Luke 8:10-15

“To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.”^[1]

Jesus told a gathered crowd a story, a parable, about a farmer who went to out to plant seed. Some fell alongside the road where it was trampled underfoot, some on rocky ground where it died because it could not get enough water, some among the thistles and thorns where it was choked out, but some in good ground where it grew and flourished. His disciples did not understand the story and began to question him as to its meaning, and today’s scripture is the response Jesus gave them.

In the economy of God there are certain principles that universally govern the universe He has made. One of these principles is that of seedtime and harvest. In Genesis 8:22, God says, “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Every farmer understands that if there is to be a harvest there must first be a planted seed. But this is also true of everything else in life, it all begins with a seed. For those living in the realm of faith the seed we sow is plainly, the Word of God. If we expect anything from God, it must begin with a seed.

But let us not be foolish in our understanding. Farmers also understand that that every seed does not produce the expected result. There are all types of factors that impact the success or failure of a particular harvest. Jesus lists four such factors that we can say are general in nature and over which we exercise some control but are not exhaustive. There are also other factors that we can neither anticipate or control. These remind us of the sovereignty of God who ultimately is in control of all things. Still the principle remains: plant seed, expect harvest; plant no seed, expect no harvest. What seeds of faith are you planting?

Gracious living God, thank you for providing us guidance and direction in the parables You taught Your disciples. We desire to harvest so much but sow so little. Give us the zeal to study and put into practice Your Word. Help us to understand the principle of seedtime and harvest and empower us to employ it today. Amen.

^[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Lk 8:10–15.