When you were a kid, did your parents mark your height with
a pencil mark on a wall or on the door frame? Did you do that with your own
kids, if you have them? Marking height and watching someone grow is a joy to
anyone who is around kids as they are growing up. We want to know height and weight as soon as they are born
and then we want to keep up with those statistics far into their childhood. I remember the pediatrician telling us that
our son Jake (who was about 2
years old at the time) would probably grow to be 6’ tall. I simply could not
believe that. Of course, the doctor was correct, and he’s even a little taller
than that. But it was hard to believe at one time.
In the next few weeks, we will be discussing the topic of
“Growing Seasons.” What it literally means to tend, care, love, watch something
grow, whether in your garden or a person in your life (yourself, even…). We will explore growing through the
lens of the parables Jesus shares on the seeds and soils found in the gospel of
Matthew.
This week, the parable of the sower. OR sometimes it’s
called the parable of the soils. Jesus tells us of the different kinds of soils
a seed can land in.
1) Seeds on a path that get eaten by the birds
before they ever have a chance to grow.
2) Seeds on the rocks that don’t have any depth of
soil, and therefore no roots.
3) Seeds among thorns that got choked out.
4) And seeds on good soil that brought forth grain.
Jesus suggests to the disciples that this correlates with
the hearing and understanding, or lack thereof, of the word. That those who
hear and understand have fallen on good soil.
Do we have to depend on random placement as to whether we
are seeds in good soil or seeds on another, less appealing, path? Or do we have some level of choice,
intention and responsibility of getting ourselves to the ‘soil’ we need? It’s all a little unclear from what we
have read and explained for us in Matthew, but there is the sense that paying
attention to how you receive the word and how you let life’s interruptions and
distractions affect your reception of the word are important tasks.
As it is with children growing up, we need to be sure we pay
attention to what aids in growth for us as faithful disciples and what doesn’t.
What is the ‘junk food’ of our lives that we need to replace with ‘balanced and
nutritious’ living instead? How do
we mark our growth on the doorstop of our faith and what do we do when we encounter
rocks and thorns? Interesting
stuff to ponder.
Questions? Email me or comment below.
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