The Seed that didn’t Grow

We see people develop into beautiful Christians on seed others have sown into their lives. Yet, looking at people we ourselves are in contact with, we often fail to see any development on seed we have sown and it causes doubt in our minds considering our seed and our ability to sow. And then the question whether we are at the right place doing the right thing, bears down heavily on us.

And yet, not one of us is at a place in his life by chance, even considering our mistakes and bad decisions in life. Someone once said, “To wish you were someone else is to waste the person you are.” I’d like add on to that by saying, “To wish you could be doing something else, would mean admitting that every castle you built, was built on sand.” God uses us regardless. We are in touch with people around us with the purpose of sowing seed into their lives. Although we might become discouraged for not noticing any yield on our seed, we must remember that it is a matter between that person and God.

In the Bible we find a married couple, Joanna and Chuza, who found themselves at specific places in their lives that were not by chance. Joanna looked after Jesus and His disciples from her substance and Chuza was a steward of Herod (Luke 8:3). A steward has privileges that other servants do not have. He manages his master’s household and can speak freely with his master. Joanna was in close contact with Jesus and knew everything that He had done and Chuza must have told Herod everything his wife shared with him. Herod, the Roman ruler, was a Jew and he was in Jerusalem to take part in the Passover feast. Let’s see what might have happened in their lives:

Joanna raced to the house where Chuza worked. When she arrived, she asked the servants to call her husband quickly because she had terrible news to share with him. When he saw her, he immediately noticed the concern and shock on his wife’s face. “What is wrong, Joanna?”

“You have no idea what has happened! They have arrested Jesus and the Jews want to kill him. He was with Pilate and I understand that he has plans to send Him to your master Herod. Would you please speak to him and ask him to free Jesus?” Joanna begged her husband.

“You don’t have to worry, Joanna. I’ve been telling Herod everything that you told me about Jesus, and believe me, he is very anxious to meet Him. I am sure he will release Him. Go back and tell the disciples they don’t need to worry. I have shared every miracle you told me about with him. Honestly, Herod knows about Jesus, and he desires to meet Him.”

Herod indeed welcomed the decision of Pilate to send Jesus to him. He had been longing to meet Him for a long time because he heard many things about Him (Luke 23:8). Alas, we know what Herod did to Jesus and we therefore know the seed that Chuza had sown, did not grow in Herod’s heart.

If you would be looking for your harvest or are busy grappling with the question of whether you should be sowing anyway, there is one very important matter we should keep in mind. If we do not sow, no harvest will follow… ever.

God does not sow seed except through us, and if we neglect sowing, no seed is sown, ever. However, when we sow, the success of the harvest does not depend on us but on God. In 1 Cor 3:7 we read that “…neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God Who gives the increase.”

Chuza looked at the greatness of his master and thought the ground on which he was sowing, was good. Yet, he could have given him all the fertiliser in the world and watered him daily, but the seed would not have yielded a harvest because God knew Herod’s heart was infertile ground and no increase was possible.

Praise God for the fact that He chose your heart for His seed to grow in. No matter where you are or what you are doing, scatter the seed of Jesus without worrying where it would fall. I have seen seed grow among thorns or thrive between rocks because it is God who makes it grow.