We’re kicking off a new sermon series this week on the parables of Jesus. First up is Matthew 13 and the Parable of the Sower, one of the most famous stories Jesus tells. It’s famous—in part—because of our obsession with the soil! Are we good soil or bad soil? What about our neighbors with whom we share the gospel? But before we get to a discussion of the soil, we have to understand why Jesus uses this strange metaphor of farming (and the ridiculous return on investment he forecasts) to explain the kingdom of God. My prayer, as we work our way through these parables leading up to Easter, is that you would be surprised—again—by the nature of the kingdom Jesus is bringing.
