maybe...

Luke 8

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him:

5 "A farmer went out to plant his seed.

As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it.

6 Other seed fell among rocks.

It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture.

7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants.

8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil.

This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

When he had said this, he called out,

"Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."

  9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant.

10 He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of God.

But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

'When they look, they won't really see.

  When they hear, they won't understand.'*

  11 "This is the meaning of the parable:

The seed is God's word.

12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved.

13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy.

But since they don't have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation.

14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity.

15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

All my life I've heard this parable of Jesus used in reference to people going out as missionaries “to deepest, darkest Africa”.

That's always hilarious to me – the “deepest, darkest Africa” part - Lynn & I would LOVE to be called to “deepest, darkest Africa!!!

Anyway...

I've also heard it used to challenge people to give their lives in “full time Christian service”.

But since we've come to live in Blairsville, I look at it differently.

Maybe the sower isn't a missionary to deepest, darkest Africa or someone called to full time Christian service.

Maybe all of us are the sower.

Maybe all of us are called to “sow the seeds” of who Jesus is & how He made it possible for each & every one of us to connect with God.

Maybe this describes our lives & we move through them.

Maybe we are challenged to always be telling people about Jesus.

And maybe this parable describes what the results of a life spent sowing will be.

Maybe this is a challenge from Jesus to all of us to always be on the lookout for an opportunity to share about His love for us.

And maybe Jesus told this parable to encourage us when we don't see droves of people turning to Him.

Because maybe Jesus wanted us to know that even though a lot of the sowing & telling we do about Jesus doesn't always work out, there are some cases when it will, & those cases will be stupendous in their reaction & new life.

Maybe this parable describes out season here in Blairsville.

Maybe it describes all the seasons of Lynn's & my life.

Maybe it describes yours, too.