The Sloppy Gardener

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.)