Good Soil

But as for what was sown on good soil . . . 

 - From Matthew 13

The lead up to the Gospel lesson has been a lot of discussion about sin and its consequences, about our great need, about how we are horrible at doing anything about it, without help.

But we do have a role to fulfill. We're not just helpless recipients of grace (actually, we are, but we still have a job to do).

We all know about the Parable of the Sower. We know that we are supposed to share the Gospel and grow the Church through our witness. We also know that none of us feels very competent at doing the one thing that should assure us of eternal life (or of being evidence that we're okay).

But have we ever gone deep into the conditions of the Good Soil? Think about this . . . the point is that the seed goes into Good Soil. Soil is a fairly passive element in gardening. I mean, at least on the surface. Of course a lot of amazing stuff goes on under the ground. And likewise, in the spiritual realm of building God's Kingdom. Let's look at how to make Good Soil (which, if we have it, then growth should be automatic):

* The "evil one" does not snatch away the Good News, in Good Soil. Many people, when they hear the Gospel, just start arguing with it right away. They get all logical with it, they go on and on about their intelligence and higher learning. That's not listening. And everybody knows that "listening" is one of the most highly prized virtues. A person that will not listen to even the craziest idea about gaining eternal life is probably not a very nice person to start with. It is very easy for "evil ones" to come around and lead them a different way. Good Soil is soft, it has been worked up, it has been watered. Good Soil is based on having a kind, open, listening heart. 

* Good soil enables deep and strong roots. For the believer, you build your root system through prayer, additional Bible study, and fellowship with other believers. Serve others! Do the ministry. Get involved! Get to where your faith can be strengthened! Show Up!  Good Soil enables strong roots. 

* Good Soil must be tended carefully. Weeds, thorns will grow up around it and take away all the nourishment. You pull up the weeds and thorns. You make the Good Seed your priority. Weeds can be attractive. A lot of them have pretty flowers are various points. But if you let them get past the point of flowering, your garden may be too far gone to repair the damage. A successful garden must be tended. And you have to tend your faith. Are you putting First Things First? Is Church your priority? Is it the most urgent thing you do each week? Are you actively serving those with real needs? This is where you get your focus off of yourself and on to others. When you see people drifting away from Church, it's almost always because they have let other things (jobs, hobbies, even families) become more important. Good Soils get constant attention.

Do these things, and the Master has promised growth. In numbers. In spiritual maturity. In effectiveness.

And it probably won't hurt the rest of your life, either.