A man went to sow seeds in his vegetable garden, but he
wasn’t very careful. He dropped some seeds along the path on the way to his
garden. The birds quickly found those seeds and ate them. He also sowed seeds
at the upper end of the garden where the soil was shallow. Bedrock was only a
couple of inches below the surface. Those seeds did not last long. They
germinated, but there was not enough soil for them to put down deep roots. When
it got hot and dry, those plants withered and died, because they had no roots.
Other seeds were sown along the borders of the garden where
grass and thorns encroached on the growing area. Weeds crowded out these
vegetable plants, depriving them of nutrients, water and light, and they soon
died. But other seeds were planted in rows where the soil was rototilled,
fertilized, and weeded regularly. They got full sun and plenty of water. These
plants produced a large harvest. There was enough for the gardener to eat all
he wanted, freeze some, can some, and still have enough to share with friends
and neighbors! Dig deeply into this story and reap the spiritual reward!
(Original translation of Matthew 13:3-9, commonly known as
the Parable of the Sower. American Paraphrase Version, copyright 2017 by
Marshall Davis. All rights reserved.)