Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: Sower and Four Types of Soil (Matthew 13:3-8,18-23, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:5-15) (01/25/24)
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TITLE: Parable of the Stupid Farmer | Previous Challenge Entry
By Gerald Shuler
02/02/24 -
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Jimmy had a Bible in his hand so I knew he was curious about something he had read. I put my newspaper down and turned to face him. “Sure.” I said. “What's on your mind?”
“I was just reading the story about the stupid farmer and it doesn't make sense to me. Can you help me?'
“That story is in the Bible? I don't recall that one.”
“He's called a Sower but isn't that the same as a farmer?”
“Yes, I see what you mean. But why do you call him stupid?”
“He was given good seed but he just went out throwing it everywhere... even where he knew it wouldn't grow. A smart farmer wouldn't do that.”
“You need to understand something. Jesus told that story to teach the people about His love. His good seed is for everybody. Nobody gets left out.”
“I just don't understand why Jesus doesn't plant the seed Himself. He would do it differently.”
“Oh? How do you think Jesus would do it?”
“If He saw rocks in the soil He would have done whatever He could to get them out.”
“You mean like Jesus gives a person with a hard heart every chance to change so the good seed will grow?” I paused to see Jimmy's reaction. A slight nod of his head told me he understood. “Jimmy, Jesus tries to help us but sometimes we just choose to stay hard hardhearted.”
“What about the weeds?”
“Same thing. We can fall into all kinds of bad habits that are like weeds in our life. That would include things like lying, stealing, drugs, and things that are the exact things the Bible tells us to stay away from. If we choose to hold on to those things they will choke out what Jesus is trying to give us.”
“What about the pathway?”
“The world today wants you to believe that the Bible isn't really God's book of what is right or wrong. If enough people are sinning then the world would say it must not be sin. After a while people start believing the world instead of the Bible. That makes for a very hard packed path that leads to destruction. Even then, Jesus gives us the free will to choose what path we will take in life.”
“So you are saying that a lot of the bad things in life is just Jesus trying to make the soil better for His good seed?”
“After all, Jesus is a really good farmer. Do you see what Jesus was tryng to teach?”
“I sure do. The story was never about a bad farmer. It was about a good helper with a bag full of seed to toss.”
“What would you do if Jesus gave that bag of good seed to you?”
Jimmy lifted his Bible for me to see. “Didn't He already give me all the seed? I just need to learn to not stop spreading it, even when the soil doesn't look ready enough for my taste. Jesus will do His part but I need to do my part and toss, toss, toss.”
“Son, I think you are exactly the kind of helper Jesus wants working in His fields.”
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