Jesus told this story: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and at them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (Matthew 13:3-8).

The key to grasping any of the stories Jesus told is to “listen” (13:9): and it’s a special way of listening. I need to listen to discover where I am in the story. I need to listen because I know that I’m going to see myself in one of the characters: I’m going to recognize what’s going on with that character and say, “Yeah, I’m like that.” When I do, that’s the place where I can hear the Spirit of God speaking to me. For example, I might recognize myself as the thorny ground: when the word comes to me, it gets choked out by the “cares of this world” (13:22). Or I might recognize myself as the rocky ground: I respond pretty eagerly at first, but I fade out quickly when things get too hot for me (13:20-21). In either case, when I see where I am, I can hear the prompting of the Spirit: “So what are you going to do about that?”

I might find my point of identification in any of the four soils: and on different occasions, I do indeed recognize myself in all four of them. And sometimes I see myself as the sower, scattering the seed all over everywhere, not yet knowing where or how it will grow. And sometimes as the seed: Jesus the sower proclaims the word, and that word established in one life – my life – is one of the seeds he is sowing in this world.

It’s not always the same place, where I see myself and recognize that the story is about me. But it’s always somewhere. And when I see where it is today, I am ready to ask an application question: what will I do so that the weeds won’t choke out the seed this time? Will I have the diligence of the farmer who boldly plants everywhere? Will I trust that Jesus will plant me in the place where he wants me to grow?

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We are often dull and inattentive, Lord: but we pray that you would speak your word to us, in parable and proverb, and that you would give us ears and hearts that are ready to listen: so that we may indeed hear, and grow as the saints of God whom you have called us and destined us to be.

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