Lent Parable: The Sower
Jesus’ Parable of The Sower, Preparing the Soil of Our Hearts
Read Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23
Lent is a season of spiritual preparation, much like the parable of the sower. Jesus describes different types of soil that represent the condition of our hearts. His first-century audience would have immediately understood this agricultural imagery, as they watched farmers sowing seed before plowing—a practice that seems wasteful to us but was necessary in the rocky Palestinian soil. Just as those ancient farmers dealt with various soil conditions, we face different challenges that affect how we receive God’s word.
The parable presents four types of soil: the hardened path, the rocky soil, the thorny ground, and the fertile soil. Each represents a different response to God’s word. The paths Jesus spoke of were hard-packed from constant foot traffic between villages, much like our hearts can become hardened by the constant traffic of cynicism and busyness in our modern lives. Some hear the word but never allow it to penetrate; their hearts have become like these well-worn paths where the seed cannot take root.
The rocky soil in Jesus’ story would have been familiar to His listeners—much of Palestine’s landscape had only a thin layer of topsoil over limestone bedrock. Plants would spring up quickly but couldn’t develop deep roots. Today, we might experience this in our instant-gratification culture, where faith can spring up with excitement during a powerful worship service or inspiring retreat, but withers when faced with real-world challenges or persecution.
The thorny ground represented a common challenge in Mediterranean agriculture, where thorns could quickly overwhelm young plants. Jesus’s audience knew the constant battle of keeping thorns at bay. In our time, these thorns take different forms—the endless notifications on our phones, the pressure of career advancement, the pursuit of material success, or the anxiety of maintaining our social media presence. These modern thorns can be just as effective at choking our spiritual growth as their ancient counterparts.
The good soil in the parable produced an extraordinary harvest—thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown. In an agricultural society that considered a yield of ten-fold to be good, these numbers would have been staggering. They point to the abundant fruitfulness that comes when God’s word truly takes root in our lives. Today, this abundant harvest might look like transformed relationships, renewed purpose, or a life that draws others to Christ.
Just as ancient farmers prepared their soil for planting, Lent provides us an opportunity to prepare our hearts to receive God’s word more fully. Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, engaging scripture, service, gratitude, and sabbath rest help cultivate a heart ready to receive God’s word. When we create space for God’s word to take root deeply, we too can experience the extraordinary growth Jesus describes.
Reflection Questions:
- What kind of soil is my heart right now?
- How can I better prepare my heart to receive God’s truth?
- What distractions or struggles keep me from growing spiritually?
- Where do I see evidence of spiritual fruit in my life?
Practical Tip:
Pick a spiritual discipline to practice more intentionally during Lent. More information about spiritual disciplines, as defined by the Christian Reformed Church, can be found at https://www.crcna.org/FaithPracticesProject.
Explore More:
- Isaiah 55:10-11 – God’s word accomplishing its purpose
- Psalm 1:1-3 – The blessed person is like a well-watered tree
- Jeremiah 4:3 – “Break up your unplowed ground”
- Galatians 6:7-9 – We reap what we sow
Amy Luinstra
Deacon
