Seed Blower

Seed blower. That was the word that came to me during prayer.  Coupled with a parable in the New Testament.

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Mark 4:3-9, 13-20

I couldn’t push it aside, but I also had no clue what a seed blower is.  Such a random word, especially to someone who has no farming background.  I must have been pondering on it a while, trying to picture what a seed blower is.  In my mind, I started to picture some apparatus that scatters seed, trying to logically fit it into the parable.   I was wrong.

After a little internet search, I learned a seed blower is a device that separates seeds.  It lifts up the light material harvested including the light seeds and the heavier seeds stay at the bottom. 

As Christian’s we are farmers to the world.  We often like to think that the pastors, evangelists, and prophets are the farmers.  But the five-fold ministers jobs are to equip us to do the work of spreading the gospel – taking God’s Words to others.  that makes us the farmers.

There has been a lot of movement in the church to preach the gospel that people want to hear.  The Bible warns in both old and new testament of false prophets who won’t proclaim all of God’s Word.  Some preachers share just enough of the Truth with their message that people are deceived into believing that it is all truth.  Some stay on the positive parts of the Word, never allowing God’s Word to begin to transform the lives of those under the teaching.  But God wants every word proclaimed.

He designed us to be seed blowers, to separate the heavy seed from the light seed, the straw and the chaff – much like the winnowing in the Old Testament.  God wants His full word to be proclaimed by His messengers.   Some of Jesus’ last words to His followers were And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15  Yes, parts are difficult to hear, but without pruning, the best fruit will have to share its nutrients with fruit that is just sucking the life out of the plant.  God wants a harvest of thirty, sixty or even a hundred times as much as had been planted.

I skimmed a few research articles regarding seed size and the importance of it.  Heavy seeds germinate quicker, they are fitter, they produce in greater numbers, and larger fruit.  This is even true after transplanting into the natural environment.   Plants produce larger fruit and more seeds.

As Christians we are to grow the fruit of the Spirit.  More love, joy, peace , patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  The heavier the seed the faster it will produce in our life.  The heavier the seed the faster it will grow in our life.  The heavier the seed the greater the seed that will flow out of our life.  The heavier the seed the more fruit will come out of our life.  I want the heavy seed in my life.  I want to remove the fluff and get down to business with God so that I am ready for what he has called for me to do, wherever that may be.