Digging Up Dirt
This Sunday’s readings are all about gardening images. The first reading, from the Prophet Isaiah describes the Word of God as rain and snow, which do not return to the heavens until they have watered the earth.
"Thus says the LORD: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it."
Then the psalmist cries out in like manner “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.”
"Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows, breaking up its clods, Softening it with showers, blessing its yield.
The fields are garmented with flocks and the valleys blanketed with grain. They shout and sing for joy."
What a beautiful picture of plenty and harvest straight from scripture! Farming, and gardening are one of the most constant occupations of humans. Farming and agriculture, after many centuries of hunting and gathering, first made it possible for humans to settle down and form great civilizations. Now, the image of a farmer in his field has much of the same dreamy picture. And from windowsill herbs to backyard gardens, the smaller-scale versions of growing your own food have become quite popular as well.
As a wanna-be gardener, these images from scripture make me smile and think of all the plants I want to grow. I long to have a berry patch, vines of cucumbers and pumpkin, an orchard with trees both for climbing and fruit. I picture the rich soil, the warmth of the sun making things grow in the spring, and the taste that only home-grown produce can provide.
Then I stop and take into account reality.
I live in a desert. I do not have a green thumb. In fact, I’m pretty sure I have a black thumb, or whatever the opposite of a green thumb is. I’ve killed pretty much every plant that I have grown, or which has come into my custody. This track record does little to dampen my spirits, but lately I have been less likely to buy plants to sow those seeds seemingly doomed to die.
Plants are one thing, but this Sunday’s Gospel makes it clear that there’s more to growing good fruit than meets the eye. Matthew's words have me stopping to ponder what my spiritual garden is looking like inside.
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
This is one of the only parables that Jesus really explains out in detail. He gives a full parable-to-reality translation so there is no doubt about what he is trying to tell us here.
“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Christ is gently calling us to examine the soil of our own hearts. Looking at my own soil, I found it a little lacking. I'm saddened to see places where my soil is parched, places I have let seed fall on rcoky ground, and areas that are in need of some major weeding.
Do our hearts and minds consist of dry soil that cannot understand His Word?
Let us ask Christ to till the soils of our hearts.
Do we allow Christ’s word to fall like seed upon rocky ground, receiving and responding only when it is comfortable or convenient, or we “get something out of it”?
Let us ask Christ to sift these rocky soils of our hearts.
Do we allow weeds to grow up within us in little distractions and misguided priorities, forgetting to make room for the seeds of His Word to grow properly?
Let us ask Christ to walk with us as we pull these weeds out at the roots.
Gardening is hard work. It takes exercise to till soil, tenderness to plan and plant each little seed or transplant, diligence to watch and water each plant as it grows, and patience to wait for the harvest.
Gardening of the spiritual kind is no different.
But I ask you, as I ask myself, to ponder:
Where are your roots? What kind of soil do you seek?
Let us ask God to prepare the soils of our hearts to receive his Word that we may be watered and renewed and come to rejoice in His presence within us.