What Kind of Soil Are You?
based on Matthew 13:1-30, 36-43
by Rev. Karen A. Goltz

            What more can I say?  Jesus told a parable, and then he explained what it meant.  We’re supposed to hear the Word, understand it, not be lured away by wealth or the cares of the world, and not fall away when trouble or persecution comes our way on account of our faith.  End of story.

            Show of hands.  How many of you are confident in your ability to be that good soil?  How many of you are confident that you do understand the Word, aren’t lured away by other concerns, and will stand strong in your faith come what may?  Yeah, me neither.

            It’s really rather an anxiety-provoking text.  It’s clear from Jesus’ explanation that we’re supposed to be the soil in this metaphor, but can soil control whether it’s packed firmly into a road, surrounded by rocks, invaded by thorns and weeds, or pristine enough for planting?  No more so than we can decide whether to understand something or not.  So if we have no more control over how we receive the Word than soil has regarding its use or geography, what are we supposed to do with this text?

            I’m aware of two common responses: one is to stress over what kind of soil we are, and the other is to put ourselves in the place of the sower, rather than the soil.... full manuscript