July 12, 2026
Matthew 13:1-9;18-23
Theme: What Soil Are We Becoming?
Back in late May 2026, when we started the little kitchen garden outside St. Paul’s parish hall, we were so excited. We bought plastic containers, brought in soil, planted seeds, and waited. And I remember what happened-some plants shot up beautifully, but others never made it past a few leaves and others never germinated. Not because the seeds were bad, but because the soil in some containers was too shallow. The roots had nowhere to go.
Jesus tells us today in the gospel of Matthew 13 that our hearts can be just like that garden. The seed of God’s Word is always good – the question is whether the soil of our lives is deep enough to let the Word of God grow.
When Jesus tells the parable of the sower, He is speaking to a mixed crowd gathered along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Some were farmers who understood soil and seasons. Some were fishermen who lived hand‑to‑mouth. Some were women and children who followed Him because His voice gave them dignity and belonging. Some were disciples eager but confused. And some were religious leaders watching Him with suspicion.
This crowd carried different hopes, wounds, and expectations. Many were poor, taxed heavily by Rome, and spiritually hungry. They longed for a word that could speak into their lives and give them hope. Jesus knew their hearts were not all the same-some open, some hardened, some distracted, some ready to listen to Him. So, He tells a story that meets each person exactly where they are. The parable becomes a spiritual diagnosis, spoken to a crowd whose inner hearts were as varied as the soils He described.
In today’s gospel, Jesus doesn’t begin with doctrine, or commandments, or theological arguments. He begins with a simple and familiar story. He tells a story of a farmer who walks out to sow seeds. Nothing extraordinary. Just a man scattering seed on the ground.
Jesus is not only telling a story, but He is inviting us to look inward, to examine the landscape of our own hearts, and to ask a question that is both unsettling and liberating: What kind of soil are we becoming as Christians?
Because the truth is, the seed – the Word of God, is always good. The seed is never the problem. The question is always the soil.
Some of us know when our hearts are hardened. When life has pressed on us and our hearts are bleeding with pain and unbelief. When we hear God’s Word, but it cannot sink in. It stays on the surface. We keep moving, but nothing grows.
This morning, Jesus is inviting us to ask: Where has our hearts become hardened? Where have we stopped letting God speak deeply?
Then Jesus speaks of rocky ground. A soil that receives the seed with joy, but cannot sustain it. This is the faith that begins with enthusiasm but fades when life becomes difficult. It is the faith that wants resurrection without crucifixion, blessing without discipline, calling without commitment.
The gospel of Mattew is asking us gently: Where is our faith shallow?
Then Jesus speaks about the seeds scattered on the thorns. These are the worries, the distractions, the endless demands that choke the life out of our spiritual growth. Jesus names them plainly: the cares of the World, the lure of wealth, the noise that keeps us from hearing God. This is the soil of busyness, anxiety, and divided loyalties.
The gospel is asking us: What is choking our spiritual life? What competes with God’s voice in us?
Finally, Jesus speaks of good soil. The soil that receives the Word, protects it, nurtures it, and allows it to bear fruit. Remember, good soil is not perfect soil. It is soil that has been tended. It is soil that has been softened by grace. It is soil that has been cleared of stones and thorns through the patient work of the Holy Spirit. Good soil is not something we are. It is something we become.
My dear friends, today Jesus is not asking us to judge others. He is not asking us to categorize people. But He is asking us to look inward and ask a soul-searching question: What kind of soil are we//you/ am I becoming?
Remember that the Sower is still sowing. The Word is still being spoken. The invitation is still being offered. And God has not given up on the soil of our heart.
Maybe this morning you are the path-hardened by life. Jesus can soften you/us. Maybe this morning you are rocky ground-faithful but shallow. Jesus can deepen (y)our faith. Maybe this morning you/we are thorny soil-overwhelmed and distracted. Jesus can clear the thorns.
Maybe this morning you/we are becoming good soil-open, receptive, ready. Jesus can make you/us/me fruitful beyond anything you can imagine.
May we open our hearts to the work of the Holy Spirit who sows generously, patiently, and lovingly-the seeds of kindness until our lives bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.