Preparation For and Care Of the Seed

Seed nurturers.  That was the title of my last post.  The etymology of the word "nurture" can be traced back to other words. Nutrient, nourish, nurse.

Thinking as a gardener, this word "nurture" is a rich metaphor.    Preparing the seed bed with care; amending the soil structure and pH; planting the seeds in a controlled environment under ideal conditions under grow-lights, checking the tiny seedlings daily for bugs or disease, controlling the temperature, light and moisture; placing the maturing seedlings in a cold frame in order to slowly introduce them to outside conditions, then placing the seedlings on a sunny day into tilled soil with just the right fertilizer, and then a good, deep drink of water.  Even then, watching regularly, and picking bugs, and pulling weeds.  Thoughtful, sweaty, long-term work...and that is all just so that we can get a few carrots and onions and okra pods.

But what do we do with eternally significant seed?

1Pe 1:23-25  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.  (24)  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:  (25)  But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1Co 15:1-8  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;  (2)  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.  (3)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;  (4)  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:  (5)  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  (6)  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.  (7)  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.  (8)  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.


1Co 10:32-33  Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:  (33)  Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

That last set of verses from 1 Corinthians comes hard on the heels of a three chapter explanation of how we ought to make practical every day decisions

• What meat to eat, and when
• Why Paul decided not to accept well earned wages for his ministry
• How to decide what to do when all things are lawful to me).  

And it wraps directly back around to being seed nurturers.  

We know there is one God, one Saviour, one Creator, but not all men know that (1 Cor 8) so we ought to make decisions that reflect our understanding that what we do will have an impact on the eternal destination of those around us, which is based on their accepting, believing and (according to the parable of the Sower and the Seed) nurturing the offered grace through the Gospel.  If that is true for how we interact with the strangers among us, and casual acquaintances, and colleagues, how much more important that we carefully do our part, under our Head the Lord Jesus, as the head of our own household, making decisions that will enable us to carefully nurture the seeds in our wife and children of the Good News of the life, death and resurrection of Christ, the ramifications to our situation, and how we ought to respond.