The audience is a mid to large sized church on the outskits of Columbus, OH.
And the Sower sows on.
In Chapter 10 of Matthew’s Gospel, about 3 chapters before our reading for today, Jesus sends his disciples out to the lost tribes of
The kingdom of heaven has come near!
Those words must not have taken root, because today we find Jesus telling the disciples again about the kingdom of heaven. It is a rather lengthy teaching, in fact, we will be reading from the same discourse for two weeks to come.
During the course of his ministry Jesus told many, many parables. I, for one, suspect that the disciples didn’t understand all of them. However, it is relatively rare that they actually gathered the courage to ask him to explain. Our Gospel text today is one such instance.
Jesus lays out a rather simple story, one which certainly resonates with us 2000 years later. It is not difficult to construct modern-day examples of Jesus’ categories.
And so, the Sower sews.
Some of the seed fell along the path.
Urban missionaries stood on the corner of a downtown street. They told everyone who came by about God’s love for them. They prayed deeply and earnestly for the residents of that city, yet their words fall on deaf ears.
But the Sower sows on.
Some of the seed fell along rocky ground, sprang up quickly, but just as quickly withered away under the hot sun.
During his seven long years in prison Big Jim began to attend chapel services. One day, after a particularly moving sermon, Big Jim gave his life to God. He became a model prisoner, even qualifying for early release. Less than two weeks after his release, Big Jim was arrested again for robbery, and assaulting a convenience store clerk.
Two parents faithfully attend church every Sunday. They bring their beloved daughter with them each week. She learned all the songs in Sunday school, and helped out in the nursery. Weeks turn to months, and months turn to years and this daughter headed off to college. One semester later she returns home, a philosophy major, declaring that God is just as real as the man in the moon.
And yet the Sower sows on.
Some of the seed fell among thorns and as the plants grew, the thorns choked out the good plant.
Dennis was an active member of the church. He had been blessed by God with a beautiful singing voice, which he lent to the choir, and the ability to lead people and plan for the future, a gift he shared with church council. One day Dennis got a promotion to regional manager. He soon found that he did not have time in his life for God, or God’s work.
If you are like me, you do not have to think very long or very hard to find people in your life who would be described in this parable as a trodden path, rocky ground, or choked out by weeds. And, if you are like me, you have quite a few stories about people you know who are like the good soil, bringing forth 100 times what was originally sewn.
But, perhaps it is not that simple. Might we made up of more than one kind of soil?
We are actually rather good at finding the parts of our lives that are made of good soil. We are quick to point out our regular church attendance, our 10% tithe, our service to our neighbor. But what about that co-worker who just can’t seem to forgive? Or THAT relative that you just can’t stand,
Or the guy with the torn clothes and the cardboard sign that you pass each day on your way into work,
Or that promise that you made but had no intention to keep,
The lie that you knew you couldn’t be caught in.
These seeds are eaten by the birds, scorched by the sun, or choked by the weeds.
The Sower sews on.
Our text for today comes from a difficult part of the Gospel of Matthew. The lectionary skipped over all of chapter 12. In this chapter, Jesus and the disciples are roundly rejected by the religious leaders of the day. The disciples had picked some grain to eat on the Sabbath and they were rebuked by the Pharisees. The same day, Jesus went into the synagogue and healed a man with a withered hand, something which earned more harsh words from the Pharisees. Later, Jesus cast a demon out of a man. The Pharisees claim that it is because Jesus is in league with the devil. This all must have been very confusing for the disciples. A few chapters earlier he had sent them out in pairs, proclaiming that the Kingdom of heaven has come near.
In our reading for today, Jesus was talking about the Kingdom of heaven, yet, Jesus sure isn’t acting like a king. A king would march triumphantly forward, smiting all who would dare to stand in the way of this triumphant march to victory.
He is acting like a sower. Not the kind of sower that would make much money on a farm just outside
The Sower doesn’t sew just one seed in our lives. When my sinful self lets that seed get trampled under foot, choked out by weeds, or whatever else, the Sower is there, with another seed, ready to plant it in my life.
God has promised that when we acknowledge our shortcomings and ask for forgiveness, a new seed will be planted in our lives, regardless of what kind of soil we have been in the past.
The seeds which fell on good soil are said to have brought forth grain that was 30, 60, even 100 times that which was sewn. It is interesting that the translators of this passage chose grain. The greek word here is karpos, the same word that is used in Galations 5,22 for fruit, in the famous passage on the fruit of the Spirit.
Love, joy, peace, patience what wonderful things to have sewn in our lives. Even more so when you consider that they are said to produce exponentially more than what was originally sewn. What a blessing that could be to our world!
If you have been watching the news lately, it is pretty plain to see a world in need of blessing. We hear stories of little girls who are abducted, raped, and killed. We hear of children starving to death because of corrupt government. We hear of families torn apart by bombings in
Our old testament reading today offers us an amazing promise:
Isaiah 55.11 So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
In a few moments, we will have a chance to confess to God the places in our lives that have been poor soil, a chance to ask God to plant a new seed in our lives. A seed which will bring forth love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
We will also have a chance to mend any wounded relationships that may exist in the congregation. Matthew 5:23,4 tells us:
So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
If that describes you today, please, take the time during the passing of the peace to seek that person out and to be reconciled with them.
The sower is here, in our midst, ready to plant a new seed. May our hearts be good soil. Amen
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