Today’s readings in Matthew 13 and Luke 8 contain at least seven parables about the kingdom of Heaven. One of probably the most famous is the parable of the sower. In this parable, Jesus mentions four types of soil. However, it is the sower that stood out to me. Notice a couple of things about the sower.
He is a sower, not a “show-er.” Sowing is hard work, and at the end of the day, there is nothing obvious to show for the work. Unlike those who harvest a crop, bringing in the sheaves with great rejoicing, the sower works quietly, broadcasting the seed on the field with no immediate results. How often have you witnessed the gospel to someone, taking every opportunity to plant seed, yet there is nothing to show for the effort? Yet, how critical is the sower? There is no harvest without first having a sower sow the seed. It reminds me of what Paul said, I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6, KJV) Paul was a sower, not a “show-er.”
The second thing I notice about the sower is that the seed is sown on all types of ground. The sower did not discriminate against any kind of ground. A field can have many soil types. In our reading, this field had four. The sower’s job was simply to sow the field and let the seed land where it landed, regardless of the soil type. It can be disheartening to have labored in sowing the gospel only to see a small part of the whole field take root and produce. As sowers, we are not “show-ers.” We must trust God with the results. Is it not God that gives the increase?
As sowers, notice the encouragement we have from God. “The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. (Isaiah 55:10–11, NLT)
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Matthew 13 and Luke 8.