Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Nourishing Theological Reflections from Experiences
Bible Portion :St. Mathew 13:18-23
“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.” (St. Matthew 13:23)
Devotion
“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.” (St. Matthew 13:23)
Devotion
This parable known as the Parable of the Sower could be more accurately described as the Parable of the Soils. The farmer scattered his seed, which fell on four types of soil. Interestingly enough, the seeds that fell on different soils produced various results determined by the nature of the soil on which the seeds fell. We see that the parable is a true representation of the varied ways in which people respond to the message of the gospel.
The seed symbolizes the Word of God, Jesus Christ is the Sower, and the field is the heart of the people. The Sower sowed the same quality and variety of seeds; however, the fruitfulness of the seeds was based on the condition of the soil. People tend to reject the Word due to the state of their hearts.
Unlike a modern farmer who prepares the soil with much care like balancing the pH factor, farmers in Jesus’ time cast the seed and then later plowed the land to make it ready. During this scattering process, some fell on the roadside soil where the seed did not grow because the birds probably ate it up since they were exposed. A few fell on the rock-laden ground with shallow soil; though the seed germinated fairly quickly, without much soil to continue the growth, it withered. Some other seeds fell on thorn-congested areas, where the thorns growing among other crops eventually choked out the life in the plant. The fourth set of seeds fell on the good soil and because of the good nature of the soil, the plant grew well and yielded a miraculous harvest. This soil represents a responsive heart that is ever receptive, embracing the gospel message, which bears varying degrees of fruit for the kingdom of God. People who produce this kind of fruit honor God, and only those fruits last for eternity. A seven-fold harvest meant a good year for a farmer in biblical times. A thirty-fold abundance would feed a village for a year. How are we preparing for the harvest? Are we willing to test the soil of our hearts?
The seed symbolizes the Word of God, Jesus Christ is the Sower, and the field is the heart of the people. The Sower sowed the same quality and variety of seeds; however, the fruitfulness of the seeds was based on the condition of the soil. People tend to reject the Word due to the state of their hearts.
Unlike a modern farmer who prepares the soil with much care like balancing the pH factor, farmers in Jesus’ time cast the seed and then later plowed the land to make it ready. During this scattering process, some fell on the roadside soil where the seed did not grow because the birds probably ate it up since they were exposed. A few fell on the rock-laden ground with shallow soil; though the seed germinated fairly quickly, without much soil to continue the growth, it withered. Some other seeds fell on thorn-congested areas, where the thorns growing among other crops eventually choked out the life in the plant. The fourth set of seeds fell on the good soil and because of the good nature of the soil, the plant grew well and yielded a miraculous harvest. This soil represents a responsive heart that is ever receptive, embracing the gospel message, which bears varying degrees of fruit for the kingdom of God. People who produce this kind of fruit honor God, and only those fruits last for eternity. A seven-fold harvest meant a good year for a farmer in biblical times. A thirty-fold abundance would feed a village for a year. How are we preparing for the harvest? Are we willing to test the soil of our hearts?
PRAYER
Christ the Sower and the Lord of the Harvest, we are thankful that You have sown the seeds of the gospel in us. We praise You for affording us the opportunities to do the same for others. Enable us to spread gospel seeds everywhere we go with much joy. We confess for the many times we received Your Word with hardened hearts, making us unteachable and the soil of our hearts infertile. Kindly grant us hearts that are tender and receptive to Your truth. May our hearts be the rich soil in which the Word of God will be deeply planted, so that our lives may yield a plentiful harvest of hundred, sixty, and thirty-fold. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Are we willing to prepare the soil of our hearts to receive the message of the gospel and allow the Word of God to grow to maturity so that we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves?
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Are we willing to prepare the soil of our hearts to receive the message of the gospel and allow the Word of God to grow to maturity so that we shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves?
Mrs. Neethi Prasad (Kochamma)
Jerusalem MTC, Connecticut
Jerusalem MTC, Connecticut