Jesus, the sower

Luke 8:1–18 (ESV)

Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means.

And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.’ Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

“No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

Intro:

Sometimes, a Pastor shares his ethos, his world view with those he serves with.

Participatory worship

co-laborers

This is one of the most missional teachings of Jesus to his disciples

Who do you see your “self” to be in the parable?

Sent forth in mission, with the call to love God and neighbor with head, heart, and hands, across the globe through the church, i.e., the very Body of Christ, through all aspects of life. We long for the Kingdom of God and the new creation to come in completeness. Come, Lord Jesus! Come!

The focus, rather, is on the various kinds of soil on which the sower sows his seed

Sowing precedes plowing:

The first piece of background that will help us in understanding the story is that in the ancient world, sowing always preceded plowing. The sower in our story is being careless with the seed.

Received in many different ways

They will become the sowers. Jesus wants them to know that their seed will be received in many different ways.

four different soils:

Jesus unpacks the parable by giving a human face to the four types of ground. The path represents those who hear, but the seed is stolen by the devil, represented earlier by the birds who consume the seed. The rocky ground represents those who initially hear the word of God with joy; when the blistering sun of testing comes, however, they leave. The thorny ground represents those in whom the seed apparently sprouts, but the thorns of life choke the young plant of their faith so that no fruit is produced. Finally, the best is saved for last. The good ground speaks of those who receive the word into hearts that are honest and good; they hold on and, because of their endurance, produce fruit.

The Lampstand

Jesus’ closing statement about the lamp on the stand appears to sum up the entire process we have just witnessed: what is obvious to some is being hidden from others.

Jesus has just lit the lamp, and he intends that it be put on a stand so that everyone who comes in will see the light. Nothing is concealed that won’t be revealed. Everything hidden will come to the light. That, after all, is the nature of light.

We need to be out there sowing

Such a life involves the head, heart, and the hands receiving the revolutionary seed sown by the Sower.

Yes, embracing that which has been entrusted to them and not letting the pursuit of mind, power, reality, soul, space, time, and / or ego become primary.

PRAYER TIME: Germination

Barbara Brown Taylor writes that she always sees the parable of the Sower as a call to action, to improve, be different.  I need to be a better plant, better soil, as she says,“so that if the same parable were ever told about me it would have a happier ending, with all of the seed falling on rich, fertile soil.”