He Is: Gardener (And We Are The Garden)

Part One: The Beginning

Jesus told them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’ ‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’ ‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.” 

(Matthew 13:24-30) 

Then He left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds in the field.” He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels. As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” 

(Matthew 13:36-43) 

The Parable of the Weeds: In the beginning, God as Gardener planted a good seed within the heart of man and within the world itself through man. But when everything was at rest and in perfection, the Enemy came and planted weeds alongside that seed. These weeds grow alongside God’s good seed, resulting in wickedness within the world and sin within the heart of man. Rather than risk uprooting what He declared good, He allowed both to grow, declaring perfect justice for the world’s wicked when the time was right. However, for the weeds within the heart of man, He had no such patience. Instead, He would send His Son to come among the weeds and plant a new Good Seed in the heart of man, stronger than the weeds of the Enemy, to restore His perfect plan. 

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop– a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

 (Matthew 13:1-9) 

“Listen to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the Kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the Word and receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the Word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the Word, making it unfruitful. But the seed that falls on good soil refers to someone who hears the Word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” 

(Matthew 13:18-23) 

The Parable of the Seeds: These Good Seeds landed on different hearts, the soil of man, resulting in different levels of fruitfulness and effectiveness. Some landed on hard, infertile ground that would not even allow the seed to take root, so it was taken away before having the chance to grow. Others landed on rocky soil, where there was no room for the roots to grow strong and reach needed minerals, so it dies quickly or is pulled from the soil easily by wind or animals. The third set lands and takes root, but back among the weeds planted by the Enemy, so they are choked out by the worries and desires of sin nature. The final landing site of the Good Seeds is the good soil… where the Seed and all the others it will bring with it can take root and grow into a Garden with a fruitful harvest. 

He told them another parable: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.” 

(Matthew 13:31-32)

The Parable of the Mustard Seed: When this Good Seed is willingly received into the heart of man, it sprouts into something unimaginable. Though this Seed starts out small, it brings with it blessings and fruits of epic proportions.