Tag: Gardening

Multi-fold Bounty

~ Sowmya Gali

Matthew 13: 8

And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.

Mark 4: 8

Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

When narrating the Parable of the Sower, Jesus Christ saved the best for the last: the seed that fell on the good soil. He likens the seed that fell into good soil to a man who hears the Word of God, understands it, bears fruit and brings forth a bountiful harvest (Matthew 13: 23). In all the three Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus mentions that a man who hears His words, understands them and practices them is the one who bears fruit resulting in a multi-fold harvest.

As an amateur gardener, I’ve noticed that if a seed has all the right conditions when it is sown, then it grows exactly as I’ve anticipated. Ensuring a nutrient rich soil, well drained soil and optimum temperature, enables a seed to grow well and thrive. I’ve experimented with certain variety of seeds, trying to grow them in the wrong season but still providing the right nutrients. Despite my best efforts, seeds didn’t sprout in off season. Even if they sprouted, they didn’t grow well enough. God has ingrained in those seeds’ DNA when and how they must grow.

When God’s Word is firmly planted in our hearts, if the conditions are right, then the seed does sprout, grow and thrive. When we receive the Word, how we deal with it matters the most. If it isn’t received well, if the right conditions are not provided and if the necessary nutrients are not supplied, then, the chance of the seed surviving in our hearts are slim to none. However, if our hearts are receptive to the Word when we hear, then it does sprout and grow.

When we receive the Word, understand and thrive, then we are bound to bear fruit. Jesus likens our lives to fruit bearing plants. Not just bearing but bringing forth a bountiful harvest. It is interesting to note that Jesus in the Matthew’s Gospel talks of the harvest in a descending order while in the Mark’s Gospel in the ascending order.

Matthew’s Gospel: hundred-fold, sixty-fold and thirty-fold

Mark’s Gospel: thirty-fold, sixty-fold and hundred-fold

In nature, we witness plants/crops bringing forth initially more and slowly the harvest dwindles down as the growing season draws to a close. At the same time, some plants/crops initially bear little but as the season is winding down, they put forth a bountiful harvest. Either way, there is a bountiful harvest.

How are our lives? Has the seed that was sown in our hearts received the right conditions for growth? Have we been bearing fruit? Did we bear just enough fruit for the Kingdom or did our lives bring forth a bountiful harvest that our barns are spilling over? Plants, at the end of the growing season, tend to bolt, which means their main focus is to produce seeds. It is their survival tactic for the next season. Seeds if they fall to the ground, they remain hidden until the right conditions are prevalent. Did our lives touch others’ lives that through us the seeds of God’s Word sown in their hearts are also bearing bountiful harvests?

Just as Jesus promised, if His Word is sown in a good soil, we will have to bear fruit. Not just enough but a bounty that spills over. We, as believers of Christ, must ensure that we provide the right conditions for the seed to grow, which means, that we must be in the Word constantly, drawing the nutrients from God. The more we draw from Him, the more we bear fruit.

Dear beloved, hope this series of articles on the Parable of Sower has inspired you to be rooted in the Word of God. No matter our circumstances, our lives bear witness if we are being fruitful or not. As my pastor gently reminds us on a regular basis, we must be fruit inspectors. First inspect fruit that we are bearing and then inspect fruit of others. As we continue to thrive in His Kingdom, may we constantly be nourished by the Living Word, may we firmly be planted by the Living Waters so that irrespective of the season, we will be evergreen fruit-bearing trees for His Kingdom and for His glory!

Easy Pickings

~ Sowmya Gali

Luke 8: 5

“The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up.

Jesus, in this parable sets off narrating about a farmer or sower who goes out into the field to sow some seeds. As he picks a few seeds from the bag, some slipped and fell on the side of the path. The farmer didn’t stop to pick them up or sow them in. Instead, he walks on. These seeds are now exposed to the elements: exposed to blazing sun, incessant rain, birds, rodents, insects, etc.  With no firm ground to take root, they tend to die off.

The disciples were perplexed when they heard this Parable. Jesus, knowing their thoughts, begins to explain to them. He compares the seeds that fell on the side of the road, the ones which neither had the right conditions to begin germination nor a stronghold to latch onto, to people who hear the Word of God but become easy pickings to the evil one due to their loose grasp on the Word. “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. Luke 8: 12

Matthew’s account explains even further what Jesus gave in His explanation. Jesus here elaborates that when such people hear the Word of God, unable to understand it, they become easy prey to the devises of the devil. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. Matthew 13: 19 They are the ones whose hearts are easily distracted. Any distraction would lead them away from the truth, which is the devil’s agenda in the first place. An underlying fact also remains here: they are the people who don’t take time to dwell a little longer and try to understand the Word. They are looking for easy answers and quick solutions. Wherever they find a quick remedy for their malady, they will pursue that.

Mark’s account gives us a slightly interesting perspective. We can actually visualize this narrative: a person hears the Word of God; he is walking along and the devil is lurking in the corner to distract so that Word doesn’t take root. Thereby, the devil achieved his plan of keeping people away from the truth by showing a shiny object. “These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear; immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.” Mark 4: 15

Whatever the narrative is, the truth remains the same. How many in the world have heard the Gospel but due to lack of resources or someone to explain to them, have reverted to their old ways! And still there are many who heard the Word, but neither took time to stay and ponder a while nor attempted to dig deeper. On the contrary, they chose to stick to easier paths or solutions or more familiar circumstances. Finally, there are those who are easily distracted by a shiny object. Instead of staying the course, they check out quite easily. In these current times of news at our finger tips, in small sound bites, or headlines, we expect the Word of God also to be delivered in brief headlines, fast and precise, GIFs and other media. We just take what we want and toss the rest. Beloved, the Word of God isn’t like that. It is a spring of Living water that never dries out. The longer we choose to stay and dig deeper, the better our satisfaction will be. Nothing will distract us. Nothing will snatch away. Nothing will sway us. It is up to us how and when we allow the Word of God to take root in us.