Sowing the Seed
Posted on Jul 11, 2023 by Shari Van Baale
The Old Testament and New Testament readings for this Sunday have something in common. They both talk about seed and the sower. The seed is the word of God, and the sower is whoever spreads the word of God.
According to Wikipedia, in the Parable of the Sower, “Jesus later explains to his disciples that the seed represents the Gospel, the sower represents anyone who proclaims it, and the various soils represent people's responses to it.”
If you don’t know anything about planting, in order for things to grow, seed must be planted by a sower. The sower scatters the seed randomly; it is not deliberately placed in each spot of land. Rather, it is sprinkled in large quantities, either manually or with machinery. It then requires water, sunlight, and patience to grow. Sometimes a little prayer helps.
The message of God is like that. Someone needs to tell you His message, then be patient and pray. Sometimes, as in Matthew 13, some of the seeds might not form into something, but they are still planted. It is important to plant all the seed, even those that don’t look perfect. You never know which seeds will take root and grow.
You need strong roots for the seeds to thrive. If they don’t run deep, they might bloom for a while, but eventually they will wither and die. This is kind of like the enthusiasm of a new Christian. They get excited and are “on fire” for God, but that strong passion doesn’t last forever. There are times when it is strong, and other times when it wanes. It is the times when our faith is tested that show how deep our roots really are.
Shari Van Baale
Salem Communications Coordinator