Soil and the Soul
In one of His parables, Jesus compares our ears to soil. Makes sense, right? After all, we are jars of clay. And I won't be the first person to point this out, but in the parable, there are some constants. The seed is a constant and the sower is the constant. But notice what's different in each scenario:
“Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate 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. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.””
Hard soil (unresponsive).
Rocky soil (we hear it, but don't allow it to take root; shallow.)
Weed-filled soil (no room to grow; too many distractions choking us).
And of course, good soil. Perfect environment for deep roots, good growth.
During our week of looking at the soul, how are your ears? What kind of soil does God's word fall upon? I know for me, I think I'm often a combination of the above. Weeds of distractions? Yes. How many days have I reached for my social media before reaching for my Bible? Shallow and hard soil? Yep, that too. Sin and selfishness have too often kept God's word from being able to take root.
My prayer for us all is that we'll take what's constant (God and His word) and allow it to fall on good, ready, needy soil where it can sink deeply into our souls, our hearts and lives. Who's ready to do some gardening?
-Jimmy Peña
For Discussion: How has your pursuit of health affected your hearing of God's word? Has the gym or your pursuit of fitness choked or distracted your spiritual growth? Or in contrast, has your pursuit of physical stewardship bolstered your time with Jesus, quiet times and Bible reading? Talk to me. I'm all ears.
