We are Good Soil

Isaiah 55:10-13
10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out in joy and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.13 Instead of the thorn, shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier, shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the LORD for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!”

The Parable of the Sower Explained

“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

We are Good Soil

I grew up in farm country in rural Ohio. Many in my mom’s family were farmers. Our family was not a farm family. I’m not much of a green-thumb person either, but I’m struck by the sower and the soil in this story. Seed is expensive and the sower in Matthew’s Gospel just throws seed all over the place. No modern farmer would needlessly throw seed on hardened pathways, thorns and rocks. Yet this sower did just that. But then this sower (thankfully!) is not a farmer. The sower is our God and this story, once again, speaks of the generosity of God, while presenting opportunities for us. The seed, God’s word. His message of love and forgiveness for each of us is all about abundance and generosity or, as pastor I know once said, “It is the lavishness of God.”

The story implies that all the seeds that fell on the rocks, weeds and path amounted to nothing. But, as we look around us, we find that is not the case. Remarkably we see a flower or tree growing in the crack of the concrete sidewalk or on the asphalt of the road. They grow among the cactus and, for sure, we see a few growing on the hard rock walls along the path of the canyons here in Arizona. This sower throws seed not only on good soil, but also amid the rocky, barren, broken places, which leaves us to wonder if there is any place or circumstance in which God’s seed cannot sprout and take root. It is a wonderful reminder that, in seemingly unlikely places, God’s word takes root in a person’s heart and grows into something beautiful. It is a reminder that, even on the darkest of days in our journey, God’s love continues to find us and grow in our hearts.

While we often think this parable is about the sower, we might also consider it a parable about good soil. At the end, it is not about the generosity/wastefulness of the sower and the amazing abundance of seed, for that isn’t even mentioned. Instead the focus has changed to the soil, the different qualities and the different kinds of believers. You and I are the soil, those who hear the word of God. We are embraced by His Love and grace. We catch the seeds of His forgiveness and mercy, the abundance of His grace in order to share it with another.

It would be great if we could go someplace or catch a good seminar, podcast and be transformed into good soil. But as any good gardener or farmer will tell you, good soil takes years to develop. It must be fed and nurtured by the remains of the plants that come and go, worked and reworked to become the supple, nutrient-filled soil needed for good growth. Good soil does not make itself good; it is nurtured. When a seed is planted in good soil, it grows and bears fruit. The more it is nurtured, the better the outcome. It seems clear that we should pray and strive to borrow the word of Handt Hanson’s lovely and simple hymn “Let My Heart be Good Soil.”

That brings us to the Old Testament reading for this week where we read “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

In these words we see an image of life. The rain and snow that comes down to water the earth, the soil “giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater.” When the earth does not receive this moisture, life shrivels-up. What is green turns brown. Seeds do not sprout and grow. Ask any farmer, and they will tell you the importance of rain and snow to life.

Through God’s word, the seeds are planted and nourished in good soil and watered so that God’s word gives life that does what it is intended to do and God’s purposes are accomplished

The words from Isaiah end with “For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”4 So wild is the promise and work of God’s Word!

It is true that we are made by a loving and compassionate God. Our very being has a purpose for living…to reflect God’s love and care in every breath we share. As we live on this side of life and can often see only pain and loss, we do not see all of the beauty of creation. God has purpose and an end for us greater and more glorious than we can begin to imagine.

The readings are about God’s generosity and faithfulness to us. His love and grace and compassion are freely given every minute of every day. He is always ready to forgive. When the seeds of life are thrown our way, are we ready to accept them? How can we share these seeds of hope and love and forgiveness with the broken world we live in?

I’m reminded of a comment made many years ago by Pastor Eric Hoefer. He said that God’s love is not meant to be bottled up and stored in our barns. His love comes to us and enriches us and then flows from us into the world around us. It is our opportunity, our calling to share the harvest of God’s love 10 fold, 30 fold, 60 fold and even 100 fold. God’s work! Our Hands!