Why Don’t We Talk About Bad Seeds?
Scripture is filled with agricultural references and parables because it was a common way to convey biblical truths to the intended audience. We learn about “good soil”, how to care for and nurture seeds, and how God works in the unseen underneath the soil to transform the seed into a fruit-producing crop. Sermons on Matthew 13 fill churches across the globe, inspiring people to tend their soil so the gospel can take root and produce lasting fruit. Yet rarely do we spend time discussing how, even in good soil, bad seeds can produce unwanted and annoying results.
Have you ever noticed how much hard work it takes to have a garden or flowerbed? There are numerous ways you have to tend to and nurture a good seed just to get an okay or normal-looking flower.
Despite the effort, there's always a weed that sprouts with ease. Despite a weed barrier beneath the soil and regular pre-emergent applications, these pesky plants find a way to tarnish our gardens effortlessly.
The thing about seeds is that they develop in the unseen. They start so small and seem insignificant, and once they enter the soil, they can easily be forgotten. Out of sight, out of mind. That is, until it sprouts its annoying little head out of the ground, but at this point, this pesky plant has already germinated and established roots in the soil.
As Christians, we are regularly presented with the good seed analogy. This helps us remain faithful when things seem hard, unproductive, or even when we feel inadequate. This helps us trust the process that God has created, which we cannot see. We simply continue to provide the soil with water and learn the practice of patience to see God fulfill his plans in the workings of the unknown.
One day, we see a green sprout and get excited, only to find, sometimes only hours later, that it is not the seed we planted but a weed from some seed we never saw make its way into our soil. With our best efforts, we seek to rid the area of the weed using sprays and chemicals to kill the plant. Sometimes, we have to get our hands dirty and pull up the roots of the weed to truly rid it from our garden. The garden tender must act fast because weeds produce seeds and germinate much faster, with lower nutritional needs than their floral counterparts.
Even the best horticulturist experiences this annoyance.
Remembering this is still a metaphor, what about our personal lives? Our own garden and soil? Remember, seeds, good or bad, grow in the unseen, and it is no different in our everyday lives. How many bad seeds do we consciously or unconsciously encounter that may seem like no big deal in the moment, but then out of nowhere infest our garden and drown out the things we worked so hard to cultivate? It is everywhere, in the news, our social media feeds, movies, and music.
Proverbs 4:3 says, “Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it.”
Now, this does not mean we must live in fear. But we should consider the seed analogy when deciding what we expose ourselves to. To discern what we are willing to risk planting a seed of something unwanted that will cost us our attention meant for the flowers later. Weeds are an inevitable aspect of life (James 1:2-4). So we must take note of that, while we faithfully tend our gardens (Romans 8:28).
As we plant seeds of faith and trust God in the process, why would we intentionally detract from what He is doing?
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” - Galatians 6:9-10