Jesus tells parables where seed is scattered and the sower waits on his produce. These parables are illustrations of the growth of God’s kingdom. In verses 14 to 20, Jesus explains to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the sower. The seed the sower scatters is the Word of God. He scatters the truth of God’s Word everywhere and it lands on four different types of ground. These grounds represent the human heart. The human heart must be prepared to receive the living Word of God for it to nurture and grow.
• The first type of heart is the hard heart. This seed was thrown onto the path (v15). This heart is hardened to the Gospel. This person refuses the Scriptures from the off and it’s easy for Satan to snatch the Word away.
• The second type of heart is the shallow heart. This seed was thrown on rocky ground with no roots. (v16-17). This heart receives the Word with joy and buzzes for a while. However, when the going gets tough and sacrifices for Christ have to be made, they quickly fall away because there was little depth to their faith.
• Thirdly, there is the crowded heart. This seed was thrown among the thorns (v18-19). This heart also receives the Word, but there are so many other idols in there, they choke the Gospel and suffocate it. The pull of riches, self-gain, comfort and the things of the world are more important than serving King Jesus and they surely fall away.
• Lastly, it’s the fruitful heart. This seed was thrown on good soil (v20). This heart receives the Word and evidence of a changed life starts to be seen. The things of the world become secondary to serving and honouring Jesus. The first three hearts produce no fruit. This heart is fruitful as the person grows in their faith. Their roots grow deeper and deeper into the Lord. They may stumble along the way, but there is genuine repentance, and they continue pressing on for the King.
The sower in this parable sows seed everywhere. If it’s an experienced sower, they would know not to sow on hard ground, or rocky ground or among thorns. Nevertheless, the sower here scatters it far and wide. The point Jesus is making is: preach the Word to everyone, everywhere all of the time. Scatter the Word in every place to every person. Preach Christ in season and out of season.
You probably won’t end up with 4 poxy carrots like me, but you might end up seeing one or two lost souls saved from the pit of Hell. Transformed and made new. Producing fruit in keeping with repentance. Their names written in the Lamb’s book of life. A seat reserved for them at the marriage supper banquet beside Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Surely that’s worth scattering the seeds of the Gospel for!
Plead with the Lord today, to lead you to one lost soul with a heart of good soil, ready to receive the seeds of the Gospel, you the sower are about to scatter.
Written by Paul McLaughlin
Passage for today: Mark 4:1-34
A thought to remember: As the Gospel is scattered, some seeds will grow and bear fruit.
A question to ask: Where can you scatter seeds of the Gospel today?
A song to sing: By Faith