Soil Samples

Luke 8:4 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: 5 "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. 8 But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

It’s interesting to consider the chemical constitution of man. As Michael Rozelle of Potter’s Field Ministries related when he was here at CCN, the human body is made up of the same chemical elements found just under the grass in the field outside the windows of the building.

To put it simply, we are comprised of dirt. The poignant example we have from the Old Testament is found in Jeremiah 18: 3 Then I went down to the potter's house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. 4 And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. 5 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 6 "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the Lord. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!

Of course, all dirt is not the same. In the example found in Jeremiah, we are talking about clay. There is also sand and silt. Those are the three major groups which comprise what we commonly refer to as “dirt.” The mixture of how much sand or silt or clay is present – along with moisture - determine the condition of the dirt. Dirt which is normally very fertile can become completely infertile if not enough moisture is present - and then can change in an instant with rainfall or irrigation.

How much money do we invest in getting rid of dirt? The grocery store shelves are lined with products for cleaning floors, windows, clothes, and counter-tops. A huge portion of our economy is invested in the development and marketing of products whose express purpose is to get rid of the dirt in our houses and in our cars. Interesting…

If we spent even the smallest portion of our time preparing the dirt which composes us – especially our hearts – as we do trying to get rid of the dirt that surrounds us, we would all be very wealthy. Not in the ways of the world - but in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ - and there is no greater wealth to be had. Jesus is urging us to consider the condition of our hearts in this parable. In Mark’s Gospel, (Mark 4:13,) Jesus tells us this is the key to understanding ALL His parables.

- Pastor Bill