You know how you come across a passage of scripture that you’ve become so familiar with that you could recite it in your sleep? I felt that way about The Parable of the Sower (found in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 8). That is, until I a couple of days ago when I was struck with a crucial revelation.
Jesus told this story to the masses in a figurative manner, but when he got alone with his disciples, he revealed the hidden message in the story, and it’s a message that I had the privilege of discovering AGAIN for the “first time”:
Matt. 13:18 – 23 (The Message Bible)
18-19"Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.
20-21"The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.
22"The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.
23"The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams."
I used to think that this passage just related to the condition of one’s heart once the plan of salvation was introduced. But now, after invoking the wisdom of the Holy Spirit on my own personal inner emotional struggles, I have found what I believe to be the missing link to getting the FULL understanding of this story.
Think about this: When a real farmer plants, he doesn’t just plant for one kind of crop, but a variety of crops. He also knows that he can’t just sow seeds, but he must maintain the right environment for each crop in order to reap a full harvest from them. That’s the practical. Now let’s flip it to the spiritual.
Our “farm” is the heart of our inner man. Our “crops” are the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23): Love, Joy, Peace, Longsuffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, and Temperance (self control). And just to clarify, the “fruit” simply means the character aspects of the Holy Spirit that will increasingly manifest in our lives as we strive to live under His direction and not our own.
Now, if you’re like me, some of the fruit in your life is always a little less fresh and ripe than others. In my case, my crop of joy and temperance was teetering on crop failure, and now I know why. I found it in verses 20 and 21. I am very receptive of any exposition of the Word of God and I do my best to diligently apply it to my life. However, as much as I hate to admit it, my flesh is not yet as immune as it should be to trouble and persecution. And rather than blame the situation for my reactions, I now accept that I should take responsibility for not maintaining the standard of Truth in that area of my emotions.
As hard as it was to swallow my shortcomings in this area, I’m glad for this liberating revelation, and I know what I need to do. I need to “water” those particular crops more with relevant Word (both in reading and in hearing). I need to tend more to pulling up the weeds of procrastination and laziness so that I won’t be led around by how I feel anymore. But I also know that I will need to take the challenge of this effort seriously and soberly. No longer do I need to just rest in the joy of a “knowing” the Word, but I need to make a practical effort to connect with it each day of my life. I know when I do this, and do it from now on; I’ll get the harvest I’ve been longing for.
How about you? Have you been experiencing any crop failure where the fruit of the Holy Spirit is concerned?
