Rooted

 

3/1/2021

Matthew 13:3 “…A farmer went out to sow his seeds.”

This morning we read Matthew 13:1-23, the Parable of the Sower. Jesus speaks of a farmer scattering his seeds. The seeds fall in different places: some fall on the path, and are eaten by birds; some fall on the rocks where the soil is shallow, and hence so are the roots which get scorched by the hot sun; some fell among the thorns and were choked; and some fell on good soil and produced an abundant crop. Each place yields a different outcome, but only one place generates prolific growth.

Jesus went on to explain the parable as being about how we hear and receive the message of the kingdom. “The path” means the lesson is heard but is easily snatched away by the evil one. “The rocky ground” means the lesson is heard with rejoicing, but without a roots it does not last. “The thorny area” is when secular idols choke out the lesson, and it withers and dies. “The good soil” is the area that the lesson is heard and understood, deeply taking root and becoming prolific.

My husband and I spoke about all these areas, and we agreed that throughout our lives seeds have been scattered for us in all of these areas. There was the path, when we did not have understanding because we had not yet yielded. There was the rocky ground, where even when it seemed we had joy and were producing fruit, our roots were shallow and we were ripped up by disappointments. Then we both had a time among the thorns, where a focus on the world pulled us away. Now, we are both planted firmly in the good soil and deeply rooted for sure. We will not be shaken. To God be the Glory.

I said to my husband that my prayer is to be like the Giant Redwood Trees of California that are resistant to insects, fire, and rot. They stand tall, bold, majestic, and strong. Their roots can be six to twelve feet deep (which seems fairly shallow for their enormous size), but can extend 100 feet from the trunk. The roots of these behemoths intertwine and can even fuse together, allowing them to gain strength form one another. I pray my faith will be resistant to all the fiery arrows of the evil one, the draw of this world, and the rot they both can have on my soul. I also desire to be part of a community of believers who strengthen one another because our roots intertwine in faith, prayer, worship, fellowship, outreach, and love.