Seed and Soils

"'The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!'"  ~Matthew 13:1-23

 
Growing up, my parents almost always had garden. I remember one home where they had, from a child's perspective, a "gigantic garden!" Rows and rows of different kinds of vegetables. Vines, stalks, and plants covered the carefully plotted ground. I was fascinated by how the small little seeds would sprout and grow and eventually look just like the picture on the seed packet. I remember my parents planting, watering, fertilizing, weed pulling, putting up chicken wire and eventually picking the produce. Judging by the yield, we had some pretty good soil.
 
Jesus often told stories taken from everyday life to present spiritual realities. Parables that packed a punch. The one he told at the beginning of Matthew 13 has received quite a bit of attention. It's a little longer and came with a detailed explanation for his disciples and us. God's word is the seed. It's good seed. It's the message of the Kingdom, a message of hope. Through faith in Jesus, we can take our place in his Kingdom and live a life of great significance now and forever. Our experience of the Kingdom is determined by what kind of soil we are.
 
Jesus described footpath soil, rocky soil, thorn-producing soil, and good soil. Which describes us? I believe part of the purpose of the story was to help us properly identify where we are and to give us a vision of where we could be. Often times, we are deceived into thinking we're good soil when in reality we're footpath, rocky or thorn-producing soil. Good soil produces - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Good soil produces a life that looks just like the one pictured on the Kingdom seed packet...Jesus.