Lessons on Zealous Living Learned in the Garden! Part Two
Part Two: Lessons from Seeds Learned In the Garden
You and the kids have worked your soil the best you can, learning many lessons. Not a single window was shattered as you’ve extracted most of the rocks from the soil. You and the children have transformed the hard clumps of soil into fluffy and soft mixture. Most likely, you are wearing some of it. Perhaps you have amended your soil to make it more nutrient rich. What remains for the gardener to do?
Right, it is time to plant your crop. The seeds come out of your bag. You are ready to sow the seed. What lessons can you learn and teach from the sowing of the seeds? In case you missed it, in our last article we discussed Lessons from Soil.
What is a seed?
Scientifically, regarding plants, a seed is a reproductive body formed in the ovule of flowering plants, or angiosperms, as well as some other plants in the gymnosperm families. Pollination fertilizes the egg cells, or the ovule. The result is the maturing of a seed, a miniature undeveloped plant awaiting germination. The seed allows the plant to reproduce itself in nature. God designed plants in this way from the beginning and declared so on the third day of creation.
11 And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.
Genesis 1:11–13 (ESV)
Literally and metaphorically, as used in Scripture, the seed is used to refer to several themes that are threaded throughout the Bible, such as agricultural methods, offspring, people, family, the Messiah, the Gospel, the, Kingdom of God, the word of God, and the indwelling of God’s Spirit. We will look at these in the lessons that follow.
Jesus’ Lessons on Seeds
In four of his parables, Jesus used seeds to teach lessons to his disciples: the Parable of the Sower (Matt. 13:3–9); the Parable of Seed and Weeds (Matt. 13:24–30); the Parable of the Seed Growing (Mark 4:26–29); and the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30–32). We will briefly look at each parable, so make sure you hit the next page tab at the bottom.
The Parable of the Soils (Matt. 13:3–9)
We looked at the Parable of the Sower last week. We really should call it “the Parable of the Soils.” That is what Jesus was really talking about. Remember, He gave us four different soils that receive exactly the same seed. The soils refer to how different people will hear and receive the seed. What is the “seed” they are to hear and receive? The “seed” is the “Word” of the Kingdom of God or the gospel message. Jesus and His disciples sowed that seed broadly, and they (the people) heard it in different ways. Some people (soils) heard, received, and bore fruit; and some did not.
We learn three things from this as disciples of Jesus Christ.
- We must ensure that we hear and receive the teachings of Christ and obey them.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
James 1:22 (ESV)
- We should sow the seed of the Word broadly, without prejudice.
- We should recognize that some will not receive the message, but rejoice in those who will.
- Lessons on Zealous Living Learned in the Garden! Part Four - May 20, 2023
- Lessons on Zealous Living Learned in the Garden! Part Three - May 12, 2023
- Raising Children Who Can Navigate Modern Culture - May 8, 2023
