A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path. Other seeds fell on rocky ground. Other seeds fell among thorns. Other seeds fell on good soil.
1 But at night, the enemy came to the good soil and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants sprung up from the soil and rocky ground, the weed did also.
2 And among the wheat in the good soil, there was a wheat sprout that beheld the weeds growing tall and strong. For the weed was similar to the wheat sprout in appearance, the wheat sprout said to itself, “Let me be like them, that I may be bountiful in my appearance.” And so it stretched itself upward, caring little for its roots or the grain it was meant to bear.
Days passed, and the weeds were still taller and more bountiful in appearance than the wheat sprout. The wheat sprout said again, “Why should I labor to keep up with mere weeds? When the sower comes, he will see that I have borne grain while the weeds have not.” Then it looked to the wheat on the rocky ground, which had sprung up quickly, and said “Let me bear much grain at once, that the sower may delight in me.”
But the sprout had not yet laid deep roots, and as the days passed, the sun rose high and scorched every field. The wheat in the rocky soil, having no root, withered away.
3The wheat sprout was scorched also, and was left withering. The wheat sprout lamented, “I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity!”
4 Then, a strong wind blew, and bent a flourishing wheat stalk towards the withering sprout.
5 The wheat sprout marveled, saying, “How is it that this stalk, though standing taller than I, does not wither? How is it that this stalk, planted in the same soil, has borne much grain?”
The wheat stalk answered, “I have laid my roots deep into this soil and drawn strength from it. For the grain cannot bear itself unless it abides in good soil. Whoever abides in good soil and the soil in him, he it is that bears much grain, for apart from the soil the wheat can do nothing.”
6 Humbled and amazed, the wheat sprout started to lay its roots deeper into the soil, and relied on it to produce grain.
When considering writing this piece, I had one goal in mind: to share the essence of John 15:1-8, a passage that recently redefined the way I endured through spiritual trials. At first, the message can seem trivial: “Just abide in God. Just have faith. Spend more time with God.” But when contextualized in the domain of trials and tribulations, I think this passage unveils a rather unintuitive yet beautiful approach to confronting the unpleasant.
I believe all trials can be overcome through the Fruit of the Spirit. Oftentimes though, we try to bear this fruit ourselves. We expect ourselves to figure it out, to become a more loving, joyful, patient person. But who are “we” without the Holy Spirit? Where will we source the “nutrients” for the fruit? Without the Spirit, bearing this fruit becomes an impossible task. Instead of overexerting ourselves and focusing on the issue at hand, taking a step back and drawing “nutrients” from the Spirit first may be the more productive answer.
Taking inspiration from the many garden-themed parables in the Bible, this piece chronologically outlines my past experiences and the unproductive ways I dealt with them in the form of a parable, starting from my freshman year in college until now. Translating this to my perspective, I am the wheat sprout. The weeds (tares, a specific type of weed that resembles wheat) are people who appear just as happy and content, if not to a greater extent, with their lives despite not knowing Christ. The wheat sowed on rocky ground is as Jesus describes: “one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy … and when tribulation or persecution arises … falls away.”
3 And the wheat stalk at the end is a specific pastor who has given me guidance throughout my life.
Many parts of this anecdote, including the ending, are left open-ended for interpretation. I hope that you, with your unique story, can somehow relate to my story and interpret it in your own way. What does it mean to “lay deep roots,” “abide,” or “draw from the soil”? For me, it’s spending time with God through scripture reading and prayers of thanksgiving. To you, it might mean worship, fellowship, prayer, reading, or even serving. Whatever it may be, next time you find yourself overwhelmed by the turbulence of life, take a step back and equip yourself first by drawing from the Spirit.
