Jesus went on: "As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and comprehends it. He, indeed, bears fruit. It yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times as much, and in another thirty."

The wondrous promise of the Lord is good seed. There’s nothing wrong with that seed. It is designed to change your whole being. But like any tender seedling, it has to have soil free from weeds that will prevent it from maturing and producing the desired harvest.

The good soil is your heart, your spirit, your innermost being. The Word gets planted in you. But something happens. Actually, a lot of things happen. The transmission goes out on your car and the warranty has just expired. Your roof starts to look. The price of gasoline doubles.

Artwork by graphic novelist Earnest Graham of the website Look Both Ways: Art and Faith