When we moved into our home, the neighbor knocked on our door to welcome us. Babs introduced herself by saying that she owed me an apology. This is not a normal introduction, and I was not certain what to expect. Babs explained that 30 years earlier she had planted raspberries. They had gone wild and were plentiful in my lawn and garden as well as hers.
I thought of Babs recently when I read a Washington Post article, “The Ghosts in My Garden Keep Giving Year After Year” by Kristin van Ogtrop. Besides Babs’ raspberries, we have rudbeckias from my mother-in-law, tall pines that were seedlings our sons planted on Earth Day, and hosta gifted by another neighbor. The author paid homage to people whose plants, intentionally or not, appear in her garden every spring.
As I pulled the persistent raspberries from our garden again this year, I thought of how our actions, intentionally or not, impact others far longer than we anticipate. We continually spread seeds in others’ lives as well as in their gardens. This gives me pause. It is daunting and fraught with responsibility.
Jesus used seeds and plants in his parables, most notably in Matthew 13. The first is called the Parable of the Sower in the English Standard Version (v. 1-9 and 18-23). The Sower scatters seeds with varying results. Some fall on the path and are immediately devoured. Others fall on the rocks and appear to take but wither quickly. Still others fall among thorns and are choked. Finally, seeds fall on good soil and flourish. Jesus went on to explain that the demise of the first three sets of seeds fell prey to the evil one, tribulation, and cares of the world. The seeds that flourished received the gospel and grew in faith. As believers we are called to be Sowers in every aspect of our lives to deliberately share the seed of the gospel. This is a privilege and a joy when God grants growth.
The Parable of the Weeds in captured in v. 24-30. Here good seeds are sown in good soil but the enemy deliberately plants weeds in the same soil. This is the parable that challenges me the most. While I may deliberately work to plant good seeds, I know that I may unintentionally plant weeds. Sharp words, dismissive remarks, or gossip undermine my good intentions. As James 3:8 reminds us: “No human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” Daily cares coupled with a sinful nature have sometimes led me to plant weeds.
The final parable in Matthew 13 describes the smallest of seeds, the mustard seed (31-32). Even the diminutive mustard seed grows large and strong, clearly demonstrating the power of planting and nurturing seeds. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:6, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” It is God who gives the increase and blesses any seeds we sow. This is our work and our joy.