Time to Plant

By Rev. Heidi L. Barham |  July 12, 2026

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Read Matthew 13:1 – 9, 18 – 23 (NIV)
 
In our New Testament lesson today, we find Jesus sitting in a boat, speaking to a large group of people who were standing along the shore.  The boat was a make-shift pulpit of sorts from which Jesus was telling parables to the crowd that had gathered.
 
Jesus often taught using parables, which some people describe simply as earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.  And the parable that is the focus of our text this morning, the Parable of the Sower, definitely falls into that category.  It truly is an earthly story… one that talks about a farmer planting seeds and it definitely has a heavenly meaning.
 
Now, for the rest of our time together, I want to invite our attention to the subject: TIME TO PLANT.
 
Some of you may know that although God continually showers me with abundant blessings in many arenas… having a green thumb is not one of those blessings. 
 
Although both of my grandmothers were able to grow beautiful African Violets… neither one of them shared that particular gene with me.  Left in my care, otherwise beautiful and luscious African Violets become shrinking violets… and over time… tend to shrivel up completely.
 
And when it comes to outdoor gardening… let’s just say, that is definitely more Ron’s cup of tea than mine.  While I love to look at the flowers he plants, and I enjoy eating the fresh vegetables he grows… the extent of my agricultural interest pretty much starts and ends there.
 
Now, one thing I have learned from listening to Ron talk to other gardeners is that to get the best results… you have to wait for just the right TIME TO PLANT. 
 
Because if you don’t plant the seeds or seedlings at just the right time… in just the right way… with just the right care… it is highly unlikely that you will achieve the desired results.
 
And in essence, that is what Jesus was explaining to the disciples (and by extension to us) by using this parable. 
 
When we plant seeds of faith, it has to be done at just the right time… in just the right way… and with just the right care.
 
As followers of Christ, we have been given a commission to sow seeds of faith in order “To make disciples of all nations…” and so I want to suggest… if the time has ever been right before… as we look at what is happening in the world around us today… when it comes to seeds of faith… it is definitely TIME TO PLANT.
 
As we find ourselves living in a time of that could be described as perpetual pandemonium and constant chaos… it is critical that we are intentional about planting seeds of faith… anywhere and everywhere we go. 
 
However, as we learn from this parable… we do need to pay close attention to how we go about doing it.
 
Thinking about this passage of scripture calls to mind Ecclesiastes 3… particularly the first two verses which read, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 – 2).
 
And so, as we become more intentional about planting seeds of faith, we have to look for just the right time to plant. 
 
In the parable, as the farmer went out to sow his seed, some fell on the ground, and the birds plucked it up.  Reading from the Message Paraphrase, Jesus explained that:

When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road.

As you have no doubt heard before, timing is everything.  And when we talk to someone about our faith, we want to make sure our timing is right.
 
 If the other person is distracted or otherwise disengaged, they may hear what we say but the question becomes… are they really listening?
 
It brings to mind the notion that you cannot teach a child who is hungry unless you address their hunger first.
 
There are some things that happen in our lives that have the potential to keep us from taking in the information that we need to hear and understand… and that is something that we need to keep in mind when we are planting seeds of faith.
 
When someone is sitting in the waiting room outside of an ICU ward waiting to hear about a loved one who was critically injured because they happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time… let’s just say, that may not be the ideal time to try to hold a theological discussion with them. 
 
They are probably not in the right frame of mind to digest all the rich nuggets that you desire to impart… so much of what you might have to say will likely fall on deaf ears as they may be asking the question, “If God is real, why would God allow this to happen to my loved one?” 
 
Instead, this is a time when we do better to extend love and compassion through the ministry of presence.  Just be there with them and listen.  Trust that God is big enough to handle their questions and doubts… even when we are not. 
 
Keep in mind, the Psalmist David did more than his fair share of doubting and questioning and yet he will forever be known as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). 
 
In Psalm 10 (1) we read, “Why, Lord, do you stand far off?  Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?”   While over in Psalm 13 (1) we find David’s lament, “How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?”  And in Psalm 22 (1), we read David’s cry of anguish, part of which Jesus would later exclaim at Calvary, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from my cries of anguish?”
 
And there are many more examples like these.  But the point is simply this, God hears and understands our questions of “Why?” when we cry out from the depths of our despair. 
 
So, avoid the temptation of trying to answer for God and let your presence do the speaking for you… lest the seeds you sow get picked off before they ever have a chance to take root.
 
But not only do we have to plant the seeds at just the right time, we have to do it in just the right way.
 
In the parable, some of the seeds were dropped on rocky ground and the soil was not deep enough for it to take root.  As Jesus explained:

The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

We need to be sure that we are encouraging people to go deeper into God’s Word instead of simply skimming the surface… because that will likely result in a rather shallow understanding of faith.  Because, if, or should I say, when that person is faced with some type of hardship or challenge… their faith may not be strong enough to sustain them… and they will be right back where they started.
 
Let’s go back to our ICU waiting room scenario…
 
Your presence with that person in their time of need was just what the doctor ordered.  And because you did not launch into an ideological discourse explaining why their feelings were wrong… that person was not left feeling “judged” for questioning God in the midst of their crisis.  They simply felt loved and accepted instead. 
 
Then, a short time after that encounter in the ICU… they took you up on the invitation to visit the church… and there they felt welcomed into a community of people that offered unconditional love… that reflected the love Jesus has for all of us.  They were eager to join the church… convinced that they had finally found the solution to all their problems… believing that life would be all good from here on out because they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.
 
But suddenly, their loved one took an expected turn for the worst and passed away.  The feelings of joy and peace that new believer experienced when they joined the church were extinguished just as quickly as they had been fanned into flame.  Why?  Because the seeds of faith had not been planted deep enough. 
 
They did not yet understand that saying, “Yes,” to Jesus does not mean we have a pass to get out of trouble for life.  In fact, John 16:33 reminds us that just the opposite is true. 
 
Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
 
That is why we must be sure that when we are planting seeds of faith… we have to offer more than just a shallow or surface teaching of what faith in Jesus entails. Otherwise, at the first sign of disappointment… we will lose those new believers at the exact time they need us most.
 
Now, we need to make sure that we are not only planting seeds of faith at just the right time and in just the right way… we also need to plant with just the right care.
 
“The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it.”
 
One of the things that I dislike about gardening is the need to constantly weed the flower beds and vegetable garden so the plants can truly flourish and grow.  And unlike watering… which I can do while standing on the sidelines… weeding requires getting down and dirty.  You cannot weed from a distance… you have to get up close and personal.
 
When we plant seeds of faith in the lives of new believers… we cannot simply stand on the sidelines and hope that weeds of sin won’t take root.  We have to remain up close and personal in the lives of the people God has placed in our midst… leading by example… showing them a better way to go… demonstrating by our own lives and actions what it means to be a true follower of Christ.
 
And if we see that other person starting to go astray and getting caught up in the enticements of the world… it is up to us to offer a gentle word of correction… seasoned with encouragement… to help them get back on track.  
 
Jesus issued the charge for us to look out for our brothers and sisters so that the weeds of sin do not overtake them. In Matthew 18:15, we read, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.”
 
But we need to be extremely careful, if and when we do that… because as Jesus explained back in Matthew 7… we cannot expect to take a speck out of our brother or sister’s eye when we have a plank in our own eye. 
 
Which means even as we are trying to help that brother or sister get back on track… we will likely be more successful, if we are staying on track ourselves.
 
Perhaps that is why Paul had this to say to the Galatian church:

Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.  Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ  (Galatians 6:1-2).

We must handle new believers, as well as the not-so-new believers, with care.  We must be gentle in how we approach these rather delicate situations so that we do not make a bad situation worse.  We do not want to create a scenario where it feels better outside in the world than it does inside of the church. 
 
We want the church to be the place where all believers can come and find care and nurture when they feel lost, hurt or confused.  But sadly, there have been more than a few occasions when people have felt more used and abused by the “good folks” in the church than they have by the so-called bad folks in the world.
 
So, let us plant seeds of faith with just the right care, to ensure the weeds of the world don’t choke out what has been planted.
 
And when we sow seeds of faith at the just the right time, in just the right way and with just the right care… we should be prepared for what comes next.  Because when all goes according to plan… after the TIME TO PLANT comes the time to harvest.
 
Which is why looking at our last verse of the text, we read, “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”
 
In other words, when we have planted those seeds of faith in accordance with God’s purpose and plan at the right time, in the right way and with the right care… the folks in whom the seed has been sown will in turn go out and plant seeds of their own. 
 
And that is when we will see a harvest of souls greater than anything we could have ever imagined.
 
But as the church, we need to be prepared for that great harvest… because as we read in Matthew 9:36-38

When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

When we fulfill the Great Commission to go out and make disciples… and live out the Great Commandment to love God and the people of God… we are in essence sowing seeds of faith that will lead people to Christ… the Great Shepherd who we all, so desperately, need.
 
But it takes time and it takes patience… something that does not come easily to many of us… however, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to do what God is calling us to do. 
 
As Paul told the Galatians:

Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.  Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:8-10)

We cannot become weary… regardless of how tiring the work may feel from one day to the next… make that from one moment to the next… we will only reap the harvest and receive the benefit of our labors if we do not give up.
 
We are living in a day and time when people need the Lord like never before… while wars and rumors of wars abound… while nation turns against nation… and while heartache and hardship seem to await us around every corner… the seeds of faith we have been called to plant are needed more than ever…
 
But let me suggest that we have the opportunity to plant more than just seeds of faith… in fact, if we were to ask the Apostle Paul, he might encourage us to plant seeds that will produce what he refers to as the “fruit of the Spirit… love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22 – 23a).
 
He goes on to say that “Against such things there is no law” (Galatians 5:23b) or as it reads in the Message Paraphrase, “Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.”
 
Let me be clear… we will never be able to legislate our way into producing the fruit of the Spirit.  There is no room for partisanism or patriotism when it comes to being the people that God is calling us to be and doing what God has commanded us to do…
 
Which is simply this… to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”  And to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (see Matthew 22:36 – 40).
 
This is not a matter of whether someone is a Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, or leans left or right… it is a matter of choosing between right and wrong… and doing what Jesus would do.
 
I want to invite us to hold onto the theme from our General Assembly this weekend… BEYOND: Love Surpassing…
 
Because when we look BEYOND what divides us in this world… what divides us as a nation… what divides us in the neighborhoods and communities where we live, play, work, and worship… when we look BEYOND all of that… that is when we will bear witness to the surpassing love of God.
 
That is why I do not think it was by accident or coincidence that our New Testament lesson for today came from Matthew 13… because after all that we heard over this weekend… I believe the message is clear… it is TIME TO PLANT.
 
And if you agree that it is time for us, as the church, the body of believers to do some planting… I want to invite you to stand and join in singing our Hymn of Discipleship Seed, Scattered and Sown #395.

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