Spiritual Gardener

Matthew 13:3 ~ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow.
Matthew 13:4 ~ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.
Matthew 13:5 ~ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
Matthew 13:6 ~ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.
Matthew 13:7 ~ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.
Matthew 13:8 ~ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Matthew 13:9 ~ He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

This parable highlights the ministry of Adam in the Garden of Eden as well as in our time under the dispensation of grace. In Genesis 2:15, the Bible says, "Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it."

Now, some translation used work instead of tend, and if any of us is having the idea that work is to sweat with hard labor, I am sorry to say that we are being erroneous to receive this revelation in the prospective of New Covenant Spirit. The word tend means to look after; watch over and care for; minister to or wait on with service. In Genesis 2:15, Adam was still living in the perfect will of God and he was full of divine wisdom, power and life. The “work” in taking care of the Garden definitely not like the fallen idea we have in our mind. The work for the first Adam was effortless and without sweat. He only needed to speak the word and it was done.

As the Second Adam had restored what the first Adam had lost in the Garden two thousand years ago, Our Lord Jesus had restored the Garden of Eden with Spiritual Garden through His grace. The New Covenant ministry is being identified here to tend and keep this Spiritual Garden. As His Royal Priesthoods, we are entrusted by the Lord to tend and keep this Spiritual garden. We are to speak His pure grace and the Gospel to prune and water as a form of tending and keeping the Garden.

Everyone who came to believe in the Lord is saved by His grace. Through faith, this Spiritual Garden is composed of all the born again believers saved by His Grace through faith and they are to grow in the Lord by His Grace through faith.

Seeds fell by the wayside

Some seeds fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up. In churches’ tradition explanation, the birds here are usually referred to the devils that come and eat of the seeds. In the light of New Covenant Spirit in His grace, birds here can also be referred to as Pastors or Leaders who teach erroneously with the mixture of Law and Grace without filtering their teaching through the Cross. These seeds are being turned away from His grace and put onto a platform of law abiding with work oriented, self consciousness mentality. As spiritual gardeners enlightened by His grace, we preach Christ centered preaching pointing them to Jesus and He will supply this kind of seeds with good soil. His Word will prune and water them and allow them to grow in the ground full of His Grace. The seeds then yield a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Seed fell on stony places

These are the seeds belonging to Churches that preach legalism with mixture of law and grace. They depend on their own good work to be justified by God. The word in this passage says there is not much soil (grace) but stone (Ten Commandments). The New Covenant Spirit is showing a very profound truth here. Truth is not on the side of Law and the seed can never be rooted in such foundation. Apostle Paul said, we must be rooted in His love… The Law condemns and the Spirits gives life and we can never find love in the Law. Our Christ centered preaching is to point them to Christ who is the Supplier of good soil, trimming and watering. When the seeds receive the truth of His grace, they will accept His righteousness and lay down their own righteousness which came from law abiding. Apostle Paul talked of self righteousness as dung. As the seeds received good soil, plenty of water, and dung (fertilizer) that was laid down through their renewal of mind, and with the sunshine of His love, the seeds then yield a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Seeds fell among thorns

These seeds are troubled by the needs of this world because of the self righteousness teaching based on the principle of deserving. They are trying to meet every areas of their need through deserving system. They count their blessing base on their commitment to the Lord. They are thinking that God only helps those who help themselves. But the truth is, God only help those who are helpless! Christ centered preaching on grace is to bring peace to their hearts and uproot the thorns. The watering of His Word will put them back on His grace, which is the unmerited and undeserved favor of God! As the seeds received good soil, plenty of water, and dung laid down as fertilizer, and with the sunshine of His love, the seeds then yield a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Matthews 13:8 ~ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Grace is the good ground. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!