Scattering Seed Far & Wide

What a waste! Amiright?

Mark 4:1-20

There are a number of remarkable considerations in the parable of the sower. But perhaps there is nothing more remarkable than the notion that the sower who spreads the seed was pretty messy with it. Wouldn’t you want to utilize the seed only in places that would grow a good crop? Why would he throw some so liberally on a path or rocky ground?

Maybe the sower didn’t know exactly where the seed would land. Maybe he just wanted to get the seed spread as far and as widely as possible.

Did you know that there have been significant movements of the Church that have decided to plant the seed of the word only in particular places? Many church planters are specifically trained to focus only on suburban families because a church would grow more quickly and have more resources. Can you believe that?

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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.”

Prayer

God,

Help me to be as liberal with your word as the sower who throws seed so far, he can’t see where it lands, but trusts in the notion that some will land in soil fertile enough to grow and spread.

By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.