Again, Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.” Mark 4:1-9

We went out to our garden the other night to see what was ready to harvest.  Of course, as anyone with a small home garden knows, the zucchini which were tiny a few days ago are now large clubs.  We picked them, as well as some cucumbers, and looked at the jumbled mess of tomatoes.

We actually did not plant the tomatoes this year (or last, either).  Two summers ago, we had a huge crop of heirloom tomatoes.  We harvested them and cleaned up as many as possible, but there were enough small, rotted tomatoes that we missed.  

Over the past two summers, tomato plants have grown from that seed that fell into good, fertile soil.  It is amazing how well things can grow in the right environment.

Our society today is filled with dry, shallow places, rocky places, thorny places and fertile places.  We often encounter turmoil, dealing with people who want to tear us down, watching as people scorch one another, or those who are truly thorny, who will tear us apart and choke our dreams and aspirations.

Or we can create fertile ground, places where we are nurtured and can nurture others, places where we can bring peace and love.  If we all work towards the true Christian ethic, we can remove the thorns, and rocky places and instead create places of great growth.

During your journey this week, be a fertile place for another, be a person of nurture, care and understanding. 

Peace,

Pastor Bill