Friday 4, September 2026

Good gardeners know that weeds are a common threat to seedlings. In the Gospels, Y’shua once spoke of the wheat and tares growing together. Weeds, however, are not always thorns. But where weeds and thorns thrive, seedlings might die. With that in mind, consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Mark 4:7 NIV

[7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.

The Sower’s Dilemma

Once again, it seems like the sower had no thought for where the seed was scattered. I’m remembering a picture of a young man with a cross-body bag, looking like a discus or Frisbee hurler as he scattered the seed far and wide. That approach is less ‘productive’ than methodically digging holes in specially prepared soil and planting seeds or seedlings. Nevertheless, the sower managed to get some seeds germinated.

The soil was fertile, perhaps too much so, some might argue. For seedlings grew. But so did thorns. In Matthew 13:24-43, we learn that a competitor once sowed tares amidst the wheat crop. It might explain what happened with the thorns, but they could also have been there before the sower scattered the seed. What we do know is that the thorns thrived at the expense of the seedlings.

Self-Check

Are there thorns affecting our spiritual life presently?

Digging Deeper

Those of us who’ve planted vegetable or flower gardens must be totally frustrated by the sower’s methods. Hopefully, we are frustrated enough to take action. For someone has to be mobilised if the sower is to have a worthwhile yield. Armed with gloves (to protect the flesh from thorns), some workers must begin weeding.

Siblings, there is a science to weeding. If one pulls too strongly, only the tops are removed, and the weeds return in very short order. If one uses chemicals, the seedling might also perish. Short-handled spades, weed pullers, forks, or a sickle are better tools to assist. The location and type of the thorns or weeds often determine which tools are used.

I would argue that if thorns represent distractions, worries and temptations that we face, we also may need to use a mix of technologies. Some distractions can be easily addressed locally. It’s like a no-mobile-during-dinner rule. On the other hand, telling someone in a financial crisis, ‘I’m praying’, while offering no viable solution despite having resources is not enough. For where worry is, there also is temptation.

Unchecked worry can often lead to other issues, of which theft may be a lesser evil. How well do we attack and annihilate worry to prevent it from weighing our spirits down? What of gossip and lies? These are thorns to be removed from our lives and our congregations. Those can quickly choke a congregation to death.

Weed and thorn removal, therefore, requires prompt action grounded in discernment, prayer, and practicality. Yes, there is a need for compassion, but compassion can also have the effect of weeding by hand. The aim is to destroy the issue, not the person. When we nip worries, distractions, and temptations in the bud, we will find that we thrive spiritually. It may require changing locations, but first we must determine the source of the problem. That’s the value of prayer.

Siblings, the vineyard is prepared, and labourers are needed. We offer ourselves to the Sower to ensure a bountiful harvest.

Point to Ponder

What if we become weeds because our own attitudes are unchecked?

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May all we seek be found in Christ