Remember the nursery rhyme about little contrary Mary? It asks the question, "Mary, Mary, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" This parable of Jesus asks the church the same question. It's all about seed and four different soils that receive it. It's a parable of how different people respond to the gospel.

Stolen Seed

Jesus said, "A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trodden underfoot. And the birds of the air devoured it." Anyone who has ever planted a garden knows the ruin of crows. And here we have a great mystery of the faith. In his explanation of this parable, Jesus said, "The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved" (Matthew 13:19).

Did you know that the late atheist Madelyn Murray O'Hare was reared a Presbyterian? New York's Son of Sam, the serial killer, was a former Baptist.

After buying a new home, the owner began to landscape the lawn himself. Since it was his first attempt to plant a lawn, he was careful to do everything according to the book. He prepared the soil, put in a sprinkling system, and then waited for the right day. When that day came he seeded the lawn, rolled it, and watered it. For the next three weeks he watered the lawn daily, shooed away the birds and his cat, and waited eagerly for the first blades of grass to peek through. Except for a few weeds, nothing happened. Then one Saturday morning he discovered the sack of grass seed - still in the garage. "What in the world did you plant?" his wife asked. With a sigh, the man replied, "Kitty litter." You might wonder, looking at some people, if bad seed, sort of kitty litter, weren't sown in their lives instead of the gospel. Jesus assures us that there is nothing wrong with the biblical gospel. It'll grow if given the chance. The problem is that Satan comes along and snatches away the seed. You know how it is. You begin to share your faith with someone. You mention salvation, sin, faith, peace, repentance, and the Holy Spirit. And the other person looks at you rather blankly and says, "Whatever are you going on about?" and changes the subject. Or they say, "Yes, yes, all in good time!" and they promptly forget.

Rocky Soil

A second type of response, Jesus said, is likened to rocky soil. Seed falls on this ground, springs to life, but since it has no depth of soil for roots, it withers away in the heat of summer.

You've seen, no doubt, a bonsai plant. A cedar tree is planted in a small bowl. It grows but remains dwarfed because the gardener clips its taproot. So many come limping into the church hurt, divorced, bitter, broke, confused, and, hearing the gospel, jump for it with all the eagerness of a drowning man grabbing for a life rope tossed his way. And for a few months they can't get enough!

Then the gust of emotion dwindles. They find out God doesn't always come when you whistle. Bible study is a chore. They want to be selective about obedience. And the next thing you know, they're out the door.

Remember! Jesus said it'd be like this! "No depth of soil," Jesus said. Shallow.

Thorns

A third soil Jesus called thorny ground. Christ put it this way: "And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it." Indeed! Every gardener knows the menace of crabgrass, kudzu, and thistle. Jesus, in his explanation of this parable, said, "As for what fell among thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature."

I once saw a barn overgrown with kudzu. One rainy day the added weight caused the building to collapse. It's like that in post-Christian Europe today. Churches are everywhere. Splendid cathedrals! But they are mostly empty. The people are out working, playing, sleeping, holidaying - with zero time for the things of Christ. Again, there is no fruit.

Good Soil!

Ah! But not to despair, for Christ spoke of yet a fourth soil, fertile and deep. "And some seed fell into good soil, and grew, and yielded a hundredfold." These are persons, Jesus explained, who receive the Word and carefully allow it to take root in their lives so that fruit is born.

And what is fruit? Galatians 5:22 calls it love. This is a reminder of the great commandment in Matthew 22. God asks us to love him with all our intellect, emotion, and will. And to love our neighbor as ourselves.

Conversion

None of the first three soils can in any sense be called conversion. Each of the three ends with no life in the seed, no response to the Word.

Clearly in this parable Jesus points out the three enemies of the faith: the world, the flesh, and the devil.

The world is like the weeds, Jesus said, choking the life from our soil. It must be handled according to 1 John 2:15-17, "Love not the world."

The flesh is like shallow soil, Jesus said, allowing for no enduring roots. It must be handled according to 1 Corinthians 6:18 and Romans 12:18, "Make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires."

The devil is like the seed-pilfering birds, Jesus said, pecking away at the Word in our lives. Ah! But 1 Peter 5:8-10 says, "Resist the devil and he will flee from you."

Anyone in Christ who desires to mature, must learn how to deal with the enemies of faith - the world, the flesh, and the devil. Each can be successfully met, but each is handled differently.

The world is not loved. We do not set out affections upon it. It does not last. The flesh we run from, like Joseph when tempted by Potiphar's wife. He fled the house (Genesis 39:12).

Ah, but Satan we stand against. In the armor of Christ, we are strong before him. Ephesians 6:10 and following verses challenge us not to flee the devil but to stand against his wiles. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you" (1 Peter 5:8-10). Trouble is, too many Christians get confused. We cling to the world in desperation as if there is no better world to come. We flee in terror when Satan attacks. And when it comes to the flesh, we take a firm stand, saying, "I can handle it!" Like Samson, who put his head in the lap of Delilah and napped.

In other words, we zig when we should have zagged. We run when we should stand. And we stand when we should run!

Conclusion

I love the minutes of the local garden club published in the weekly news. "The day lilies we planted around the courthouse all died for the third straight year. The club voted to replant the lilies and also to adopt as our club motto, 'To dream the impossible dream!' "

Hey! In the midst of so much chaos and poor response to the gospel in our world and churches today, let's remember the four soils and how Jesus said it would be like this! Let's also remember that all conversions are miraculous, that there is hope so long as Jesus keeps sowing his word in the world.

Perhaps there is one of you reading this who is primed for conversion. Somehow the word has gotten past me through this text to you. And you choose to receive it.

God wants you to know he loves you. He has paid the penalty for your sins in Christ's death on the cross. He simply asks you to receive him by faith into your life. Believe him! Trust him! Welcome him! And like a seed falling into soil, he will dwell in you and take root to bear the fruit of love.

One doesn't have to understand it all right now. Just get started. Say, "Yes," to Jesus who is saying, "Yes," to you!

Suggested Prayer

Lord Jesus! Yes! Yes!