Every Monday, CEPAD staff gather to reflect on scripture before diving into our respective responsibilities. This week’s scripture comes from Mark 4:1-20, the Parable of the Sower.

Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and it up.

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.

Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced crop, some multiplying thirty, some city, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.

Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 

Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop–some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

While this parable is very well-known, we want to look at it with an internal and external lens.

Internal

Just as Jesus describes in the passage, the parable is a metaphor. The seed is the word of God and the soil represents the hearts of mankind.  What kind of soil are we working with?

It’s very possible that depending on what season we are in, we may feel a little of each soil throughout our lives. However, we, of course, want to attain to be fertile soil–always receiving, growing, and multiplying the Kingdom.

Many of us focus on the internal aspect of this passage, the question what kind of soil am I working with, but there’s also an external message here.

External

The question we need to ask ourselves looking externally, is how can I prepare the soil of others? If we are true believers, it means that the seed has been planted in us, has been nurtured, and is growing, but that may not be the case for others.

There are many around us who have probably heard of God or have been to church, but have left due to hurt or disagreements. Their soil may be shallow, rocky, or full of thorns, hardened to the love God has for them.

How can we help prepare them to be fertile soil? The change is often not overnight, but by consistently being a positive presence.

Maybe it’s praying with them and for them, for everyday things. Maybe it’s inviting them for coffee or dinner to intentionally talk about life. Maybe it’s through your actions, showing them God’s love. Maybe it’s inviting yourself to share about your own faith journey with them, or some of the big faith questions you’ve had in life.

Over time, these actions may help to move away the rocks or to clear out the thorns. We cannot make people accept the Word, only the Holy Spirit can do that, but we can make ourselves available to live out the gospel.

Where can you grow fertile soil both in yourself and others around you?