FUNDRAISING AND FAITH-RAISING

Jesus, help me be like a seed on good ground, and encourage other people to be like that, too! Amen.

Jesus told a story: "A farmer went out to plant seeds. Some seeds fell on the path and birds ate them. Some fell on rocky ground and grew quickly, then died because they didn't have deep roots. Some fell into weeds, where they grew but then got smothered by the weeds and died. But some seeds fell on good ground and gave huge crops." He finished by saying, "Whoever has ears, hear this."

Now that summer's here, you don't have to worry about one of the hardest parts of the school year: fundraisers. Whether you're in Girl Scouts, on the football team or just doing a school-wide fundraiser, it's hard to go out and try to sell things!

Fundraisers are hard because you have to do a lot of work just to get a little back. You might beg dozens of people to buy cookies or come to your car wash, but only a few people stop and spend money.

Jesus' work was kind of like that. In this week's Gospel (Matthew 13:1-23), He compares it to a farmer planting seeds:

* Some people who learn about God don't pay any attention -- like seeds that get eaten by birds (or people who ignore your fundraiser), they never had a chance.

* Others hear about God and get all excited, like seeds that grow into plants quickly -- but they don't try to keep their faith strong, so they fall away from God. (That's like the people who stop at your fundraiser, then walk away without buying!)

* Finally, there are the people who listen to Jesus, like what they hear and try to follow Him, be good and treat others well. They're the "seeds that fall on good ground" -- and they're also like the people who support your school or team, however they can.

Jesus wasn't just a fundraiser trying to sell candy bars or car washes. He was like a farmer raising crops -- and the crops were people He wanted to "raise up" close to God!

(07/10/08)