A Parable for Romans 6-9: The Two Gardens
There was once a man who inherited two gardens.
The First Garden (Romans 6)
The first garden was wild. Thorns grew between the rose bushes. The vines strangled the fruit trees. The man would work all day cutting back the overgrowth, but by morning, it had returned. He was exhausted.
One day, an old gardener came to him. “You are fighting a losing battle,” he said. “You cannot tame this garden by working harder.”
“Then what do I do?” the man asked.
“Stop trying,” the old gardener replied. “Dig a trench around the entire garden. Then fill it with water. Let the garden drown.”
“That’s insane! All my work will be destroyed!”
“No,” the gardener said. “Your old garden will die. And then — something new will grow.”
The man dug the trench. He filled it with water. The garden drowned.
But from the dead soil, something miraculous happened. New plants emerged — not wild, but cultivated. Not struggling, but thriving. The man realized: he hadn’t saved the garden. He had buried it. And in its place, God had planted a new one.
The Second Garden (Romans 7)
The man decided to build a wall around his new garden. He studied the old gardening laws — which plants to prune, which to water, which to pull out by the root. He memorized every rule.
But here’s what happened: the more he focused on the rules, the more he noticed the weeds. Before, he hadn’t seen them. Now, they were all he could see.
“Why can’t I keep this garden clean?” he cried out in frustration.
And a voice answered: “The law didn’t create the weeds. The law just showed you they were there. You cannot garden by rules alone. You need a Gardener.”
The Third Garden (Romans 8)
The man stopped trying to be his own gardener. He let the Holy Spirit take over.
It wasn’t easy. The weather changed. Storms came. Neighbors laughed at his garden and said it would never amount to anything. Some of his plants withered.
But something strange happened: the man didn’t give up. Even in the suffering, he had peace. Even in the struggle, he had joy.
He began to understand: “The garden doesn’t have to look perfect for it to be worth something. Even the hard seasons are producing something — patience, endurance, character. And character produces hope.”
And the hope never put him to shame.
The Fourth Garden (Romans 9)
Now, the man had two plots of land. His first garden — the new one — was flourishing. But his neighbor’s garden — the one he used to tend — was dying.
“I want to help my neighbor’s garden,” the man said. “Can I give them my plants? Can I make them grow?”
But the Gardener shook His head. “It’s not about which garden you tend. It’s about which Gardener you trust.”
The man didn’t understand. He had been so focused on his own growth that he had forgotten about the others.
“Go,” the Gardener said. “Not to take — but to give. Not to prove yourself — but to show mercy. The harvest is plentiful. The workers are few. Will you go?”
The Application
This is Romans 6-9:
Romans 6: You died with Christ. Stop living like the old garden.
Romans 7: The law shows you your weeds. It cannot remove them.
Romans 8: Walk in the Spirit. Even suffering produces fruit.
Romans 9: God’s mercy is wider than your neighborhood. Go and plant.
The Question
Which garden are you tending today?
Are you still trying to tame the old garden by your own effort?
Are you so focused on the rules that all you see are weeds?
Are you walking in the Spirit, even through the storm?
Or are you ready to go — to show mercy, to plant, to harvest?
A Prayer
Lord, thank You for burying my old self and raising me with Christ. Thank You that my identity is not in my gardening skills, but in Your finished work. Help me to walk in the Spirit, even when it’s hard. And give me eyes for the harvest — for the neighbors, the strangers, the lost. Use my garden for Your glory. Amen.
This is part of a daily journey through the New Testament, focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit found in Romans.