Thursday, November 16, 2006
Mark and Gardens
We've been studying the book of Mark in my small group. Last night, we had quite a discussion about the Parable of the Sower - that's the one about the various seeds being sown on different types of soil...to recap:
Group A - their seed is snatched up by Satan before it can be planted - the general non-believer population
Group B - they get some seed, but because the don't develop a strong root system, the moment there is any sort of trouble, their Christian walk is in trouble
Group C - they've got a little garden growing, but a whole lot of weeds are also growing too and threatening to choking out the seed
Group D - they've got a bumpercrop happening!
My first reaction - I wanna be in Group D. Who wouldn't want to be in that group? My second reaction was...I don't think I'm in Group D! An honest assessment puts me in Group B/C with small bursts of Group D behaviour.
Then I started to really ponder this passage, and it occured to me that maybe Group D is where we move to as we mature. Consider the whole plant analogy...
The first (and 2nd and 3rd) time I heard the word...I was firmly in Group A. I didn't get it. Whether it was my lack of readiness or Satan or some combination thereof, there was no planting taking place.
As a new Christian, I was in Group B. Without the proper food, soil conditions, light, water and general nourishment, my root system would not have developed. Thankfully I had a lot of that - a strong Church family, small group, and many Christian friends. As I grow in faith, my roots are getting stronger. I have to wonder how I would respond under physical threat, torture or persecution....I hope the roots will hold up...
Group C...the constant battle to keep weeds from choking out the word. I remember spending 2-4 hours a week pulling weeds that threatened to over take my flowers at my last home. I think we need to continue weeding out the stuff that threatens to over take our spiritual lives - its a constant process.
So Group D appears to me to be the culmination of a lot of growth and maturity.
Group A - their seed is snatched up by Satan before it can be planted - the general non-believer population
Group B - they get some seed, but because the don't develop a strong root system, the moment there is any sort of trouble, their Christian walk is in trouble
Group C - they've got a little garden growing, but a whole lot of weeds are also growing too and threatening to choking out the seed
Group D - they've got a bumpercrop happening!
My first reaction - I wanna be in Group D. Who wouldn't want to be in that group? My second reaction was...I don't think I'm in Group D! An honest assessment puts me in Group B/C with small bursts of Group D behaviour.
Then I started to really ponder this passage, and it occured to me that maybe Group D is where we move to as we mature. Consider the whole plant analogy...
The first (and 2nd and 3rd) time I heard the word...I was firmly in Group A. I didn't get it. Whether it was my lack of readiness or Satan or some combination thereof, there was no planting taking place.
As a new Christian, I was in Group B. Without the proper food, soil conditions, light, water and general nourishment, my root system would not have developed. Thankfully I had a lot of that - a strong Church family, small group, and many Christian friends. As I grow in faith, my roots are getting stronger. I have to wonder how I would respond under physical threat, torture or persecution....I hope the roots will hold up...
Group C...the constant battle to keep weeds from choking out the word. I remember spending 2-4 hours a week pulling weeds that threatened to over take my flowers at my last home. I think we need to continue weeding out the stuff that threatens to over take our spiritual lives - its a constant process.
So Group D appears to me to be the culmination of a lot of growth and maturity.
# posted by KRI @ 3:02 PM 
