Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

Jesus often spoke about seeds. He once said that if a seed is put into the ground and dies, “it brings forth much fruit” (John 12:24).

This was a reference to himself. The hour had come that he, the Son of man, would be glorified. (V.23) He died on the Cross, and was buried, and was gloriously raised from the dead.

Jesus told a number of stories. about seeds. In Luke 8 he told about a sower who went out to sow his seed. (V.5) When he explained it to his disciples, he said that the seed is the word of God. (V.11)

An old professor of Biology used to teach his students this way. He would show them a little brown seed in his hand and say to them: “I know just exactly the composition of this seed. It has in it nitrogen, hydrogen and carbon. I know the exact proportions. I can make a seed that will look exactly like it.”

Then he would explain what would happen if he planted his seed. “It would come to nought. Its elements would simply be absorbed in the soil.”

But what would happen if he planted the seed God made? “It will become a plant,” he answered, “because it contains the mysterious principle which we call the life principle.”

Constance Barnett writes, “The Bible looks like other books. We cannot understand altogether its marvelous power. Planted in good ground it shows that it has the life principle in itself; it brings forth spiritual fruit.”