Today we are reading from Mark 4: 1-9:

Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

Today we look at one of the more well-known of all Jesus’ parables, the parable of the sower.  I always like this parable, as I think that there is much for us to think about and to ponder.  

When we hear the word of God, through scripture, or preaching, or worship, or through all the ways that God seeks to speak to us, what kind of dirt are we?  

Are we the path, where the word does even penetrate? 

Are we the rocky ground, with no depth, hearing the word, enjoying it, but never letting it build roots? 

Are we the thorny ground, where the troubles of the world overwhelm us? 

Or are we good dirt?  Are we receptive to what God is wanting to say to us?  Do we listen? Do we allow it to go deep?  Do we focus on the word more than our circumstances or troubles?  

Are we the kind of dirt that wants to receive the Word of God and have it grow within us, to produce fruit?  God wants to share life with us, God wants to use us, God wants to transform us. 

But we have to be willing. Today, what kind of dirt are you?  May we all be good dirt, soil willing to hear, receive and grow, all through Gods’ word.  

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