Matthew 13:1-9 (ESV)
The Parable of the Sower
13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 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.
Mark 11:25 (ESV)
25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
John 21:25 (ESV)
25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

I love the parable of the sower – it’s simple, clean, obvious in it’s meaning. Other parts of the passage amaze me too.  Like, here’s Christ, just heading down to beach at the sea to chill and great crowds gather around Him. So great, He had to get in a boat and push off from the shore a bit. And He teaches again. What his teachings must have been like when heard live. Drawing great crowds, wowing them with His wisdom and knowledge. What it must have been like, what it must have been like.
He who has ears, let him hear. That’s a call to usd. While we’re all seeds, Christ is an incredible, loving Father who will pick us up and move us if we want to be moved. The seeds are past tense, while we’re all in current tense.  If you’ve fallen in the path, or where the soil is thin, ask to be replanted.

Forgive, like He has forgiven. He’ll pick you up, plant you in fertile soil, give you peace, love you, prune you, shape you, forgive you. If you’re screaming “I DON’T NEED TO BE FORGIVEN!!!!!!!!”, you might want to think about what it’s like to be bird poop.  He knows you, He knows his Father, He knows the reality better than anyone of us.

And we’re only hearing part of His Word that the listeners heard.  What else would we have heard if it had all been recorded? If we had it all, how much more wisdom would we have to lean on? How much more would it have been clear that He is who He says He is? As it is, we have an awful lot to chew on. More is being uncovered that proves The Word, not disprove it. It’s a beautiful thing.

I’m grateful that He is such a loving father, such an awesome gardener, that he watches out for every little seed. Help, I’ve fallen, and I can get up… to the good soil.