Repetitive Sin and the Soil of Our Hearts

Jesus uses the image of a garden, including the details of the soil and the weeds that always go along with gardening, as an analogy to teach us about God’s Kingdom. He does this because we can see reflected and experience God’s Kingdom in the created world around us. All is made by God, the Creator of the universe, and thus is a reflection of His Divine Image. So what is it about weeds and the soil that are such good tools to teach us about His Kingdom?

There is a pattern that govern the life and death of weeds; thus they react in the same way because God created them in a particular way to do what they were created to do. So what is the nature of weeds? Weeds often sprout up really quickly, almost as if out of nowhere. They catch us off guard and for gardeners who are not actively working to prevent and get rid of weeds, the weeds will quickly take over and swallow up the plants. Weeds also have shallow roots at first. If the soil is loosened up and not hardened, the weed is very easy to pull and uproot if noticed early on. Conversely, if the soil is hardened and dry, the weed will break off, leaving the root stuck in the ground. When this happens the weed will sprout up again since the root was not removed.

For a weed, the hard soil, that which is unwatered & untilled, will make it difficult to remove the root of the weed. Without removing the root, we know that the weed will simply grow back. Even though the roots of weeds can go unseen underground, when they break forth from the ground we then realize what has been there the whole time. Yet, if the soil is well taken care of, if it is watered just right, if it is tilled over, the weed will be easily uprooted and thrown out.

The nature of weeds can be seen as a metaphor for that which is also true of sin. This is why Jesus used the analogy of weeds to teach the people about sin and His Kingdom. By looking at the truth of sin as it is also reflected elsewhere in God’s creation, we are able to view it from a detached perspective. When it becomes personal to our own sin, we oftentimes can reject the truth in order to try to preserve ourselves from judgement.

In relating sin to weeds, Jesus helps us to notice the similar pattern and rules that govern sin in His Kingdom. Sin can sprout up really quickly and it seems as if it comes out of nowhere. Even though we may cut off sin by going to confession, oftentimes the root of our sin remains. This usually leads to another sprouting forth of the sin at some point because we haven’t gotten to its root yet. The roots of sin are the suggestion or temptation to sin that lies hidden in our hearts. It’s the bitterness and anger, the lies that get flung at us over and over again until we believe them, the resentment and pride, and all other evil thoughts we may have. These roots that are not uprooted, that are not totally purified, lay in wait in our hearts, until in a weak moment, we finally choose to act upon them.

Due to our concupiscence, our human desires will find it very hard to keep these roots from sprouting up into sinful behaviors. This is why it will never work to simply try to suppress all of our sinful ways, because the only way to true healing is to uproot it altogether. The weed will always sprout back up until the root is removed.

The Sacrament of Confession can be a very useful tool in breaking off the weed and even uprooting it if the soil of our hearts is good and tilled, or open to God. A hardened heart, much like hardened soil, will grasp tightly to the sin. So much so that it will be very hard to remove the root sin from it’s grasp. By going to confession, we are forgiven for our sin, for the action we took based upon the root of that sin, but the root sin may still remain within our hearts when we leave the confessional. Each and every confession does in fact break the weed off, it forgives the sin and we start clean again. But the root sin can still remain.

This can really get us down on ourselves, to continue to go back to confession time and time again for the exact same sins, especially if we are going to the same priest for confession on a regular basis. But what happens in regular confession is that through our going back again and again to confess the same sin, the soil of our hearts is being tilled and watered. The grace of God is nurturing and nourishing the soil of our hardened hearts, the part that has such a strong grasp on that particular root sin, so that eventually the sin can be uprooted and removed forever. With each Sacramental grace conferred upon us, we are forgiven and the weed is broken off. But what also happens is the soil is tilled a little more, loosening the grasp on the root, so that our heart will be softened and ready for the sin to be completely uprooted.

The other way our sin can be uprooted from the hardened soil is to dig it up with a shovel, to which the entire patch of ground around it is also removed. The grasp of the soil surrounding the root also goes with the root, leaving a gaping hole in the ground. In these instances, we are most likely faced with tragedy, a sudden or chronic illness, or a fatal diagnosis. These events tend to uproot our entire lives and the root of our sin along with it. These situations, although painful and sometimes traumatic, do in fact remove the root, albeit in a more painful way, and it leaves a gaping hole in our hearts. This hole, can be filled back with sin and destruction or it can be filled with the healing power of the Holy Spirit, which will have life changing effects on our life.

In all circumstances, whether sin is uprooted over time or in one fell swoop, once a weed is removed, the hole that remains in our heart must be filled. When we are seeking the Lord, he will in fact fill it with His Spirit, who alone has the only healing salve to renew and mend our wounds. Oftentimes we try to do this step first. We pray and ask for healing, even though we are not willing or able to uproot the sin that is causing the wound. Without first asking the Holy Spirit to convict us and reveal to us what root sin needs to be removed from our hearts, we will continue to remain bound by sin. Where sin remains rooted in our hearts, we will be bound to it until it is uprooted. The root of sin will always stand in the way of our total healing, almost as a mask over our wound. Not until we remove the mask, remove the root, will we be able to truly heal.

Most importantly, we must be grounded in prayer. We must allow ourselves to be personally discipled by Jesus. He is our true King and will lead us to freedom and fullness of life. Our wounds, that sin has filled in and is covering up, are keeping us from true freedom if we don’t let God heal the soil of our hearts. Through prayer we will cultivate the soil of our hearts, creating good fertile ground for the Spirit to bear good fruit. This while always keeping watch over our tendency to sin and the roots that may lie deep within, so that we may uproot them before they break ground.

So how do we uproot sin? This can only happen when we humble ourselves before the Lord, who is the Gardener of our hearts. In prayer, we can bear our hearts to the Lord and stand vulnerable before God, looking at ourselves as we are through His eyes. It is humility that opens us to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Regular confession and a good examination of conscience are good tools to help soften our hearts. Fasting is also a great way to deny our sensual desires so that we may order ourselves back to God. Additionally, Deliverance Ministry and Spiritual Direction are ways to have someone walk alongside us in order to unpack our story, and to experience the healing power of forgiveness, so that we may be able to move forward in faith.

The Gardener of our heart wants nothing more than to bear fruit on our hearts. God is pursuing us and asking us to till the soil of our hearts, even when we get tired, even when it’s most painful, even when we lose interest. The Lord can uproot all our weeds with our help, so that He can then go in and sow new seed, bearing new plants that will glorify Him.

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