Here’s the Parable of the Sower:
Luke 8:5–15 (NLT) — “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!” When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled: ‘When they look, they won’t really see. When they hear, they won’t understand.’ 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.
In this parable the seed that is sown on the good ground is the seed that “represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.” Don’t you want to be that kind of seed bearer? I do. However, often we don’t like that little word that has been “planted” into verse 15. It’s the word “patiently”. The principle for growth, however, is always:
Mark 4:28 (NLT) — … First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens.
For most, the long season of growth from when the first blade appears to when fruit finally arrives seems like an age. Because of this, many Christians seek to settle only for salvation + respectability. That shiny Christian covering that looks and feels Christian enough, and certainly has value, but is seen as the goal and not part of the maturing process. Be assured, this is a stage and not the goal. Additionally, I’d argue that this is a dangerous stage where comfort and self-dependency reigns supreme. Cozy yes, but also very costly.
The cost of comfort is a fruitless life. The life of the seed will remain inside the hard shelled kernel and whilst things seem good, for a while, there is no fruit to be had here. Unless the hard exterior dies and starts to be come the nutrient to the young sprout, the crop will fail. This is why Paul says:
Romans 6:11 (NLT) — So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
He said again
Romans 12:1 (NLT) — And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
The daily act of dying to self is what establishes the seed in the heart of the believer. The humility to say “Lord I need thee, every hour I need thee” is what invites the Holy Spirit to water the seed and produce the fruit, that Paul said is
Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT) — …. love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control.
Lord help us to see the life of the seed in our lives and die daily to allow the work of God to take root in our lives and bear fruit through out lives.
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