Sunday 13, September 2026

Have you ever thought about the farming methodology in the time of the hunter-gatherers? In that unindustrialised era, those farmers would have been about scattering seeds in the manner of the parable’s sower. As a matter of fact, there were people who never thought of replanting seeds! Those migratory, i.e., nomadic peoples, reaped fruit without planting anything, as they hadn’t realized it was a necessity. This ‘tech’ that we take for granted was once nonexistent.

What if we were unaware of the soil with which we are working as co-laborers in God’s vineyard? Would we cope with the results of the scattered seed? Consider Today’s Holy Nougat

Mark 4:20 CEB

[20] The seed scattered on good soil are those who hear the word and embrace it. They bear fruit, in one case a yield of thirty to one, in another case sixty to one, and in another case one hundred to one.”

Good Soil Vibes

The parable ends on an extremely high note. Some seeds survived and produced good fruit, with yields of thirty, sixty and a hundred fruit from the one seed. The sower must have been elated! With birds snatching the first seeds, the second batch not being able to take root in the soil, and the third set showing promise, then being choked by thorns; the sower could have been discouraged.

It is possible that s/he would have given up on any harvest from the seeds. I can see them making plans for the next migration move.

Except …

• A few seedlings pushed up through a clear patch of soil.

• With a bit of water, the seedling became a plant and continued to thrive.

• Over time, blossoms emerged, and fruit began to form.

• When the sower took stock, it was clear that the seed was good: the yield was bountiful.

All was not lost.

Self-Check

As that sower, would we be rejoicing and making plans to plant more seed from the yield, or would we allow pessimism about lost seeds to override our joy?

Deeper Dive

Jesus shared another set of parables in which He demonstrated the depth of rejoicing that one repentant soul generates. The Parables of the Lost Things in Luke 15 – sheep, coins, and sons – demand that we reflect on the yield of every good soil. Every lost item in those parables may represent a seed that fell on pavement, on the rocks, or among thorns. The search for their restoration says all isn’t hopeless for the seeds that got away. The celebrations over their return invite us to rejoice over the thirty, the sixty and the hundred-fold yields in the Sower’s harvest.

We can not take the harvest for granted. Despite the threat of losing everything, we hear Y’shua saying that good soil exists. We can take Him at His word. In His High Priestly prayer of John 17, we learn that He experienced exceptional yields from the seed He scattered – all but one from the special Twelve assigned to Him during His earthly ministry, was saved (see John 17:12)!

Given that Jesus has promised to capacitate us to do greater works in His name (see John 14:11-14), we can also expect to have good yields. Thus, we may find ourselves studying soil types to ensure that when seeds are sown we are equipped with the relevant tools to support growth and fruitfulness. The best method (aside from trial and error) to accomplish that involves consulting our manual (i.e., the Bible).

The Bible still offers some of the greatest testimonies about vineyard workers like you and me. There, we find ordinary people becoming extraordinary at co-creating and nurturing with Y’shua. We also learn the rudimentals of farming, of which one key lesson is patience. There too, mistakes and best practices of other workers are presented for our consideration. We can learn from them and point others to the manual as they also get into the rhythm of working in God’s vineyard.

The thirty, sixty and hundred yield demonstrated the fruit of the Sower’s labor. Let us rejoice! The harvest wasn’t entirely ruined.

Point to Ponder

What shall our rejoicing over God’s great yield look like today?

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May all we seek be found in Christ