Tending our Garden

Tending our Garden

Words of Faith 5-25-18

Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2018

Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com

Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL

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Luke 8

   [4] While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: [5] "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. [6] Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

   When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

   [9] His disciples asked him what this parable meant. [10] He said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, " 'though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.'

   [11] "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. [12] Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. [14] The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. [15] But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

     This was a perfect time for Jesus to teach about how the ministry of the Word of God works in the lives of people. He told an agricultural parable.

     Describing a familiar scene, Jesus dealt with one of the great questions of our faith journey: Why do some respond while others do not? Why is it that some people grow greatly in the Word and hunger for more, while others do not seem to pay any attention? Some will grow fast and then fall away, while others just never seem to get it. Why is that?

     It is an important question because we come up with a lot of wrong answers. We often will assume there must be something wrong with the message. We may try to package things differently or we try out the latest program for communication. Or, if the problem is not the message, we think perhaps it is the messenger. We will just get a different preacher and that should take care of things.

     But Jesus suggested a different answer: Bad dirt. It is possible, after all, that the problem is not with the seed, or the sower of the seed; it might be with the dirt!

       In the parable, the farmer sows the seed generously, almost recklessly, even in places where it might not appear to grow. The farmer is completely indiscriminate in where He throws the seed. Some of the seed grows well. Some falls on the path and is snatched away. Other seed falls on a rock and grows but without root and dies. Other seed grows well but is choked out by thorns. Some falls on good soil. If the harvest does not grow, it is not the fault of the seed. It is also not the fault of the farmer. The difference lies in the soil.

       It really comes down to the working of the Spirit. After all, how can soil change itself? Jesus told a man named Nicodemus that unless a man is born again-- born from above-- by the Spirit, he cannot see the Kingdom. There is a factor of human response. Jesus continually pleaded with people regarding their response to the Word of God. Once we are saved, we have many choices regarding what kind of soil we will be. We CHOOSE how we respond to the Word of God, even in cooperation with the Holy Spirit.

       The powerful truth of this parable is quite simple, we need to tend our own garden. You are responsible to be the very best soil that God can work with. You are responsible to receive the Word. You are responsible for your response. If it were not so, would Jesus have pleaded with this generation to respond? If it were not so, would Jesus have debated and confronted cold religion?  

       How is your soil doing? Are you ready to grow in the Lord. Are you prepared for the Word to powerfully impact your life and world?

       O God, make me into the soil You want me to be. Cause Your Word to grow powerfully in me. In Jesus' name.