Plants, Farmers, and Discipleship
Author: Daniel Owens, PhD
August 24, 2023
Have you ever noticed how many people names come from plant names? Rose, Daisy,
Violet, and … Heather, to name just a few. We often name baby girls after flowers
because of their beauty. But plant names are not only for girls and not only from
flowers. Think of Oliver Twist or Huckleberry Finn.
The metaphor of people as plants lurks in our everyday language. We talk about
people growing roots and flourishing, or being chips off the old block or bad apples.
People as plants often crop up in the Bible, too. This first came to my attention when I
read an essay by Fred Putnam, “Metaphor as Theology: If YHWH is a Farmer, Then
People are Plants.” Once someone points it out to you, you see people as plants all over
the Bible.
For example, in 1 Corinthians 3, Paul responds to the factions in the Corinthian church:
“What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the
Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (1 Cor.
3:5–6, emphasis mine). What a comfort to know that God, the Almighty Farmer, is
working to cause his word to grow in us.
Once we connect the metaphor of people as plants to God’s work as the Farmer
working to grow his word in us, we can see how this guides our discipleship.
First, Psalm 1:3 paints a picture of the future of the person who delights in God’s word:
He is like a tree planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
A tree stands through drought and storm. It can last for generations, unlike chaff that
is swept away by the wind (Psa. 1:4). Some trees bear fruit, which is a delight for the
family on whose land it grows. This metaphor suggests that discipleship should be
rooted in the word of God. From the word we gain the nourishment we need to grow,
to stand tall and strong in a world hostile to God.
Not only that, we bear fruit. The word has its effect when we are transformed by the
gospel and then extend that message and the love of God to others. Just as I loved to eat
the fruit of the cherry, peach, and tangerine trees in my yard as a child, so I hope that
Naperville will grow to enjoy the fruit of our transformed lives as we extend love and
the message of Christ from New Covenant Church to them.
Second, Colossians 2:6–7 summarizes Paul’s invitation to discipleship:
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and
built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding
in thanksgiving.
Actually, these two little verses have three metaphors for discipleship: the journey, the
plant, and the building. But focus on the plant: we grow when we are rooted in Christ.
If we stand firm in him, no empty philosophy (Col. 2:8–15) or misguided asceticism
(Col. 2:16–23) should distract us from his word, which will grow in us as a rich source
of nourishment (Col. 3:16).
In light of our church’s vision statement to see Christ preached, love extended, and
lives transformed, our discipleship is about sinking roots deep into Christ and bearing
fruit by extending love and flourishing by the power of the gospel.
Daniel Owens, PhD, is NCC’s pastor of discipleship. He and Heather have been married for 23 years.
Photo by Luke Thornton on Unsplash
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