4 Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. ² He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. ⁴ As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. ⁸ Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” ⁹ Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, ¹² so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’”

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? ¹⁴ The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. ¹⁵ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. ¹⁶ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ¹⁸ The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, ¹⁹ but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. ²⁰ And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Mark 4:1-20

Dear God, I am being interviewed later today for a video that will be shown at a local event. I’m grateful for this opportunity, but I’m also nervous. What questions will be asked? What will I say? Will I miss an opportunity to reflect your glory? Will I allow myself to be vain and self-promotional? Will I overcompensate and be too “Jesus-freaky?”

I was thinking about this while I read this passage this morning. I need this passage about you casting your word and seed throughout our community and I need the one from Luke 12:11 that says, ¹¹ “And when you are brought to trial in the synagogues and before rulers and authorities, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say, ¹² for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what needs to be said.” To be sure, no one is going to be prosecuting me today. They are trying to be very nice to me. But that doesn’t mean I don’t need the Holy Spirit to teach me what needs to be said.

Father, I will have opportunities to be your sower and seed-caster all day today. I’ll have it at our board meeting this morning. I’ll have it while I interact with multiple people throughout the day. And I’ll have it in this interview. Help me to be the farmer today. Help me to honor you and for there to be some kind of seed that will find a piece of fertile soil in someone’s heart. Even if it’s only one heart. Help me to let go and be selfless in this process. Help me to be the man you need me to be, regardless of what it costs me. For your glory, Lord. My utmost for your highest.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen