Rooted in the Word

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Who else has been watching the World Cup? You know the big soccer tournament that United States is hosting this summer. If you haven’t been following it too closely, right now we find ourselves in the knock out rounds. Meaning simply if you lose your tournament is over. And if you are blessed to win - your time in the tournament continues. This last week or so, has been filled with a great range of emotions for players and fans. Some experience joy. Others despair. Some sweet victory or others tears of defeat. Now imagine if are a traveling fan who traveled across the world to watch your team play in person. You gave up vacation time. You spent a good amount of money for airfare. You then spent more money on the tickets for the game. And after all this expense you experience a loss. You see your team lose. You sit there in the stands watching the other team celebrate. The other team have this joy filled moment and you are sitting there empty. You had all this expense - with no fruit to show for it.

Typically, we sign up for a new activity or any kind of commitment we weigh and think about: what will all this effort get me? What will I have to show for all my expenses? If I commit to this next opportunity then what fruit will I have at the end of this experience? We typically don’t like the feeling of lack. We want all our time and effort to be worth something and we like to be able to see the fruit of our labors. We enjoy looking at the end of the project to see the fruit of what we have done! We don’t want to experience lack, but we want to see the fruit of our labor; the fruit of our time, the fruit of our money and resources, the fruit of our efforts.

Today in our reading from Matthew 13, Jesus continues in the Gospel of Matthew by teaching the people more. And each time He is met with some resistance or push back from the Pharisees or religious leaders. In Matthew 12, He heals a man on the Sabbath - and they accuse Him of breaking God’s law. Jesus is met with the demand to show them a miracle - but fail to see the things He is doing and the things is preaching about. Time and time again, Jesus is met with resistance as He preaches and teaches about the Kingdom God. For the outsider perspective - it may seem like the work of Jesus isn’t working. The message isn’t getting across. The people around Jesus are crying out about a lack of God, but they fail to see the abundance of what Jesus is doing before them.

Jesus in our text, as He teaches He tells a familiar parable. Remember a parable is an earthly story, with a heavenly meaning. It’s Jesus communicating a truth about God in an earthly way for people to understand. Jesus begins the parable with a farmer or sower. Someone who goes a spreads seed in the earth. The Sower first scatters seed that lands on the path or road - but that seed is eaten up by the birds as it doesn’t take root. Jesus then says the Sower spreads seed on rocky soil - and it sprouts up very quickly, but it lacks the depth and dries up and withers. Jesus talks about a third kind of seed and says the seed lands in amongst the thorns and it struggles to grow because it choked with nutrients. And finally, Jesus says a fourth group of Jesus ends of landing in the good soil and because it lands in good soil - it ends up producing a harvest, of 30, 60, and hundredfold. And Jesus closes out the parable by saying the statement, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Normally, when we are given parables in the Bible, we are left to interpret them and figure out the meanings of them all. But Jesus in our reading for today gives us in the interpretation. He tells us what He is talking about. And a golden rule: if Jesus says something - we should listen.

Matthew 13:18–23 ESV

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”

Now as Jesus talks about the sowing of the word of the Kingdom. It may seem like little return or a little reward. It may seem as Jesus is teaching this parable there is lack in the harvest because 3 fourths of the kinds of seed failed to grow and produce fruit for the Kingdom. It may seem small - unsuccessful, like a lack. There are people who look at this parable and maybe in our world who are crying out about a lack of God, but they fail to see the abundance of the Sower.

The Sower in this parable has this valuable thing, this life bringing gift and seed - the Word of God; the message of the Kingdom. And the Sower doesn’t hold back, doesn’t evaluate the soil to see if it stands a chance - but instead this Sower that Jesus talks about sows the seed recklessly. In His abundance He provides for all people. He spreads the Word of the Kingdom everywhere that all people may hear the Good News. He doesn’t hold back, but gives it all! In the work of the Kingdom there isn’t a lack - but with the Sower - there is abundance!

There may be times even as believers in Jesus - where it can feel like we are experiencing a lack in the fruit of the Kingdom in our life. Maybe for some we keep planting the seeds and sharing God’s Word with our kids or grandkids but it we feel like it isn’t being heard. They are not returning to join you in worship every weekend church like you want them to. The important conversations about the church, Jesus, or why we live a certain way aren’t being truly heard. And we have continued to have those conversations, continued to share the Word of Jesus. And you just don’t see any fruit.

Or maybe you are going through a tough time. And you have run to God’s Word to find rest in His promises. But no matter how long you spend reading the Bible. No matter how many minutes you spend in the morning meditating on God’s Word nothing seems to change. You still are filled with anxiety and worry. You still experience hardship and struggle. Your everyday burdens are still there for you to carry. You aren’t able to see any fruit. Maybe there are moments in our own life where you are truly experiencing a lack and seeing little, to no fruit.

But the Word of God for us today is not a means to an End. In other words, it doesn’t hold magical powers where if you read it enough times all your problems will go away. It’s not a magic formula where if you share it with other people in this exact special way you will always see fruit- fruit that you want to see. If use God’s Word tor try and get the “results” we want, we will probably see ourselves disappointed- sitting in lack. Because with the Word of God, we are not to look for a result, but we are to look for the Sower. There can be times when we are tempted and blindly looking for results in our lives and we are crying out about a lack of God, but fail to see the abundance of the Sower.

In the Word of God we hear about Jesus - the Sower for you! In Jesus there is an abundance of grace, mercy, and peace for you! He graciously shares the Kingdom with you and produces life in you through His Work on the cross. He gave everything for you. He didn’t throw His seeds in a thorn pile, but He came to this earth to wear a crown of thorns for you. Fruit in life is being borne by being connected to and knowing your Lord - the Sower of God’s Kingdom. And the Sower is continuing to work in your life and in your world. In Jesus you lack nothing. He continues to Sow and Spread His Good News today. We are able to look to Jesus knowing there is an abundance in Him!

And it’s from this abundance that we are able to share the Good News of Jesus to the world. In our jobs, in our families, in our communities, in our church. We are called to continually share this good News. We never have to worry - is the message going to produce something? How much fruit with this labor create? Will this cause and create an impact? We are called to share the seed of Gospel - knowing in Jesus there is an abundance. Who needs to hear this news today? What areas of your life need to have more seeds of Kingdom? In Jesus there is an abundance to share!

Now may the grace of God the peace of God which surpasses all understanding may it guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.