Art & Soul post #16 by guest author Sara Joseph-
The sowing and reaping described in the Parable of the Sower along with its interpretation (Matthew 13:3-23) is a spiritual principle that is rich with meaning and overflowing with potential. The parable describes the extended passage of time, the heat of the day, the choking action of the thorns, and the fertility of the soil; however, the promise of receiving more than just the seed sown – a single seed does not produce another single seed but rather thousands – makes it worthy of our attention and respect. Has God graced Christian artists with the ability to sow the riches of His Word in our own unique visual/nonverbal languages in order to reap fruit worthy of His excellence? If you agree with me that the answer is yes, then the Parable of the Sower is truly relevant for the Christian artist.
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
-Matthew 13:3-8 (NIV)
The principle of sowing and reaping appears rather self-explanatory. What could be more obvious? If you sow, you will reap. It is often taught as a principle for multiplying good actions in life; however, when Jesus taught about sowing and reaping, He was referring to the principles of the kingdom of God. He taught that the seed was the power of the Word of God. Although the seed had the potential within it to grow and produce much fruit, the condition of the soil was a greater determinant of the seed’s final productivity. When it comes to the sowing of God’s Word, the condition of the soil is representative of the condition of our hearts. Fruit bearing will most likely be produced when the heart is soft and receptive while protected from apathy, greed, worry, and hardness. All too often, we doubt the power of the seed (the Word) to multiply more than we critique the condition of the soil (the heart).
When we look at the withering sapling on rocky ground, it is tempting to despair and quit sowing. The shoots choking among thorns scream that it is futile to sow. Birds that swiftly snatch up precious seed from the common path mock us with their cunning. And together, all these conspire to shout: “It is in vain, so stop sowing!” But that could not be further from the truth. That is the one thing we must NOT do. The truth of the matter is that there is always good soil somewhere which yearns for the seed. Just one sturdy, fruitful plant will make all our labors well worth it.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:28 (NIV)
I chose to depict the Parable of the Sower using polymer clay. In this work, the seed is God’s Holy Word, represented as pages from the Bible. Some of the Word is being carried away by birds, some is struggling to survive with shallow roots in the rock, and some is being stifled by thorns. However, God’s Word has also been spread on fertile ground, and has given rise to a sturdy tree laden with a bountiful harvest of fruit. As people rooted in God’s Word, we have been called to share and spread the seed – the power of the words contained in the pages of the Bible. Using every means available to us, including our art, each of us is called to spread the truth of those words, just as a sower scatters precious seed.
close up images of The Sower
I began each stage as a rough sketch in clay. The body of the sower was started first and tweaked many times before settling on a final design. The cane that forms her dress was worked on next followed by the seed (pages) that fell among thorns. You can see that I got rather carried away and had to trim the thorny bush later! The fruit-laden tree was sculpted last.
The seed of God’s Word carries the power to change lives, to bring peace, to offer comfort, and to make conquerors out of hopeless people. However, its greatest power is difficult for us earth dwellers to fully comprehend…for it holds the power of eternal life. As recipients of this seed, we are in turn instructed to sow. Some of the seed will fall on rocky or thorny ground and some will be lost to the birds, but if we are faithful to sow, some will fall on good ground. Those seeds are guaranteed to produce good fruit in due season.
It never ceases to amaze me that the divine Maker of the seed ordained that there be no harvest unless we are faithful to sow. While He has equipped us with everything that we need through the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit, He does not engage in the actual sowing Himself. That has been left to us – we are His agents assigned to this monumental task. That He would choose to partner with us fickle human beings is mind-boggling!
As I ponder all of this, I set myself resolutely to be faithful to sow in every season until my term as a sower is up. This, I pray, will be your resolve as well. In the eyes of the Master, our productivity will one day be assessed– how faithful were we in sowing His Word?
In Him,
Sara
Sara Joseph
Sara is a sculptor and visual artist, who sculpts in polymer clay and paints in oils, watercolors, acrylics, and mixed media. Sara is also an author, illustrator, and founder of The Christian Artist Resource.
The Power of the Seed: An Adult Coloring Devotional Journal by Sara Joseph
This book explores the principles found in the Parable of the Sower and combines the creativity of coloring with Bible study as you journal. It features hand-drawn coloring pages of seeds, insight from the Bible to transform your life, prompts for consideration to encourage personal growth, poetry, blank journaling pages, and scripture references to deepen your own understanding. Carve out quiet time with Jesus, your Bible, colored pencils, and this journal. Brighten each drawing with your favorite colors while meditating on the Parable of the Sower. Join the family of those who believe God’s word; then sow generously, reap abundantly, and enjoy growth in every area of life!
2 thoughts on “Sowing the Word through Art”
Thank you for sharing!!! This post has nudged me to act in faith on something I’ve been dragging my feet on lately (in unbelief I’m sure). When I read how God leaves the sowing to us-wow that hit home.
Your art and the intricate detail is amazing. Thank you again!
Thank you so much for sharing Sara! So many times as Christian artists we create many wonderful pieces, many of which showcase God’s beautiful creation. But could we be doing more? Are we missing opportunities to sow His Word and biblical truths through our artworks? Thank you for putting a spotlight on this important biblical principle Sara!