Matthew 13:38 “The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;”
Earlier in this sermon Jesus had told the crowd that the seed was the Word of God but here he tells the disciples that the “good seed” are the children of the kingdom-what is the difference?
Truly the seed is the Word of God but it becomes “good seed” when it finds fertile soil where it can flourish and grow. Jesus is the light of the world but we also are the light of the world when we have the light of Christ in our hearts and unhindered in our lives. Therefore to be “good seed” we must have the Word of God in our hearts and it must bear its fruit in the attitudes and actions of our lives.
To be “good seed” means that I am bearing fruit and distributing a multiplication of seeds annually—as does any plant. My responsibility is not the harvest but the sowing of the seed. As Paul said one plants, one waters, but God gives the increase. Being “good seed” means that we grow and thrive without anger toward the “tares.” What plant uproots another? The way we overcome the influence of the tares is by out-reproducing them. To be “good seed” means that my ability to produce fruit, that will produce more seed, is not affected by the hardness or fertility of the soil. What plant concerns itself with the surrounding field? Regardless of the environment any plant that has fruit will have seed.
I am convinced that if the following generations are going to have a spiritual harvest this generation will have to do the sowing. I read it said somewhere, “if you have a harvest without sowing be assured that someone before you sowed and if you sow without a harvest be assured someone after you will have one.” So, our job is to sow the seed. Maybe only one percent of the seeds we sow will take root but consider the great potential of just one seed becoming one plant. “Anyone can count the seeds in an apple but only God can count the apples in one seed.”
