Fertile Ground

What - or who - makes for good, receptive ground?

The thing of fertile ground is throughout scripture. It might actually surprise you if you haven’t noticed or studied it before. In Genesis, humanity is taken out of the adamah - fertile ground. In the histories, psalms, and prophets, Israel is dependent on the fertile ground. There’s a direct connection drawn between Israel’s faithfulness and the ground. And of course, as in today’s passage, Jesus’ parables continue the imagery.

Agriculturalists today note that a significant amount of the US’ topsoil has eroded or is gone completely. It takes many years for good topsoil to form, with all the microorganisms and nutrients that make good topsoil.

Might we say that the goodness of humanity reflects much the same?

Jesus’ parable tells us that the message of God - in all of its truth and beauty and love and grace - requires a fertile receptor. Jesus doesn’t get into scientific ratios or anything like that, but it is clear from his parable and explanation of it that the receiving environment has to be right for his word to be implanted and grow beyond speed and weed.

We might be tempted to assume the good soil is loaded with things that make us feel safe or good. But at the risk of extending the image too much, we might note that the rich soil that breeds life is actually full of dead things being repurposed. Jesus’ own ministry demonstrates that he sought to plant the seeds of God in places others would consider Godforsaken.

It’s not that an intact family unit or a nice church kids’ program and wing or a “house-job-two-cars-three-kids-and-a-dog-and-cat” is necessarily bad. But perhaps what we have long assumed to be the best contexts for God’s word are not what actually the intended recipient. We, of course, do not seek sinfulness or death, either. But we don’t have to. There’s plenty of grief to go around.

James names the same thing in another key. We are prone to look at people the way we look at fields, judging their worth by what seems strong, impressive, or promising on the surface. The established are assumed to be good soil. The disinherited are assumed to be barren. But James reminds us that God so often chooses the very ones we overlook, those whose lives look most disrupted and depleted, to be rich in faith. What appears thin and broken to us may, in fact, be deeply fertile. And if Jesus is right, it is precisely there - among the overlooked, the struggling, and the unsettled - that the seed of God’s word most often takes root and bears fruit.

Mark 4:1-20

Jesus began to teach beside the lake again. Such a large crowd gathered that he climbed into a boat there on the lake. He sat in the boat while the whole crowd was nearby on the shore. He said many things to them in parables. While teaching them, he said, “Listen to this! A farmer went out to scatter seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path; and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it scorched the plants; and they dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked the seeds, and they produced nothing. Other seed fell into good soil and bore fruit. Upon growing and increasing, the seed produced in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of one hundred to one.” He said, “Whoever has ears to listen should pay attention!”

When they were alone, the people around Jesus, along with the Twelve, asked him about the parables. He said to them, “The secret of God’s kingdom has been given to you, but to those who are outside everything comes in parables. This is so that they can look and see but have no insight, and they can hear but not understand. Otherwise, they might turn their lives around and be forgiven.

“Don’t you understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The farmer scatters the word. This is the meaning of the seed that fell on the path: When the word is scattered and people hear it, right away Satan comes and steals the word that was planted in them. Here’s the meaning of the seed that fell on rocky ground: When people hear the word, they immediately receive it joyfully. Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. Others are like the seed scattered among the thorny plants. These are the ones who have heard the word; but the worries of this life, the false appeal of wealth, and the desire for more things break in and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one.”

James 2:1-7

My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, “Here’s an excellent place. Sit here.” But to the poor person you say, “Stand over there”; or, “Here, sit at my feet.” Wouldn’t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges?

My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn’t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn’t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Don’t the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren’t they the ones who drag you into court? Aren’t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism?

Prayer

God,

Rearrange my assumptions. Challenge my presuppositions. Help me with my prejudices.

Make me see what fertile ground for your Word is, both for others and for myself.

By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.