From Miles Stanford’s Green Letters
“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:24,37-38a). The Lord of the harvest plants, buries, Christians as seeds in a field, which is the world.

Through the Husbandman’s patient and loving cultivation the grain of wheat high up on the stalk begins to fear being garnered alone, and hungers to bring forth “much fruit.” Here is God’s motivation for discipleship: that filial heart-hunger for fruit bearing. He finally pleads to be made fruitful at any cost, and then it is that he hears the Lord say, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” (John 12:24). “Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, and the gospel’s the same shall save it” (Mark 8:35). In loving response to this hunger the Holy Spirit silently and gently begins to loosen the grain from its comfortable bindings and supports in the ear. “When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:29). As a result, sooner or later the grain of wheat finds itself, not high up on the stalk, but dropped to the earth, into the cold and strange darkness. And still worse, the earth smears and injures that nice shiny golden coat. Worst of all, the coat begins to disintegrate and fall to pieces. All that is not Christ, no matter how nice in appearance and profession, is revealed for what it is — just self.