Sexagesima (2023)

Luke 8:4-15

My Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have here the parable of the sower, and Christ explains this parable to the disciples that they might understand and it is recorded that we might understand what Jesus is teaching about. This passage here answers some difficult questions that we as Christians have, and offers a bit of encouragement that we might evangelize.

The Seed

Christ tells us that the seed is the Word of God.

It is this word that is meant to be brought out into the world, this word which performs the tasks for which it has gone forth, and bears abundant fruit, this seed has a place where it will take root.

It is meant to take root in the heart.

This is surprising for Christ calls the heart of man an unclean place that is full of sin and wickedness and every form of impurity and filth, and yet this is where the Word is meant to be, it is enters through our ears, and finds its way down into our hearts, that they might bear fruit where before there was nothing good.

This seed bears much fruit.

It returns a hundredfold! What a tremendous blessing can you imagine that returning 100x what was given. If this was any other type of investment we would be fools to not chase after it, and all it is, is this word. As with all seed there are those things which seek to hinder it bearing fruit.

What stops the harvest?

Those whose hearts are hard, don’t receive it.

When the word is cast it falls upon those who refuse to hear the Word of God, they know better or have no need of the Scriptures, this would be those who despise the word and let it pass. For the devil is close at hand, to make sure that it does not remain in their vicinity and they are in his grip.

There are those who only want good feelings.

For all who become Christians have a moment of Joy in that wonderful realization that Jesus did these things for me. He freed me from my sins, he rescued me from the powers of sin, death, and the devil, but the root of their faith does not go deep, they believe that Christianity is tied to their feelings, and consequently when struggle and hardship comes they fall away.

There are those who chase after the world.

They too believe for awhile a little longer, but as they reflect on the world, they begin to regret all things that they have had to give up for the faith for they do not see what the great problem is with these worldly pleasures and their is killed by what we might in short call mammon.

The Good Soil

After hearing the Word, holds it fast.

We do not refuse or reject the word, but rather treasure it, and hold it fast, now this is only possible because the Holy Spirit has created faith inside of our hearts, and so we are able to meditate upon the Word.

The fruit is borne with patience.

Patience here is key, for when Paul speaks of the fruits of the spirit, fruit takes time. This is where the second and 3rd types of soil can’t flourish, for how many of us have started a project full of joy and excitement only to have it fail when the length of the project finally comes into focus? If you want something good, it often takes a fair amount of time.

They understand that seeds take time.

Taking one class and then saying, I know everything that is contained in the Word of God, and that I don’t need to invest more time in my religious beliefs is a shallow understanding. You will not understand everything after a few times at church, we must regularly immerse ourselves in the word.

The Field of Your Heart

This Seed is precious so watch your heart.

For your heart is a sinful place, full of flaws and imperfections. Thankfully the Word of God can take root in there and grow to bear fruit, but we should not think that just passively sitting and letting it go in one ear and out the other is growing in the faith. For that is really the devil stealing the seed.

Who amongst us is so strong that we have not fallen?

Each type of field describes us at one point in our life. When the word came to us, and it did not take root.

Were never angry with God in times of trouble?

That we thought that being a Christian should always be full of joy and peace and happiness and that God would never let any affliction harm or trouble come to us. So when suffering, pain, trouble did come and a time of testing, that we fell away because faith was not firmly rooted in God’s promises.

Have we sought the treasures of the world?

How many of us have been tempted by the things of this world. Instead of tending to the soil of the hearts, let the weeds grow as we focused on other cares, trying to make more money, or just looking to relax or have fun instead of seeking God’s word.

The soil of our hearts has never had the Word bounce off?

This last one is when the Word has come to us, and bounced off our hearts instead of allowing it to take root. That we heard a piece of God’s Word, and didn’t want to be challenged or change the way we think, act, or live because we know better than God’s Word. Because that is what the Bible says, but that is not how the World is, no one else does this, I will go with the World instead of what God has said.

We are here because some kept sowing the Word.

Some one continued to share the Word with us, and cast it upon our hearts, even at times when we didn’t want to hear it. Parents who forced us to be at church even though we would have rather been sleeping, or friends who continued to poke and pester us and scatter a bit of seed until one finally took root again in our heart.

Understanding Evangelism

According to the parable, many won’t bear fruit.

This fact often discourages us from sharing the Gospel with others for we sow the seed and then hope to see fruit instantly! A convert that very same day, and a strong and faithful one, but if we reflect that is not how it happened to us. Even on the day of Pentecost we forget that those who were had a foundation that had been laid by the Holy Spirit for years, through the Torah, Psalms and Prophets. We must remember that....

Evangelism isn’t making people disciples, it’s sowing.

You can be an evangelist, even if a single person who hears the Gospel from you never believes. You might be discouraged, as to why the seed you cast never took root, but leave the growth to God, you are called to sow.

We aren’t called to find only good soil.

There are some who have tried to control the work of Conversion and treat the church like a business, but that is not what the parable calls for us to do. They try to focus on only sharing the Gospel with Good Soil hearts, and this is blasphemous, for what does Jesus say, we are to share the Gospel with everyone, not just those who we think will convert or make great Christians, Jesus died for all.

What if they don’t bear fruit?

That isn’t on you, in the world we are worried about wasting seed lest we run out, but Christ has given us abundant seed and we cannot run out of that joyous message so share it with everyone. Remember that they might not bear fruit while you are watching or alive, but trust the Word of God.

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, this parable is meant for your encouragement especially as you evangelism, but when you grow frustrated that more people don’t heed the word, remember that the word was often cast upon your heart, before it took heart, there were times the crop was choked out, didn’t bear fruit, and yet the Word as cast again and again so that even a single seed might take root in that good soil, and that faith might grow abundantly. In Jesus name. Amen.