Reflection on Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

It was right there, in a pile of rocks.  Nothing should have been able to grow there.  Yet, rooted in a little puddle of soil on top of a pile of rocks along a cliff side there was a delicate, little pine tree (no more than 4 inches tall) stretching its neck toward the sky.  It was a beautiful little sight; so beautiful that I took a picture. 

But, it was also a tragic sight, because I was certain that that little blaze of green in the middle of the drab, stone cliff side would soon die because its soil could not be more than an inch deep on top of the rock.  That was until I saw something further along the cliff side; but more on that later.

There have been times in my life that my heart has been the soil that you find in the middle of a dirt path.  Jesus has thrown either a word of good news and love or a word of healthy correction my way, like a near-eastern farmer who flings seed everywhere, but my heart has been through so much trampling and foot stomping, and it is compressed so tight, that it cannot possibly open itself up to any seeds that Jesus has thrown my way. 

A hard heart is not one that can be broken again, but neither is it a heart that can beat.  And, with the seeds of God’s word falling and laying upon such hard soil, the birds just come and clear it away.

There have also been times in my life that my heart has been rocky soil.  The soil that is there is rich in nutrients so when Jesus throws either a word of good news and love or a word of healthy correction my way, it excites me and drives me to be a better person and a better follower of Jesus Christ. 

I remember a time as a teen when I heard the powerful testimony of a comedian who was delivered by God from a life of dark depression into a light filled life of love and laughter.  The testimony was so funny and so tragically powerful that I was brought to tears, and teenage boys just do not get brought to tears.  So, in other words, there was plenty of dust blowing in my eyes that evening. 

I went from that evening committed to being the best follower of Christ that I could possibly be. 

You can probably already guess where this is going.  This sort of commitment to Christ usually springs up pretty quickly, lasts a couple of weeks (if that long), and then you realize that there was not enough nutrients in the soil or the soil was just too shallow, and the word that the Lord provided just sort of dies from being scorched by the sun.

Then, of course, there were the times that the Lord threw a word of good news and love or healthy correction my way, and it got caught up in all of the branches and thorns that had overtaken my soil.  Other cares, other concerns, other forces that I allowed to drive my life, other “more important” things crowded out the Lord’s seeds and thorns took over the places that the seeds attempted to take root.  And, I have to admit, that you do not need to be addicted to anything to have your life overtaken by complete distractions from what truly matters in life. 

Do not underestimate the power that the world has to shape your soil.  Do not underestimate the power that individuals and societies have to make your soil hardened, or rocky, or crowded. 

One drunken Native American who pushes you around while waiting at a bus terminal can cause a hardness of heart toward the plight of a whole people. 

One extremely bad and abusive relationship in your early 20s can shape your entire life of dating and your entire married life in tragic ways. 

And, days filled with too many choices and too many important decisions, and too many differing opinions of what is right and correct and true can crowd out the one thing that matters the most: the will of God. 

Do not underestimate the power that individuals and societies have to make your soil hardened, or rocky, or crowded.

But, also do not underestimate the power of God to place a seed into a rock enclosed tomb, only for the tomb to explode open with new life.  Jesus cannot be held down and the word of his love cannot be blocked forever.

So, even when your soil is the hard soil of the path, or the shallow soil found in the rocks, or the soil that is choked out by thorns, never forget that the savior of the world does not give up on throwing the seed!  He still scatters the seed on the hard soil and the rocky ground and into the thorns.  He does not give up throwing that seed all over the place because maybe, just maybe, that seed will fall into a little puddle of good soil and sprout a beautiful little tree that can grow out of the hardship. 

You see, when I looked just a little further across the rocky cliff side where that little tree had sprung up, I saw a huge tree where God had directed the roots out over the edge of the rocky cliff to find nourishment in some good soil below.  That seed had overcome the rocky soil.  And, God’s word can overcome yours too.  Look up, and like a child in a rainstorm, allow the seed of God’s word to rain down on you.  It is a rain of seed that never lets up.