Our Responsibility

Jesus attempted to teach his disciples secrets about the kingdom of God. Since our human minds have a difficult time grasping these mysteries, Jesus used parables to help us understand. Several parables involve a farmer sowing seeds and taking care of his fields.

“The farmer sows the word. Some people are like seed along the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.”

Mark 4:14-15

We receive a picture from Jesus of a farmer who seems to be sowing seeds carelessly in his field. Some seeds are landing on good soil, but others are landing in thorns, rocky paths and hard-packed earth.

We might think to ourselves, “A seasoned farmer ought to know better.” If the farmer were a picture of an evangelism chairman, a seasoned member could say that he was employing a lousy evangelism strategy. He should have used his time and resources to concentrate on planting seeds in good soil.

The main point of the parable is to teach the disciples secrets of the kingdom of God. He wanted to let them know how he works through his Word.

This fits with Jesus’ overall strategy. It is his desire to bring all people to the knowledge of the Truth so that they can receive salvation. The only way to do that is through his workers who have been set apart or commissioned to spread his Word [sowing seeds] of the gospel.

Jesus does not call us – his farmers – to judge the condition or the receptivity of the soil. If we perceive someone to be rocky soil, then we may refrain from planting seeds. It seems that Jesus calls his disciples to sow his Word everywhere even though seeds will land in unproductive soil.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ “An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”

Matthew 13:24-30

Jesus teaches his disciples about another secret of the kingdom of heaven. Most of the seeds were sown in good soil, but an enemy has planted weeds with the crop.

The workers provided a sound strategy by going out and weeding the field, but the owner declined. Prompted by love for all people, the farmer could not risk the chance of losing one stalk of wheat.

There is a risk no matter where you plant seeds of the gospel. God does not ask us to judge the conditions of the soil before we sow seeds, nor does he tell us to worry about the results. The Lord of the harvest takes responsibility for both.

Jesus told another secret about the kingdom of God to his disciples when he said:

“A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain – first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.

Mark 4:26-29

Jesus wants his disciples to trust him. There are mysteries and secrets of the kingdom of God that we cannot begin to fathom. So, instead of trying to figure out how God’s Word works in the heart of people, we ought to concentrate on the activity of proclaiming his Word so God can work in the first place.

Evangelism success ought to be based on activity that Christian believers can control, not results. This understanding plays a key role in evangelism, especially in how we process disappointment whenever we step out in faith to share our faith with others.

Take Action: Answer the questions for this section on page 10 of the study guide.