Keith E. Jones
July 11, 1999
Genesis 25:19-34
Matthew
13:1-9,18-23
With thanks to Rev. Arch Taylor
and Rev. Graham Fowler
Planting Seeds
1.
Last week during our Sermon Talk-back session the question was
asked, “Why study the Parables?” The answer is that the Parables are
what we really remember of the teachings of Jesus so we had better
understand them. The parables reveal God and his kingdom and defend the
message of the Good News against those who say that it can’t be true.
The parables were not moralistic fables, but were meant to disturb and
in some sense experienced. So
what about the familiar Parable of the Sower? Jesus is telling this
story is in response to the events in Chapter 12, where he is under
heavy attack from the Pharisees who find this radical Galilean rabbi too
controversial.
2.
The biblical scholar Robert Capon (“The Parables Of The Kingdom”)
expands on Jesus’ explanation of the parable saying that God/Jesus is
the sower, and the seeds are the Word, the message being sowed
extravagantly all over creation all the time. It may look wasteful. So
maybe some get picked up by the birds, but ultimately that's just
another way to spread the seed through their digestive system. Maybe
some seeds die in shallow dirt or in the rock, but that's OK too cause
there's a never-ending supply. In the final analysis the Word of God is
all over the place and it can't be stopped. God can't be stopped in his
extravagance for love us, and ultimately the whole world will be filled
with the Word as God keeps spreading it.
3.
By the way, is this Sower wasteful? Doesn’t know where the
fertile ground is? It helps to know that Palestinians, unlike here in
the West, plough after the seed is sown. So the farmer
intentionally sows on the path or thorns, for instance, because he plans
to plow them under. He may sow on the rocky limestone hidden in the
soil until the plough strikes it. The customs of Jesus’ time are not
ours so it is good to check.
4.
Also another word of caution here. A wise seminary professor
told me, “If you read one of the parables of Jesus and feel good about
yourself, better read it again. Because chances are you misunderstood
it.” I have found that pretty good advice. For we think we know the
parables pretty well. We know the punch lines. Sometimes we identify
with the wrong characters, usually the good guys like the older brother
in the Prodigal Son story. First, we see that we are initially
not the sower but the soil. And the question for us to ask, “What kind
of soil are we?” Are we receptive, fertile soil that produces good
fruit for actions speak louder than our words? The challenge for us is
to be honest and name where we have not let Christ, his love and
Lordship take root and grow strong in our lives.
5.
Jesus urges us all to open our schedules, our budgets, our
relationships, everything to be receptive to the Word God has
sent and is sending through Jesus Christ. Where has the seed fallen on
fallow, inhospitable ground in our life? But also, note where it is
growing deep and strong as well? Celebrate that. Again, it’s not what
we believe, but rather what difference does it make that we believe.
Perhaps, you noticed that at the end of the parable the soil became
fruitful. What does that mean? It probably means that we turn around
and become like the sower ourselves! We spread the word such as at the
Vacation Bible School this week. We still need teachers! And should we
be offering Christian seeker classes like Alpha? How are we fruitful at
FCC?
6.
Sometimes, we find it hard to believe that God can use us.
But we have to accept the God’s compassionate generosity even when it
confuses us. As in this story:
His name is Bill. He has wild
hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans and no shoes. This was
literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is
brilliant. You know the kind, esoteric and very, very bright. He
became a Christian recently while attending college. Across the
street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church.
One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his
T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill
starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely
packed and he can't find a seat. By now people are really looking a bit
uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and
closer to the pulpit and, when he realizes there are no seats, he just
squats down right on the carpet. (Although perfectly acceptable
behavior at a college fellowship, trust me, this had never happened in
this church before.)
By now the people are really
uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the
minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a Deacon is
slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the Deacon is in his eighties,
has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very
elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he
starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that
you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a
man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on
the floor?
It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly
silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused
on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even
preach the sermon until the Deacon does what he has to do. And now they
see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty
he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he
won't be alone.
Everyone chokes up. When the
Pastor regains control, he says, ‘What I'm about to preach, you will
never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget. Be
careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever
read.’
7.
So we are more than dirt, but we become the sower, because in
being fruitful we are to spread the word or seed of new life and hope
ourselves. Are we willing to go out on a limb to welcome others into
our church? I remember that even within the church it used to be
thought daring not to dress up in our Sunday best “out of respect for
the Lord” as Bill’s story reminds us. But as we see, God doesn’t stand
on ceremony, as Jesus reminded the Pharisees time and again. God is
more concerned with what in our hearts than on our backs. Remember that
the parable shows us that the great Sower is so generous. God’s grace &
mercy are overwhelming, and He wants His word spread. Can we be
generous like that? The Good News is that we can thank God that he sent
his son to give us love instead of justice. Jesus follows a policy of
total non-discrimination in offering the good news. It is for all of us
to hear.
8.
Sure all these wasted seeds
seem to go against our ideas of effective and
efficient ministry. We struggle to be faithful in our ministries, our
stewardship, our evangelism, our service, our worship. We might ask
should we be "wasting" baptism on children whose parents probably won't
be back at church until they want another child baptized? Should we feed
and fund people who may take advantage of our generosity? Should we be
mailing newsletters to people who probably don't read them? Should we
distribute bulletins, knowing that much of the paper and work will be
wasted?
9.
This parable challenges us
to take risks that may possibly fail; to try some things that may prove
to be ineffective. The sowing of God's word by speech and actions did
not always produce a fruitful harvest. It may produce opposition. Jesus
began his public ministry in the synagogues, where the "good" folks
gather, but they rejected him. He takes on uncleanness by touching a
leper and can no longer go into urban areas because people mob looking
for healing. He encounters opposition from the religious teachers, is
criticized for open table fellowship with unclean and sinners, and
defiling the Sabbath. His family think him crazy and his opponents
think him demon-possessed. Things look pretty bleak.
10.
Then comes the parable of
the Sower in which Jesus explains his unconventional ways: that some
seed produced up to 30, 60, 100 fold makes it all worthwhile. Jesus knew
exactly what he was doing. And God will use us, if we let Him, so that
His Word might take root and provide an abundant harvest of enriched
lives and a vibrant church here in Saybrook.
<< Back
|
