Amazing Soil
Have you ever considered how amazing soil is? I’ve been thinking a lot lately at how miraculous and important it is to all of us, regardless of whether we like gardening or not. A huge percentage of our food comes from the soil, some of our clothes like cotton as well. If there was no soil, there would be no trees; and no trees equals no proper atmosphere to keep this planet functioning and regulated. No trees also means no wood! And on and on we could go, like no flowers, vegetables and you could probably think of many, many more things! Also, we human beings were created from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7). Soil is mega important!
Today, I just want to share a few thoughts from the parable of the growing seed found in Mark 4:26-29:
“He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”
Where I live, in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland, I’m just surrounded by fields. Some are for grazing animals but many are for crops. Year in year out, I see a cycle of the farmers ploughing the soil, fertilizing it, planting seed and then all of a sudden the stalks appear and then then full blades of wheat or whatever.
I do find it absolutely incredible that a tiny little seed or even a bulb can just be planted in the soil, and then as long as it is watered and the climate is okay, it germinates, takes root and then grows.
Now the NIV, in verse 8 says, “All by itself the soil produces grain…”. The King James Bible says, “For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself.” The actual Hebrew word used here is: αὐτομάτη (automatē), from which we get our English word, “automatically”.
This whole process screams to me of pre-programming by a creator and it’s not only marvellous but miraculous. I haven’t really done any research but I would be willing to bet (if I was a betting man!) that scientists are unable to explain how this happens.
So, apart from a great agricultural insight, what can we learn from this to help us spiritually? I think there is a huge amount here. Which is of course the ultimate reason why Jesus spoke this parable.
We know from many other verses that seed sown represents the Word of God; that incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23). Now, if you look just a few verses prior to this parable, in Mark 4:1-20, Jesus spoke about the parable of the sower, in which he describes different types of soil, which also represents the conditions of our heart:
1 – No soil, it’s just a stoney path. The seed lands on a path and can’t take root. It’s like a person with a heart of stone, a hard heart. Satan is then able to just take that seed away.
2 – Just a little soil, which is just about enough to allow the seed to get a small root. But, when the sun comes it just withers and dies. Also, in terms of the human heart when trouble or persecution comes because of the Word, the person just falls away. They have not developed proper, deep roots. Their commitment was just too shallow.
3 – There is enough soil, but weeds start to compete with the plant coming from the seed and choke it. This represents the worries of this life but also the deceptive nature of wealth or the love of the world.
4 – But, the final soil is not only enough, but, good quality and is free of weeds and it produces a great harvest.
Talking about “good quality soil”. I made a rooky error the other day. My ‘snake plant’, or ‘mothers-in-laws tongue’ plant or if you are really botanical, Dracaena trifasciata plant! Had actually flowered, which I discovered was very rare. I thought this would be a good thing. However, I discovered it did this because it was in distress as its roots were too confined. So, I had compassion and went to the local garden centre to get a bigger pot and some soil. I thought I was being good and got Top Soil. But, I later discovered that a Compost Mix would have been far better. But my point is, there are different types of soil.
So, what I have learnt from all this is: I have to plant the Word of God into my heart BUT make sure my heart is good soil first. I have to check my conscious and if guilty, do the equivalent of ploughing, which is confession and repentance. I have to make sure that I’m not choking that in planted word by worries or over-exposing my mind to things of this world. I water that seed by the Spirit through prayer. I need to keep mediating on the Word. And here’s the oh so important thing; give it time to take root. If I do all these things that Word will automatically produces good fruit. Straight away, as I just wrote this, I thought of Isaiah 55:11.
Just a few final thoughts about the end there, when it says the farmer puts a sickle to it and gathers the harvest.
Jesus said in the end, there will be a harvest of souls and there will be a separating of the wheat from the chaff (Luke 3:17).
The wheat signifies those who are ‘born again’ and the chaff are those who are not. There will be a clear distinction between what God sees as good or evil.
Now, I know we are not to judge anyone. Only God really knows a persons heart and what will happen to them in the end. But, I heard someone say the other day that “there appears to be two types of beings inhabiting the earth today; they both look human, but one is and the other isn’t.” I think the distinction between good and evil is getting easier and easier to behold. Just recently a famous and elderly politician in the UK was savagely and brutely murdered in her own home (Anne Widicombe). Someone then told me about a person called Heather Herbert, who works for Aberdeen University who posted on their social media that this was “good news” and that they hoped it was an “extremely painful death”. Immediately, I thought to myself, “is this person really a human being!”. By the way, I wrote to Aberdeen University to complain about that person. My thought process on doing this proved to be right as so many other people complained as well, which led the University to help the police in an enquiry which resulted in that person being charged.
Contrast that if you will to a comment made by Max Holloway after defeating Conor McGregor in a UFC fight the other day (12th July 2026). Conor McGregor suffered a terrible injury to his knee in the early part of the first round. The post fight interviewer asked Max why he held back and just didn’t “finish him off”. Max said, and I paraphrase, “I’m a trained killer, however, I’m also human. I saw his family and kids on the front row, and thought they don’t need to see this.” In short, he showed his human side, he still had a compassionate heart.
Now, I don’t know whether or not Max Holloway is a Christian, but he showed a great distinction between himself and that Heather Herbert ‘person’. And one day there will be a harvest. God is allowing both the wheat and chaff to grow together and then at harvest time God will distinguish and separate the two.
