Day 50

Leviticus 7:28–9:6; Mark 3:31–4:25; Psalm 37:12-29; Proverbs 10:5

TODAY IN THE Gospel of Mark, Jesus told an agricultural story, paralleling seed planting and the ways in which the human heart responds to the Word of God.

In the parable, Jesus spoke of a farmer who sowed much seed. The seed was uniformly good and was scattered evenly. However, hope for the harvest had much more to do with the soil in which it was planted. The seed and the soil are equally important, revealing once again the collaboration required between the human and the divine in God’s Kingdom.

The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!

We are now in a rhythm of daily interaction with the Word of God, and the obvious and poignant question is whether our hearts are becoming good soil for it. We all desire harvest in our lives. However, if the seed is only on the surface, it will get snatched away. If our hearts are hard and stony, there is nowhere for the Word of God to take root. If we are distracted by worry or seduced into chasing wealth or any number of other desires, then the soil of our hearts is thorny and will choke God’s Word. Perhaps it’s time to tend the garden of our hearts and intentionally become good soil. Only then will we experience a bountiful harvest in our lives.

MEDITATION:

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.