Good Soil

Thursday, February 22nd
Good Soil
By: Chrissy Cooney
Matthew 13:1-23

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
    though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
    you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
    they hardly hear with their ears,
    and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
    hear with their ears,
    understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’[a]
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 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. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 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.”

I have a “black thumb.” In fact, I’ve brought home plants only to have my husband say sarcastically, “why do you keep bringing home plants to kill?” or “you know they will need to be watered, right?” I DO know they need to be watered; and fertilized and weeded (maybe even talked to). Most of the time my problem with plants seems to start from the beginning - getting them in the right soil.

To the farmer, good soil is soft, deep soil, free of rocks, thorns, and weeds. When seeds go into this kind of soil, they sprout and grow with ease. In the Parable of the Sower, God does the planting, His Word is the seed, and our hearts are the soil. So how do we get hearts of good soil, ready to receive God’s Word and let it grow deep and produce fruit? Our God is so loving that He will do all the hard work if we are only willing to let Him. We must be open to His work in our lives and attentive to His gentle corrections, the stones and weeds He wants to remove, and the transformation He wants to bring.

Will you pray this prayer with me?

  Holy God, I am open to all that you want to do in my life. I want to have a heart of good soil, open to Your will and Your Word. Lord, break up the stony ground in my heart and remove anything that is not pleasing to You. May Your Word take root in me and transform me so that I can bear fruit for Your kingdom. I ask this in Jesus’ Name.