A Dirty Story

Brothers and sisters, I'm gonna tell you a story.

A dirty story!

Wipe that smirk off your face, Sister! Yes, a dirty story. . .because this is a story about. . . dirt.

You heard me. . .dirt. 


Good old garden-variety, under-your-fingernails, time-to-wash-the-car dirt!

You see, there once was a farmer who went out to plant his crops. Some of his seed fell along the path, where the ground was hard. And tragically. . .

Evil, seed-snatching bird!

Yes, tragically, the birds came and carried those poor little seeds away before they had a chance to sprout.

So that farmer, he went forth again, and again he scattered the good seed.

But this time the seed fell on rocky ground.

We're talking ROCKY ground.

And the little plants shot right up.   

But then the sun came out, and because those plants had shallow roots, the sun withered those plants and they died. Whew! Can you feel that hot sun?

Well, that farmer went forth again to scatter seed, and this time the seed fell on thorny ground. And those precious seeds sprang up into big, beautiful, drop-dead gorgeous plants.

But then the thorns and briers came up and choked those plants. Those thorns poked and they choked, and the plants on the thorny ground shriveled and died!

Evil seed-stabbing thorns!

Brothers and sisters, is anyone detecting a pattern here?

Anyway, you gotta give this boy points for persistence. The farmer went out to plant again. And this time the seed fell on good ground.

I said the GOOD GROUND!

And the seeds sprang up. . .and stayed up. . .and brought forth a great harvest. 

And the sun shone, the peasants rejoiced, and  the farmer was very happy.

Brothers and Sisters, in this story, the seed is the Word of God.

And the dirt? Well, that’s your heart and my heart.

What kind of garden is in our hearts?  When we hear the Word of God--even when it comes wrapped up in a simple story--we need to open our hearts and let the Word grow.

And that's the real dirt!