Sowing Gospel Seeds

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Scriptural text:  Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:1-3

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

(ESV)

The concept of one sowing seed to eat is foreign to many in our modern culture because we can go to a store lined with shelves stocked with many choices of food to eat.  In the digital age, a better correlation would be the sharing of an idea by social media or the internet.  Therefore, when reading Mark 4:1-20, try to think of the sower as one spreading ideas or information over digital media and how those reading it may accept the message.

Ironically, the information in this post is going over the digital media of a blog so the teaching of Jesus in the parable of the sower applies to how the information in this blog is accepted by those reading it.  As I write, you read, and share the information in this blog keep in mind those reading it may,

1)      Quickly forget what they read – The removal of the seed from the ground by birds symbolizes the removal of the seed before it has an opportunity to grow.  When reading something over digital media, including the Bible, it is easy to just read it and quickly forget the words we read.  Missing is the idea of meditation or taking time to reflect and contemplate on the words and how they apply to our particular situation (Genesis 24:63; Psalm 63:6; Psalm 119:148; Psalm 1:2).  The practice of journaling helps in taking something read and reflecting on its meaning and application in life.  Do not allow the birds of the air to take away the meaning of words read but take time to plant them in the soil of our souls and spirit by meditating on their meaning and application

2)      Become distracted by life – Our lives are busy and the urgency of what we must do daily can make us hurry through our days, spending little or no time in meditation on the Word of God or time in prayer.  A hurried life is a life lived on rocky ground.  Even Jesus had a busy life but took time out of ministry to be with God the Father in prayer (Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16).  We must establish boundaries in our lives that allow us to detach from others hurrying us to do what they believe we should do and allow time in meditation and prayer with God to determine what we are meant to do.  (1)

3)      Give in to deception, temptation, or fear – Satan has one purpose, the kill, steal from, or destroy the child of God but Jesus came to give us abundant life (John 10:10).  Satan’s main tactic is deception and getting us to believe God is holding out on us (Genesis 3:1-7).  Satan also brings temptation that can lead to sin (2 Samuel 11).  Satan can also bring fear of rejection leading to rejection of God (Matthew 26:69-75).  These tactics of Satan represent thorns that will choke out the seed of Gods Word if not taken out.  Through regular meditation on the truth of God’s Word, we become familiar with truth and discern deception.  This regular meditation gives us wisdom and knowledge to resist the temptation to sin.  Meditation on truth sets us free from fear for fear is not from God (John 8:32; 2 Timothy 1:7).  Therefore, we must pull out the thorns of Satan’s tactics.

4)      Meditate on the words read with the seed of the words read permeating one's soul and spirit – My prayer is that those reading this blog will take time to read the biblical links, links to videos, and references highlighted in the text.  These are there to make it easy to meditate further on the topic of the posting.  Using the farming illustration of Jesus, these links represent the fertilizer that nourishes the soil of our souls so the words can find application in our lives. 

The words of Scripture contained in the Bible are life-changing words.  Do not let the birds of the air take these words, let them fall on stony ground, or be taken over by the thorns of Satan’s destructive tactics.  Instead, allow the Word of God to fall on soil nourished by meditation on the Word of God.  The importance of the Word of God, and especially the red letters or words of Christ.  I encourage those reading this to click on the link to this music video and allow it to remind us of the importance of making time to meditate on God and His Word. 

1. Worthington, Alli. Breaking Busy: Jesus Needed Rest and So Do You. www.faithgateway.com. [Online] Faithgateway, October 19, 2018. [Cited: May 5, 2019.] https://www.faithgateway.com/breaking-busy-jesus-needed-rest/#.XM9S6o5KiUk.