The kingdom of God is like breaking ground. The ground may be rock, a footpath (Mt 13:4), or just rocky (Mt 13:5). In our post-Christian, anti-Christian culture of death, groundbreaking is a major task. We can break open the hardest ground and hardest hearts by obeying the Lord. Often He calls us to pray and fast, prophesy, and suffer redemptively. These are principal ways in which the Lord lets us join in groundbreaking.

The kingdom of God involves not only breaking ground but also clearing ground of the thorns which are worldly desires hindering our growth in the Lord (see Mt 13:7). We can help clear ground by repenting of compromising with the ways of the world (see Mt 13:22). In this way, we crucify the thorns of the flesh with its passions and desires (Gal 5:24) and help others do the same.

In God's kingdom, we work not only with types and conditions of ground; we also work with fruit. We can increase our fruitfulness from thirty- or sixtyfold to a hundredfold (Mt 13:8), and help others do the same by yielding completely to the Holy Spirit (see Gal 5:22-23, 25).

Farmers for Jesus break ground, clear ground, and increase the yield of fruit. Farm for Jesus.

Nihil Obstat:  Reverend Ralph J. Lawrence, November 12, 1996

Imprimatur:  †Most Reverend Carl K. Moeddel, Vicar General and Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, December 10, 1996