Contrary to popular belief among my roommate, college friends, and even family I do in fact have a green thumb, as we discovered this past semester. Most know how much I love flowers, so over Christmas break I was feeling adventurous and decided to buy an African Violet and plant some Aster seeds and see what would happen. After many, I repeat many, ups and downs of plant life I have just recently seen the fruitfulness of the Aster seeds and they are turning into beautiful blossoming flowers.
The life of these flowers however remind me of something much greater than my recently discovered green thumb. They serve in telling the story of one of my favorite parables, Matthew 13, the Parable of the Sower. Join with me in living this story out through the life of my flowers.
To set the scene, Jesus was preaching and teaching one day when he went outside of the house and sat beside the sea. Crowds of people gathered around him so he hopped in a boat and got comfortable. The eager crowd stood on the beach as Jesus opened up telling many things in marvelous stories.
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| It all started with a sower who set out to sow some seeds.
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| As the sower did so, some of the seeds fell along the path and the birds came and devoured them [bear with me this part didn't actually happen]. |
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| Other seeds fell along the rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose (and wind in my case) they were scorched (and windblown). And since they had no root, they withered away. |
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| Other seeds fell among thorns (weeds), and the thorns (weeds) grew up and choked them. |
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| Yet other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. |
This may be somewhat of a silly way to represent this parable yet it really helps me visualize what the story is really getting at. The seeds represent the word of God and faith while the soil acts as the believer's heart. The growth of the seed depends always on the quality of the soil and environment it is given. Light bulb moment anyone?
Let me ask you now in accordance to Matthew 13:18-23 (the explanation of the parable)...
- Have you heard the word of the kingdom and not understood it, therefore the evil one has come and snatched away what has been sown in your heart?
- Or have you heard the word and received immediate joy yet have established no root therefore you have withered as soon as tribulation and persecution arises?
- Or my friend have you heard the word but the cares of the world and deceitfulness of riches are choking you therefore proving unfruitful?
- Or have you heard the word, understood it, hungered and thirsted after it, and testified to it, therefore indeed bearing much fruit?
My prayer today is that you have found yourself answering yes to the fourth question, however I realize we are all at different places. I can say with full certainty I have been at all four points and today I pray ever so strongly that wherever you are you continue to seek after the holy and precious word of the Lord to grow and persevere against the evil one, trials and tribulations, and ways of this world.
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Labels: College, faith, flowers, God, Jesus Christ, Nature
