The Parable of the Sower

[1johnlb]

Matthew 13
3*Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:*“Behold, a sower went out to sow.*4*And as he sowed, some*seedfell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.*5*Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.*6*But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.*7*And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.*8*But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.*9*He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

I'm gonna stick my neck out again. Isn't it nice how our Heavenly Father at times will gently show us the error of our ways?
I had been trying to sow seed (sharing the gospel) on good ground for years to reap a harvest, as it says. Passing over many who I didn't feel led to share with, for different reasons. Most of the times probably more just me being introvert and passive than anything or to be modest judging the type of ground a person is. When I was reading this parable, the light came on.

The sower didn't care where he sowed, he sowed everywhere!!!

He sowed on good ground , stoney, amongst the thorns in the road, everywhere. Who's to say where fertile ground is. Sometimes it's where we least expect it.

[shoot-n-lead]

I agree.

That is thought that I need to be mindful.

[rl69]

Yessir we sow the ground we are given. The work is ours the results or his

[USMC87]

We sow where opportunity arises and God will give the increase, Thanks for sharing.

[GhostHawk]

Amen!

I think to worry about the harvest is counter productive. That to me is his worry.

All we need to do is stay in his will, keep ourselves ready.
Be ready to lend a hand where you see a need.

[Wayne Smith]

We know that no one comes to Christ that the Holy Spirit does not first draw to Him. Our job is not to convict or convince anyone, but to point the way.

[Blackwater]

What a great post! And so very, very true, too! Yes, it's harder for us to sow upon ground that WE don't think is fertile. But IF we go about it in the right way, a way that THEY can understand and relate to, we'll get more surprises than we could ever anticipate. All men, regardless of their station in life or past history, are imbued with a natural desire to know the Truth. It may well be buried under a ton of other constructs they've piled up due to Satan's tempting them, and to "protect" them from having to face the Truth that I think we're all born with inside us, but it's still there. It sometimes just takes a bit more "digging" and a different sort of "shovel" to reach it. But it's there. Very, very, very few are beyond reach.

In my own "experiments" in this, I've found that a complete lack of fear, and a good sense of humor, along with a lot of humility and genuine respect for them and where they are now, plus some simple boldness in challenging them, albeit in a more friendly manner and on a level, rather than "talking down" to them, works wonders sometimes. I've rarely had it received badly, and it seems to make them re-think at least some of their present attitudes. That's progress, and few come to the Lord in one brief moment of epiphany. Most of us - ALL of us - progress toward it for a time, until it finally "takes," and is brought to fruition. The lost are our mission - ALL of them. Why preach to the choir when so many are in such great need of what we have to offer?

And in dealing with them, just deal with them as you would your neighbor or friend, not as "the lost and irredeemable." Our attitudes in dealing with these people is the one thing that they tend to key off of when engaging them. It's a VERY delicate endeavor, but CAN and does yield some awesome and surprising results. Remember, it's said that nobody preaches like one who's spent some time on "the other side." These people need Christ SO much, and they're often frustrated at the first sign of not instantly becoming an "angel," that it's much more of a process than an event. Once they've had a conversion experience, many will lay it all down and walk away, and return to their previous ways, if we can't or don't maintain them as they progress in the spirit.

Other "Christians" may look at you as foolish, reckless and ponder whether you might even be "evil" in dealing with some of them, but don't let that keep you from saving a soul that richly and desperately needs it. To do so would be to deny Christ, and his mission that He gave us. Not everyone is good at this. I think it takes a special sort of person to witness to the lost, and maybe especially those in our prisons. But it's SO very worth it! When a man with a significant criminal history comes to Christ, and people see the marked change in them, what could be more moving than that?

It's sad that so many believers so often fear these people. It's understandable in a way, of course, but still, it negates and opposes our admonition to "fear not," and our faith that God will protect us. There's still some wisdom necessary. I've seen guys who were so dangerous that NOBODY would or COULD approach them without very apt preparations for their own safety. Prisons are full of micreants, but few are really of this type. Beware the few who are, and don't be foolish! But for the vast majority in prison or out, just deal with them as you would a friend. In sales, this is often called the "assumptive close." And it matters. Most of them have never had ANY sort of real faith placed in them, nor have they been given much, if any, real understanding. It may stretch the minds and hearts of many of us to deal with them in this way, but it's good to stretch both of those, since exercising them always makes them stronger.

Fear is a real killer, and perhaps never moreso than when it is present in Christians. Some of it is wise, but too much of it is contrived, and gets applied far too broadly. People are people, no matter where you go. Their experiences and choices vary, and this often affects their attitudes. So don't let their contrived attitudes throw you off. Just smile or chuckle softly, acknowledge them and their present attitude, and ask a simple question, like "Well, why do you feel that way?" This is the best lead-in I've ever found, and when they tell you, don't get offended. Acknowledge the truth in whatever they say, where it actually occurs (and it almost always does). Then ask them if they've ever resented people's attitude toward them when they get out, and won't give them a job because of their record. When they cynically affirm they have, ask them why they're doing the exact same thing to ALL Christians because of the faults and flaws in some of us. Take their story, and turn it right around and apply their sentiments to their own selves, and they can't deny (and few will even try) what they're doing in bad-mouthing all Christians because of the flaws in a few. That's your starting point. You've "softened them up" a little, and thus, forged a pathway to get deeper within them, and find out what's blocking their will to find Christ in their hearts and minds. From there on out, it's just a matter of listening closely with a fine ear for detail. Mostly, any clues they give will be very indirect and very subtle, but if you listen with a clear and focused ear, they'll be there.

In the end, it's a lot like unraveling a mystery, at least largely, when it comes to what to do and how to do it. And the "miracle" of it all is that these types often seem less judgmental of us when we err and display a bad attitude or say something that offends or angers them, than the general public at large. I guess they've been "toughened" by their former experiences? In a way, once you understand them, they're really almost easier to deal with and witness to than the public at large, who are often so unconcerned and so wrapped up in "just living" that they can't or won't hear much of what you have to say. They're kind of a "captive audience" when in prison, too, so they can't very well just shuffle off with some contrived excuse about having to be somewhere else when you broach the subject of "religion."

And when one of these is brought to light, all of Heaven rejoices, just as in the story of the prodigal son. What greater glory could we give God than to bring one of these to the Light?