A parable is an earthly story that contains a spiritual truth. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower (someone that plants seeds), “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain…” (Matt 13:3-9 ESV)
This is a popular parable we use in the Church to discuss the different ways people encounter the Gospel. As Jesus explains it later in the passage some people don’t give it a chance to take root, some people get excited but lose interest once things get hard, some like what they hear but get distracted, and finally some people hear it and grow (Matt 13:19-23). One fascinating aspect of this parable is that we rarely talk about the actual sower. The sower, the person we are supposed model ourselves after, represents someone sharing the Gospel and he/she doesn’t seem to care who hears it. He/she is just sowing everywhere he/she can. When you plant grains, you don’t need tidy rows or perfect lines—it’s a grass so you throw it everywhere it might be able to grow to get the biggest yield.
Too often we get afraid, nervous, or uncomfortable sharing the Gospel. We feel the need to cultivate perfect soil, find the perfect moment, and be able to say the perfect thing before we can share the Gospel. We can talk for hours about how our favorite movie is the best movie ever made, but once it gets to things that matter eternally we clam up and shut down. I had a pastor once tell me, “You cannot talk anybody into heaven, using your power of persuasion won’t save anybody’s soul—God does that part. Our purpose as Christians is just to share the good news that has [hopefully] changed our lives.”
I hope you are able to share some the good news in a kind and loving way with those around you. You are a sower, how the Gospel lands is not your responsibility just that it is shared.