Good Soil
Scripture Reading — Luke 8:4-15
Other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.
— Luke 8:8
Good soil makes a huge difference in the amount of harvest a farmer can expect.
Jesus told a story that reflects the farming practices in his time. A farmer would sow by hand, scattering seed in the field as he walked along. Not surprisingly, a portion of the seed fell in places too poor to produce a crop. But some seed, Jesus tells us, sent its roots down deep and produced a hundredfold harvest—ten times the commonly expected harvest of that day!
This story forces us to look at the condition of our own hearts. While we would like to think of ourselves as good soil, most of us know how the busyness of life, as well as the heartaches and fears we face, can choke and wither and snatch our faith away.
Yet Jesus reassures us with an amazing truth: good soil exists as well. It’s almost as if he points us to a patch of such soil amid the rocks and weeds of the world. Jesus’ challenge can also be a word of encouragement as we hear and respond to the story of salvation in Christ. In unexpected places, God can produce a bumper crop of righteousness.
May all of our hearts be good soil, ready and willing to respond to God’s Word.
Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your Word.” Break through the poor soil of our sinful condition, and allow our hearts to produce a rich harvest for you. Amen.
About the author — Joel Vande Werken
Joel Vande Werken has been a pastor since 2007, serving churches in Sussex, New Jersey, and in Whitinsville, Massachusetts. He and his wife, Brandie, have five young children.
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