When Jesus told the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13, he spoke of seeds that fell on rocky ground, sprang up quickly, and then withered for lack of moisture. TENDER PLANTS can look promising, yet without hidden strength they don’t last when the heat of trial comes. Jesus explained that these are people who receive the word with joy, but in times of testing they fall away. Faith isn’t proven by enthusiasm alone. What matters is whether God’s word sinks deeply into us, shaping our habits, convictions, and choices.

Jesus added, Consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more. To move beyond the fragility of tender plants, we need patient, careful listening. The heart is like soil; it must be open and prepared, or even the brightest new growth will quickly fade.

Other seed fell on good soil. It grew, flourished, and produced a harvest a hundred times more than was sown. The FERTILE SOIL represents those who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. It’s not a matter of hearing once and moving on, but of treasuring the word daily, returning to it repeatedly, letting it nourish every part of life.

The promise of abundant harvest is full of hope. When the gospel finds a ready heart, its impact overflows beyond the individual. A fertile life blesses others: kindness spreads, forgiveness softens hard places, generosity inspires, and hope multiplies. The fruit isn’t ours to boast of, it’s the Spirit’s work in us. Our role is to keep the soil of our lives soft and receptive, through prayer, humility, and obedience.

The contrast between shallow ground and DEEP ROOTS is striking. Roots are unseen, hidden beneath the surface, yet they enable a tree to withstand storms and bear fruit. In the same way, Jesus calls us not only to hear his word but to let it go deep. Roots grow as we practise what we hear, when the word moves from our ears into our hands and feet.

Jesus linked this with light, No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed (Luke 8:16). A life rooted in the word inevitably shines. Deep roots produce visible witness, just as strong trees give shade and fruit.

So, the Parable of the Sower asks, what kind of soil am I offering today?

Tender plants will wither, but fertile soil, with deep roots will bear fruit that lasts.

Lord Jesus, you scatter your word like seed across every field of life. Sometimes my heart is hard, sometimes distracted, sometimes shallow. Yet you never give up sowing. Make my heart fertile soil, open to your Spirit’s work. Send roots deep into your love, so that when trials come I may stand firm, and may my life shine with your light, bearing fruit that blesses others and glorifies you. Amen.