The Metaphor Master - Sowing Seeds of Faith

Matthew 13:1-16

There were moments, Dear Reader, when I imagined Jesus longed for solitude, a chance to steal away and be alone to talk with His Father, Who had always provided peace and perfect guidance. Jesus sat by the shore of a pristine lake, deep in thought, yet fully aware of the events that were about to unfold. A crowd approached.

Jesus stood up and dusted himself off. "Well, that didn't last too long," He thought. Nevertheless, He saw an opportunity to teach, one of His most incredible talents. He stepped into a small skiff nearby and put out from shore. Preaching from a boat was a novel approach. I can hear the sceptics in the crowd grumbling, "Hey! He can't do that!" But the stage was set, the water was calm, and the acoustics were perfect.

Jesus would share captivating stories whenever or wherever He preached. He was the Master of the metaphor. He knew that some people would understand and remember them, while others might not. Given that people of that era lived in an agricultural society, teaching about such topics would most likely resonate with them and help them follow Jesus' logic. The stage was set, the audience was listening, and the parable begins: a farmer went out to sow his seeds.

Some seeds fell on well-trodden paths, making them perfect for a bird banquet, but nothing else. Others landed on some rocks where there was the thinnest layer of soil. They sprouted enthusiastically, shot up like a weed, so to speak, but not for long. The sun's intense heat blazed, and the soil couldn't retain enough water, causing the seedlings to wither and die of thirst.

More of the seeds ended up among weeds. Here, the soil wasn't the issue; it had enough nutrients to sustain both thorns and plants. However, weeds naturally suffocate anything nearby. It's their nature and that's what they did: they strangled and squeezed out every drop of life!

Meanwhile, other seeds found their way to a good spot: a lush, fertile, and growth-promoting environment. A massive germination took place in these conditions, producing the most wonderful yield. In later years, farmers would call it a "bumper crop", meaning every container used to collect it would be filled to the brim. There’s a lesson here, folks. Do you get it? As Jesus would say, "Do you have ears?" Maybe we should write it down in our Farmer’s Almanac!

The disciples took Jesus to one side and asked Him this question. “Why do you speak to the crowd in metaphors, Master?” His trainees always seemed to have a lot of questions. Maybe that’s why Jesus picked them: good students often have better questions that create the best explanations for the fullest understanding.

As a good teacher, He responded clearly to their question. He was grooming them as His “A Team.” He was preparing them for what was to come. Little did they know this was their first day of Basic Training. Jesus also knew their open heart was fertile ground to plant the knowledge of His Father’s kingdom. A corrupt heart, however, will rationalize wise teaching as something more to rebel against, driving it deeper into corruption. To put it bluntly, if someone's heart is already without honor, they'll hear wisdom and see it as a challenge, which only pushes them farther from the truth.

Everything with Jesus was about issues of the heart. He knew man, and He knew what made him tick! That's why the heart is called a "ticker." He was there when His Father created the first one, in Adam. God must have had great plans for His firstborn on Earth. (But we all know how that turned out.) So, the Father sent the second Adam. Jesus arrived on Earth to fill open hearts with His good news. These were the hearts Jesus looked for; there was plenty of space to store great “tidings of comfort and joy.” The hearts of stone, however, would not be opened for anyone or anything. It was a crushing weight that would inevitably drag them into the depths of oblivion.

Jesus continues to educate his students, reaching back into the Old Testament and quoting the prophet Isaiah. God had also commissioned him to go out and evangelize to the unbelievers, knowing full well they would reject His Word and deny what they saw.

These faithless ones had grown complacent and indifferent in their theology. Nevertheless, Jesus wanted His disciples, His front line, to be aware of His Father’s orders and the plans He had for their lives. They might not have fully understood the job, but they were already committed. God was using His Son as an equal-opportunity Savior, offering a plan of eternal hope to everyone.

Then, Jesus blessed His “boys.” They might not have fully grasped the scope of the Father’s plan, but they were there for the duration. It was Day 1 of their tour of duty. God strategically planned the time and place for every future battle. The disciples were enlisted and conscripted as pivotal characters in the final chapter of sinful man. They were now blessed to be the first soldiers in the Army of Salvation, led by Jesus, the Christ. They would wear His Words of the Gospel as their Medals of Honor.

So now, away from the crowd, Jesus begins to unwrap the meanings of His "Glory Story." When someone is told about the good news of heaven, and before it settles into their consciousness, the Evil One sends one of his minions to pluck it away; snatch it before it can do its job. The “seed” that was sown, the word that was spoken, never had a chance to take root; the slightest puff from a breeze would blow it away!

Someone else might hear the Word of God and instantly become giddy with delight; however, his character is guided by the trends of the world, swayed by every shift in the wind. When tough times come, and they always do, there’s no solid rock on which to stand. He weakens; he topples; he falls. Thud!

Still another hears the truth, but because he’s so wrapped up in the “here and now,” he has no desire to consider the “there and then.” The pleasures of the world fill his heart beyond its suggested capacity. The love of wealth and possessions fertilizes his personal root of all evil. This man assumes that nothing having eternal value or everlasting consequence can come out of it. An unwarranted assumption! Such a waste!

 And then there’s the one who listens and takes the time to think about and receive Jesus' words. His spiritual “field” is fertile. His heart is more than ready to allow Jesus’ words to become firmly implanted in it. His new path has been set. From now on, his journey will be guided by the truth Jesus has freely given him. And on his journey, he will produce a bountiful yield, providing a bumper crop of spiritual nourishment to others along the way. The Master presented the metaphor, the meaning was explained, and He was sowing seeds of faith. Mission accomplished.

But wait, there’s more… I call them "Glory Stories." Read about the "Wheat and Weeds."