2026 Reading Plan Reflections - Day 52

When we walked through this parable in the Gospel of Matthew, I couldn’t get past what I called the “crazy farmer.” He throws seed everywhere. On the path, on rocks, into thorns. There was not efficiency or strategy–just generosity.

In Matthew, the weight felt like it landed on the lavishness of the sower. God is not stingy with grace. The seed isn't scarce. The invitation is wide.

But now, with where we’ve been in the Gospel of Mark, the tone shifts. Mark has already shown us authority in tension. Religious leaders are hardening, crowds are fluctuating, enthusiasm is rising and fading, and systems are resisting the message Jesus is sharing.

So when Jesus tells this parable here, the soils start to look familiar. The hard path? We’ve seen that. The shallow ground that springs up quickly but has no root? That too. The thorny soil—crowded, distracted, choked by competing loyalties? Been there, done that.

The tension keeps building. Yet, the farmer keeps sowing. That’s the connection between Matthew and Mark.
Grace is generous. The Word goes out. The Spirit draws.

Here’s where our Wesleyan theological roots guide us... The soil is not destiny. Hard ground can be broken. Rocks can be cleared. Thorns can be pulled. Grace precedes fruit and invites cooperation.

We’ve seen the authority. We’ve seen the confrontations. We’ve seen the tension.

What kind of ground are we becoming?
Holiness is not manufacturing fruit; it’s allowing the soil to be cultivated. The "crazy farmer" hasn’t stopped sowing. Will we let the ground be turned?