My boys enjoy listening to audiobooks, especially Theo. One series we have discovered is the “Little House on the Prairie” series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It’s fascinating to hear about life in the late 1800s. The struggles of daily life seem so foreign to me; everything depended on good harvests. I often feel sheltered in my daily life; my greatest concern is whether the grocery store will have the brand I want. I never have to wonder if I will have food; I only think about what type of food I will enjoy.
In one recorded story, Laura recalls planting corn and shares a rhyme that they recited to ensure proper husbandry: “Four seeds in a row, one for the rook, one for the crow, one to die, and one to grow.” This rhyme exists in various forms; sometimes the birds change, sometimes a new pest is introduced, like a mouse, or a disease like rot. However, they all signify that it is better to plant more seeds than not. If you plant more than you need, great! But if a catastrophe strikes, at least you were prepared.
This makes me reflect on the parable of the Sower. Jesus’ first parable is one of my favorites because it reflects the nature of God’s Word in our lives. The Sower is pragmatic, as he knows that there are pitfalls when sowing seeds. Let’s take a moment to read that passage to remind ourselves of the situation.
Matthew 13:3-9-
3 “And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘A sower went out to sow.
4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them.
5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil.
6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.
7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
9 He who has ears, let him hear.’
Like the rhyme from before, there are some challenges we can be certain of: birds, rocks, heat, and thorns. These are guaranteed in this world. We often think that the remedy is to properly amend the soil—breaking up the hard path, removing the rocks, adding more soil, and pulling the weeds. While these are solutions, there is another principle we should recognize: plant more seeds.
The best solution is to follow the actions of the Sower. If we know that seeds will be devoured, scorched, or choked out, our best strategy is to ensure we are planting more seeds. This applies to our daily conversations; we should sprinkle the Word of God into everything we say and do, for who knows if it will land on “good” soil? It also applies to our own lives. If we consistently turn to God’s Word and plant seeds in our hearts, we become more resistant to the calamities around us.
If I am always exposed to God’s Word, then even a hundred birds can come, and my crop will still grow. If I have planted so many seeds, the weeds will be unable to penetrate my soul. The ultimate solution to the pitfalls of humanity is to consume God’s Word. No matter what we do in this world, the best action we can take is to plant more seeds.