Parable of the Sowers

Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-20

Last year was the first time I picked up a shovel and tried my hand at gardening. I spent weeks researching, purchasing, and organizing my supplies. I bought heat mats and seed starters with a grand vision of a beautiful cut flower garden I could use to make bouquets for friends. I read the directions carefully, planted each seed according to the package, and anxiously waited for them to sprout. A few weeks went by, and pretty soon, I started to see my first green leaves popping up out of the soil. When the time came to transfer them outside finally, I thought for sure I was in the clear. Sure enough, the next morning, when I went to go check on my little seedlings, every single one had shriveled up and died. In frustration, I tossed my last handful of seeds on the dirt, not even covering them, and forgot about them until one summer day, I had 3 glorious cosmos flowers springing up from the ground.

Does anyone else feel like this is relatable when it comes to discipling people? The parable that we read today is meant to encourage those of us who are trying to teach others about Jesus. Just like the intentionality I had put into my garden, the farmer had sowed good seeds, but not all the seeds sprouted, and even the plants that grew had varying yields. We mustn't be discouraged if we don’t always see fruit in our discipleship. Belief cannot be forced to follow a formula. Rather, it’s a miracle of God’s Holy Spirit as He uses you to lead others to Him. 

There is no perfect method, no surefire trick to get others to love the Lord. And each believer is going to have different seasons where their faith may be shallow or choked by the weeds of this world, entangling their walk with Christ. As disciple-makers, it’s not our job to convict or transform. As farmers, we can only remain faithful to the Word of God and continually cultivate the “ground.”

What does your soil look like?

How can you cultivate a healthy growing environment for those you lead?