"Looking for Lovely"
“A farmer went out to sow seeds for harvest.” Luke 8:5
We read an entire chapter about watermelon seeds yesterday. I don’t know anything about farming, planting, growing anything from the ground. Yet, I was particularly enthralled with Annie’s chapter on seeds.
I hope you felt the same way. Luke 8 holds a famous parable Jesus used to teach a crowd and then His disciples a lesson. Please read verses 5 through 15 now.
Jesus taught through parable regularly. The author of the Passion Translation in his commentary to Luke 8:4 said, “A parable required the listener to be humble, teachable, and open to truth. Revelation from God can be found through an allegory.” In an effort to be humble, teachable, and open, please read the parable again, slowly, and see what The Teacher reveals to you there.
This passage has been rumbling around in my head for a couple of weeks now. As I’ve considered it with humility, asking God to show me what He’d have me learn, I believe two fresh thoughts are transforming my mind.
1. The ground where the seed fell could represent one, single person in varying seasons of life. I’ve read this parable countless times. Every time I’ve read trying to figure out how to be the good soil. I’ve also read intent to discover the traps of becoming the hard soil, rocky soil, and soil full of weeds. Sadly, I’ve also read to label people in my life that weren’t good soil.
As I’ve read this week, it has occurred to me that I have been hard soil, rocky soil, and weed-filled soil. My heart could have been characterized with every one of these descriptions in different seasons of my life, before and after salvation. Let me be completely honest, there have been days when my heart could have been characterized by the hard, rocky, weedy, and good soil within one day. Rather than this reality making me feel shame or guilt, I have felt at peace. Regardless of the state of my heart, God continues to pursue me. He graciously cares for my heart regardless of its state. The patience of the Farmer is amazing.
2. The Farmer through seed regardless of the soil. This is amazing and restorative. I’ve spent most of my life studying the soil in this parable. I have read the words of Jesus’ parable over and over and always walked away pleading with God to make the soil of my heart good, to protect me from a hardening and to shield me from the cares of this world.
The good news of this parable is the Sower/Farmer throwing seed regardless of the ground it fell on. Why aren’t we focusing on the reality that God isn’t waiting for “good soil” to throw seed? This is the only good news of the parable, and I’ve missed it all of my life. But…. I won’t miss it again. The goodness of the Farmer is overwhelming.
I don’t know how much time you for study today. If you have a few more minutes, I invite you to read the parable and explanation of it one more time. This time, look to be amazed and overwhelmed by the patience and goodness of the Farmer. What if the story isn’t meant to change or fix something in our hearts but to restore the vision of our eyes?
In every season, God, You have faithfully thrown the seed of Your Presence. The good news of the Gospel is that You aren’t waiting for us to have it together to offer relationship. Your Presence is here. There is no separation between us and You through the work of Christ. Help us to get out of the business of “fixing” to enjoy Your presence and into the business of noticing Your Presence is already here, at work, regardless of our imperfections. What a concept! Cause us to have hearts to see and hear clearly. Amen.
