Parable of the Sower

CEB Matthew 13:1-19, 18-23 That day Jesus went out of the house and sat down beside the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he climbed into a boat and sat down. The whole crowd was standing on the shore. 3 He said many things to them in parables: “A farmer went out to scatter seed. 4 As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it scorched the plants, and they dried up because they had no roots. 7 Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked them. 8 Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. 9 Everyone who has ears should pay attention.”

18 “Consider then the parable of the farmer. 19 Whenever people hear the word about the kingdom and don’t understand it, the evil one comes and carries off what was planted in their hearts. This is the seed that was sown on the path. 20 As for the seed that was spread on rocky ground, this refers to people who hear the word and immediately receive it joyfully. 21 Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. 22 As for the seed that was spread among thorny plants, this refers to those who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the false appeal of wealth choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 23 As for what was planted on good soil, this refers to those who hear and understand, and bear fruit and produce—in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one.”

INTRO

After a week away, we are now on the sixth Sunday of walking the path of discipleship. Over the last several Sundays, we have dealt with the first of two commissioning texts in Matthew’s Gospel. We discovered that the path of discipleship is not easy. We have heard about the difficulty, the need to have compassion, and then a mutual hospitality of the other. Yet, these things I have preached on over the past couple of weeks may seem too abstract, out-there notions of thought, and not very personal, at least at first glance.

Personally, I tend to be a logical person. My undergraduate degree is in computer science. The whole premise of my education is to take data, organize that data, and then turn that data into information that is useful. If I am honest, I do not work well in the abstracts, out there, nonlogical thoughts.

Yet, Jesus often speaks in the abstract. We do, too…we say things like the kingdom of God is here and not yet. The word “parable” in Greek means “comparison.” It’s a short story filled with imagery designed to impart a lesson or truth in a way that is memorable. Jesus often tells parables in order to bring the abstract into a more logical line of thought. In order to make the kingdom of God more accessible. Yet, our problem with Jesus’ parable found in our lectionary text for this morning is that it is still very illogical.

A sower went out to sow. He does not sow the seed in logical places, those spaces that have been prepped, tilled, and nourished with nutrients. Instead, the sower throws the seed everywhere. This is not what one would consider logical. It is not the best, most efficient way of farming, even in Jesus’ time. After all, who throws seeds on well-worn paths where the birds come and eat them up?

The listeners, including us and the disciples, are scratching our heads in wonder. One doesn't have to be a farmer in order to understand the seemly wastefulness of the sower. If we ever wanted to start a new missionary opportunity, our most likely approach would be to analyze the fastest-growing neighborhood in town and pick a “mission” that has good odds and promising possibilities. We like efficiency; we do not like wasting our resources.

Each of us has this thing about waste. I remember my dad would always walk around behind us, turning off the lights, reminding us that if no one was in that particular room, then the lights needed to be off! I, too, have found myself saying those famous saying to my 4-year-old, “We aren’t cooling the outside…” Now, I am the one walking around after my own father turning off the lights when he comes to visit! We hate wasting our resources, which is why the parable seems so illogical…

One commentary notes, “The parable, true to its form, is more like a riddle, hiding as much as it reveals about God.” The parable of the sower is less about the soil and more about the sower. The sower is not cautious or strategic as they throw the seed on the path, the rocky soil, the soil overgrown with weeds, and the good soil. Maybe it ought to make us wonder if there is any place or circumstance in which God’s Word, God's love, God’s hope, God’s Grace, and peace won't sprout up and take root!

The very nature of a seed is an encapsulation of potential. It contains the force of both life and transformation. It holds potential and unfolds relationally based on the receptivity of its beholder, whether that be the ground or our hearts. What its death brings depends upon the quality of the soil and the quality of its interaction with the soil. The seed may spring forth a live long seeking, or it may just die.

Like a seed, God’s word has the potential to bring us newness of life; it has the ability to transform us from “no people” to God’s people. It enables us to see, know, and understand God is love. It has the ability to transform our outlook on life; it moves us from cynicism to seeing people as beloved; it moves us from selfishness to relational servanthood. This transformative power might spring forth a lifelong journey of discipleship or never take hold, depending on the condition of one’s heart.

Interestingly, Jesus’ interpretation of the parable found in today’s text is not addressed to the crowds but to the disciples. The disciples are the ones who hear this interpretation; thus, they are invited by the parable to reflect on their own discipleship. So we, too, as Jesus’s disciples, are invited to hear the savior's interpretation and reflect on our own souls as we examine the condition of our hearts. It asks of us, “How is the power of God’s Word through the Holy Spirit working in you? Is God’s love taking root? Or is it being choked up by our own expectations” To be clear, the question we are exploring at the provocation (prov-o-ca-tion) of Jesus is not “what kind of soil is that guy over there,” but rather it is a call to reflection. How is my soul?

Here’s the reality. We are not just one type of soil. There are times when I am like a beaten-down path. In my worn-down state, I struggle to hear and receive any kind of word. In fact, in those moments, I prefer silence, and I am unable to comprehend or accept any words of hope, encouragement, or even criticism. The words met with resistance as my hardened and weary soul brushes it off.

Other times, I am shallow. We all do this one; we take the easy route, we say something cliche that doesn’t truly reflect the moment or God’s love at the moment. “God gained another angel; it is what it is; stop worrying and offer it to God.” None of these saying speak to the depth of the human reality or pain that is experienced; they are shallow words that ultimately fail to speak a word of love.

Sometimes, I am thorny and weedy. I have many things going on. My calendar is booked full, and Lisa looks at me like I am crazy! I rush off from one thing to the next; I forget the need to slow down, to be in the moment, and even God’s word gets choked out in the business of life. Maybe, this looks different for you…maybe it's the inability to focus on worship because your mind is on all the other things. (Don’t worry, I have been there too!)

Yet, every once and a while, by the grace of God, I am able to find depth, to be at peace, to enjoy the moment, to find time to let God’s word take root, and I begin to show some fruit. We don’t have to accept the conditions of our souls. We are offered the chance time and time again to refocus, to get rid of the stones in the rocky soil, to plow the dirt, to get rid of weeds of busyness, and to try again. Good soil is cultivated soil, souls that God’s grace has cultivated. God is shaping persons who take part in the means of grace.

You see, our reflections should lead us to participate more fully in the grace of God. Are you feeling like rocky, beaten down, or thorny soil…make time to read, meditate, and study the scriptures. Spend some time in prayer, fasting, regularly attending worship, healthy living, taking part in the sacraments, Christian conferencing or accountability to one another, Bible study, and rest. We don’t have to be “stuck” in the state we feel at this moment. Nor should we judge another for the state of their soul, but rather we ought to over one another chances to take part in the means of grace.

The state of our souls matters because, as a disciple, we are called to take part in the work of sowing and harvesting. The sower calls us as his disciples to sow the seeds in the same manner that he does. To be wasteful in our love of others, to strive to create a community that is united in Christ, to move out of these walls and reach people for Christ, to offer all people! All people! A glimpse of God’s amazing, unfiltered, holy Love. Yet, the church, you and I, will not ways succeed. Sometimes our own hearts get in the way. Sometimes past hurts bring forth trauma we didn't even know about. Sometimes our ideas of what the church ought to be doing harms our witness of God’s grace to those who need it most.

Failure is a part of ministry! I have been in the pews since I was an infant and have pastored nine churches. I expect there to be waste and failure in the church. One commentary says it this way “Sometimes disciples lose their investment too: a program goes bust, a church closes, a church is a bad match for a new minister. Stuff happens, as the saying goes. Discipleship is honest about failure and not afraid to live into it.” I expect ministries to change; some things are going to go well…others might need to be readapted. Some programs fail…yet our call is not to get stuck or comfortable but to keep on trying to reach people for Christ. To throw the seeds as far and as wide as we can! Some might question: why have a youth group, why do theology on tap, why start another Sunday school, why does pastor tim waste so much time? Sometimes we spend so much time wrestling with these things that in our cautiousness, our arguments, our attitudes, and our inability to see past the moment, we become like the servant in another one of Matthew’s parables where we choose to bury the talent rather than invest it. Disciples of Jesus Christ ought not to be a stranger to risks. After all, only one out of the four succeeded in today’s parable.

Church, we need to be able to look beyond the moment, beyond what others might see as failure. We need to realize that we were offered the same grace that is found in the wastefulness of the parable. Grace is offered to us before we even decide what kind of soil we are going to be. Because we have been offered such grace, we strive to offer that grace to all, in whatever means they will be able to hear and experience the potential of God’s word, whether that be in youth group, in worship, or at the bar.

Why? Because the harvest is not by our doing but by God’s grace. That’s the most surprising thing about the whole parable. Despite all the “waste,” the harvest is a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown. In Jesus’ time, a good harvest was tenfold. There is waste, but there is also grace! Might we be authentic in our own self-reflection, that we might be transformed into the likeness of Christ, that we might joyfully take part in reckless casting the seeds of God’s love on every type of soil, and then be overjoyed at the harvest that God’s grace brings? Might our souls be ready to receive God’s grace and to offer that grace to others?

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.