Itโs spring and the farmers are out preparing their fields to make them ready to plant the seeds. Home ownersย and back yard gardeners are working their patch of earth with fertilizers and other nutrients. They are preparing in expectation of planting a seed that will produce a crop.
Letโs have a look at two parables and see how they reflect on our heart soil. They are, The Parable of the sower and The Parable of the weeds.
Jesus speaking in Red
The Parable of the Sower
13ย That same day Jesus went out of the houseย and sat by the lake.2ย Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boatย and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.ย 3ย Then he told them many things in parables, saying:ย
โA farmer went out to sow his seed
.ย 4ย As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.ย
5ย Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.ย
6ย But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
ย 7ย Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
ย 8ย Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a cropโa hundred,ย sixty or thirty times what was sown.
ย 9ย Whoever has ears, let them hear.โ
18ย โListen then to what the parable of the sower means:ย
19ย When anyone hears the message about the kingdomย and does not understand it, the evil oneย comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.ย
20ย The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy.ย
21ย 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.
ย 22ย The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealthย choke the word, making it unfruitful.ย
23ย But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.โ
The Parable of the Weeds
24ย Jesus told them another parable:ย โThe kingdom of heaven is likeย a man who sowed good seed in his field.
ย 25ย But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
ย 26ย When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27ย โThe ownerโs servants came to him and said, โSir, didnโt you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?โ
28ย โโAn enemy did this,โ he replied.
โThe servants asked him, โDo you want us to go and pull them up?โ
29ย โโNo,โ he answered, โbecause while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.
ย 30ย Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.โโ
This is a post in progress