MONDAY MEDITATION: The Secret to a Nice Lawn (September 16)

Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it scorched the plants, and they dried up because they had no roots. — Matthew 13:5-6

When Jesus gave his parable of the sower, he must have just walked past my front yard.

Our subdivision was built on notoriously rocky soil, and the developers dealt with it by covering everything with a paltry layer of topsoil. After decades of trying to grow grass, my lawn has finally given up this year. It encountered a series of unfortunate events. Moles, raccoons, and even cicadas left their marks. Crabgrass, nutgrass, even spotty bermuda grass took advantage, along with weeds that look like they came from another universe.

All this could have been avoided if there were a depth to the soil where grass could have grown and laid down deep roots. That way disruptions and weeds would have had a difficult time making headway.

The parable of the sower is one of Jesus’ most famous, and it’s found in all three synoptic Gospels. We need to have depth to our character so that his teachings will take root and grow. Luke’s version adds a wrinkle: People add depth to their souls if they “hear the word and commit themselves to it with a good and upright heart. Through their resolve, they bear fruit” (Luke 8:15).

Unlike my front yard, there’s hope for each of us. Committing ourselves to the revolutionary teachings of Jesus, to sacrificial acts of compassion, to ceaseless biblical study and prayer, and to courageous opposition to social injustice: we create rich depth. What takes root and begins growing is stunning (Galatians 5:22-23).

Eventually our lawn will be the talk of the neighborhood.