Jesus explains his Parable of the Sower (which we often note is really the parable of the soil - and the seed).
When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives 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. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
Most of us preachers have spoken on this story quite a few times. But now I see the pandemic here.
It appears in the form of thorns.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.
The worries of this life. That's a pandemic. You don't have to catch it to be choked by it spiritually. The promises of the Word overwhelmed by the latest Government edict, the light of the word lost behind the clouds of despair, the search for a vaccine a deeper longing than the search for a Saviour.
Though a seemingly gentle, rustic parable there is brutal reality here. Farming is quite brutally realistic at times. The pandemic will find people out. Assumed spiritual growth will be found to be wanting and corners of the spiritual landscape will deny the Lord of the Harvest.
None of this means that the harvest will be disappointing - to the contrary it will be amazing and wonderful. But will it include me? And you?
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