THE SOWER OF THE SEED
The soil is being prepared in this picture by buffalo and man. The soil in this story represents the human heart.
When Jesus came to live on earth he was like a farmer who sowed his seed in the ground and expected a good harvest when the time was right. Seeds don’t come up overnight. Some seeds take many months to grow into plants and flowers. Some seeds in the desert may take ten years to grow. Did you know that? Can you guess the reason why they take so long to grow?
Seeds are very precious. They are more precious than diamonds and the finest jewels. The seeds that Jesus sowed were even more precious than that because he did not sow them in the ground but in the hearts of boys and girls, mums and dads.
What were these seeds? They were words of life, life that never ended, life that was pure and holy, good and true. We sing a hymn to explain and rejoice in these words. Would you like to learn these words and sing them?
Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life.
Words of life and beauty,
Teach me faith and duty.
Beautiful words! Wonderful words!
Wonderful words of life!
Christ the blessed one, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life.
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven.
Weetly echo the Saviour’s call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life.
Jesus, only Saviour,
Saves and keeps for ever.
Philip Paul Bliss (1838-1876)
Seeds are very precious. They are more precious than diamonds and the finest jewels. The seeds that Jesus sowed were even more precious than that because he did not sow them in the ground but in the hearts of boys and girls, mums and dads.
What were these seeds? They were words of life, life that never ended, life that was pure and holy, good and true. We sing a hymn to explain and rejoice in these words. Would you like to learn these words and sing them?
Sing them over again to me,
Wonderful words of life;
Let me more of their beauty see,
Wonderful words of life.
Words of life and beauty,
Teach me faith and duty.
Beautiful words! Wonderful words!
Wonderful words of life!
Christ the blessed one, gives to all
Wonderful words of life;
Sinner, list to the loving call,
Wonderful words of life.
All so freely given,
Wooing us to heaven.
Weetly echo the Saviour’s call,
Wonderful words of life;
Offer pardon and peace to all,
Wonderful words of life.
Jesus, only Saviour,
Saves and keeps for ever.
Philip Paul Bliss (1838-1876)
PARABLES
Jesus often told parables. They were stories like this one of the seed. We all like to hear stories don’t we? Boys and girls, mums and dad’s, grandmas and granddads, uncles and aunts, yes everybody likes to hear stories. Some of the stories Jesus told were intended to keep us guessing and thinking about their meaning. The seed is one of them. After all how can anyone grow seeds in a persons heart? I think the people who heard him tell stories must have smiled a lot, especially boys and girls, because he told his stories for everyone, not just scientists and philosophers but little boys and girls too.
This seed word that Jesus taught was not just any old word that you can pick up at school or kindergarten. Jesus had these words from his Father in heaven and so they are God’s words. In a conversation with his Father in heaven Jesus prayed, ‘The words that you gave to me Father I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.’ (John 17:8)
GOD’S WORD
The disciples of Jesus wrote all his words down so that we might know them and hear them today. As I am sure you know the Bible is a record of God’s Word, so it is the most important book in the whole world. If we listen and keep God’s Words in our hearts they will bring a great harvest of happiness and joy to our souls. But Jesus told the story of the word seed to warn us of how it can be prevented from growing.
THE WAYWARD HEART
No seed will grow by the wayside will it? If the birds of the air see the seed they will gobble it up. Jesus said, the bad angel, Satan, is like that. He is always ready to snatch a word from your mouth and heart.
THE ROCKY HEART
A rocky heart is one like rocky soil. Not much seed can grow in rocky soil. And, likewise, no word of Jesus can take root in a hard hearted heart. Once, the teachers of the law said to Jesus, ‘Why can’t we divorce our wives if we don’t like them? Moses said we could, why not you?’ Jesus replied, ‘It was because you were hard hearted that he permitted you to divorce your wives but at the beginning of time it was not what God wanted you to do, and so neither do I.’ (My translation) A rocky heart is hard hearted and has no tender, loving feelings. So how can the seed of love grow in a heart like that?
THE THORNY PRICKLY HEART
Have you ever tried to grow seeds where there are thorns and thistles? Most disappointing! The seeds get choked and pricked and just give up trying to grow. A prickly, thorny heart is like that. There is a little poem that illustrates just how thorny a prickly heart can be:
Here I come grumping my way through life,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP,
Stirring up trouble and breeding strife,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP
That sort of heart can’t grow the seed of peace and love for it is constantly stirring up trouble. Is that why countries go to war? They have thorny, prickly hearts? The words of Jesus are seeds of peace and love. ‘Love your enemies,’ he says, ‘and do good to those who hate you.’ That is the only way to spread peace and be peaceful, the only way to spread love and by loving.
THE GOOD HEART
There are no perfectly good hearts except God’s, but they can be made good if the seeds of love are allowed to grow in them. For the seed of God’s word is truth, wisdom and forgiveness. Jesus holds out his wounded hands to love and care for you. Hard hearted men nailed him to a cross and he died suffering pain and sorrow. But he died for us to make us good and he rose from the dead to be with us always, hearing our prayers and telling his Father in heaven about us.
Jesus often told parables. They were stories like this one of the seed. We all like to hear stories don’t we? Boys and girls, mums and dad’s, grandmas and granddads, uncles and aunts, yes everybody likes to hear stories. Some of the stories Jesus told were intended to keep us guessing and thinking about their meaning. The seed is one of them. After all how can anyone grow seeds in a persons heart? I think the people who heard him tell stories must have smiled a lot, especially boys and girls, because he told his stories for everyone, not just scientists and philosophers but little boys and girls too.
This seed word that Jesus taught was not just any old word that you can pick up at school or kindergarten. Jesus had these words from his Father in heaven and so they are God’s words. In a conversation with his Father in heaven Jesus prayed, ‘The words that you gave to me Father I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.’ (John 17:8)
GOD’S WORD
The disciples of Jesus wrote all his words down so that we might know them and hear them today. As I am sure you know the Bible is a record of God’s Word, so it is the most important book in the whole world. If we listen and keep God’s Words in our hearts they will bring a great harvest of happiness and joy to our souls. But Jesus told the story of the word seed to warn us of how it can be prevented from growing.
THE WAYWARD HEART
No seed will grow by the wayside will it? If the birds of the air see the seed they will gobble it up. Jesus said, the bad angel, Satan, is like that. He is always ready to snatch a word from your mouth and heart.
THE ROCKY HEART
A rocky heart is one like rocky soil. Not much seed can grow in rocky soil. And, likewise, no word of Jesus can take root in a hard hearted heart. Once, the teachers of the law said to Jesus, ‘Why can’t we divorce our wives if we don’t like them? Moses said we could, why not you?’ Jesus replied, ‘It was because you were hard hearted that he permitted you to divorce your wives but at the beginning of time it was not what God wanted you to do, and so neither do I.’ (My translation) A rocky heart is hard hearted and has no tender, loving feelings. So how can the seed of love grow in a heart like that?
THE THORNY PRICKLY HEART
Have you ever tried to grow seeds where there are thorns and thistles? Most disappointing! The seeds get choked and pricked and just give up trying to grow. A prickly, thorny heart is like that. There is a little poem that illustrates just how thorny a prickly heart can be:
Here I come grumping my way through life,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP,
Stirring up trouble and breeding strife,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP
That sort of heart can’t grow the seed of peace and love for it is constantly stirring up trouble. Is that why countries go to war? They have thorny, prickly hearts? The words of Jesus are seeds of peace and love. ‘Love your enemies,’ he says, ‘and do good to those who hate you.’ That is the only way to spread peace and be peaceful, the only way to spread love and by loving.
THE GOOD HEART
There are no perfectly good hearts except God’s, but they can be made good if the seeds of love are allowed to grow in them. For the seed of God’s word is truth, wisdom and forgiveness. Jesus holds out his wounded hands to love and care for you. Hard hearted men nailed him to a cross and he died suffering pain and sorrow. But he died for us to make us good and he rose from the dead to be with us always, hearing our prayers and telling his Father in heaven about us.