“Do you not understand this parable? …The sower sows the word.”
Mark 4:13, 14
Jesus reveals the secret of the kingdom in a simple story: A sower goes out sowing seed. The seed falls on different kinds of ground. The seed on bad ground produces nothing of lasting value. The seed on good ground produces a marvellous harvest.
The seed sown in this story is God’s Word. This living seed has the power to produce life and sustain growth. If you’re inclined to think about the Word of God simply as information, think again. The Word of God has life-giving power.
Any seed will produce a crop if it’s planted in the right conditions, but different seeds will produce different harvests. The seed that we sow will determine the crop that we get. So, we must choose our seed carefully. The first question is: What kind of harvest are we hoping to see?
Once we’re clear about the harvest we’re looking for, we’ll be able to select the right seed. Is it a large crowd? Is it people who like the church? Many kinds of seed will produce these harvests. But Jesus is telling us that if we seek a harvest of people living under the blessing of God’s rule, only one seed will produce this crop.
The Word of God has produced the same harvest of people living under the blessing of God’s rule in every culture and in every generation. It will produce godly fruit in your life, and in the lives of your children, your neighbours, and your friends. We can have absolute confidence in the power of this seed to produce a great harvest today.
Are you clear about the harvest you’re looking for and what the seed is that will produce that harvest?
