Seeds and Four Kinds of Ground

One day people gathered beside the lake to hear Jesus. He climbed into a boat and told them about a farmer sowing seeds.

The farmer went out into his field.

He scattered seeds over the ground.

Some fell on the path, where the soil was hard. Birds came and ate them.

Others fell among rocks with only a little soil. They sprouted quickly, but their roots were shallow. When the sun grew hot, they dried up.

Some seeds fell among thorns. The thorns grew and crowded the plants. They could not produce a good crop.

But other seeds fell on good soil. Their roots grew deep. The plants became strong and produced plenty of grain.

The field filled with a rich harvest.

Later Jesus explained the story.

The seed stands for God's word, the things he teaches us. The ground shows different ways of listening.

Sometimes we hear something good but pay no attention. Sometimes we begin happily and give up when things get hard.

Worries and things we want can also crowd out time to listen to God.

The good soil stands for people who listen, welcome the teaching, and put it into practice.

When Jesus teaches kindness, we can speak gently. When he teaches sharing, we can offer something of our own.

We can ask him to help us understand and grow. His word can grow in our lives, instead of staying only in our ears.

Jesus tells us a story, and his love stays with us.