Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
I love reading Jesus’ parables; they are the most amazing teaching tool I can think of. Today, in just six short sentences, Jesus captures the essence of evangelism and what it means to spread God’s Word to the world. Evangelism is the subject of countless books and seminary courses and here Jesus covers the essentials in just six sentences. But what exactly is a parable, and why do they have such appeal and power? Well, at one level, a parable is just a short, easily remembered, story drawn from everyday life. But it illustrates a point or clarifies a theological idea in a deep and profound way. A good parable leaves the listener thinking about the message long after they have forgotten a fact filled lecture. It may take us a long time to understand the message in a parable; Jesus’ own disciples had to ask for help to understand some parables. And, a good parable will invite the hearers to find themselves in the parable. After hearing a good parable we often will ask: “Where do I fit?” In some parables we quickly find our place because our own personal experience makes one role obvious. For example, whenever I hear the parable of the prodigal son who wasted his inheritance while his older brother worked the farm with their father I tend to take the side of the older brother because I am the oldest child in my family. I have a harder time seeing the parable from the perspective of the younger brother. However, after watching my own children grow up and mature I do find it somewhat easier to see things from the father’s perspective. But when I hear other parables, I do not find my place as quickly. Am I the lost sheep or am I the shepherd who goes looking for the one that is lost?
Jesus’ parable of the sower from today’s gospel is one where I do not quickly identify with any particular role. This may be because I am not a farmer. I did not grow up on a farm; my parents never put in a garden and Alice and I have never had much of an interest in gardening. In any case, I do not gravitate to any particular role; I tend to float between many different roles as I hear the parable. And, frankly, I think there is value in looking at a parable from as many different perspectives as possible because each one opens up new ways of understanding God and new ways of understanding ourselves.
As we look at the Parable of the Sower, we are fortunate to have Jesus’ own interpretation of this parable, but I do not think he intended his interpretation to prevent us from hearing these words in other ways and from finding new meanings for ourselves. I believe we have both the freedom and the opportunity to find ourselves in many places in this parable.
So, today, I invite you to follow Jesus’ command and “Listen!” I invite you to move beyond your obvious place in this parable and hear his words anew. I invite you to hear them from a new perspective. Jesus said:
What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. Are you listening to this? Really listening?
So, where are we in this parable? Are we the seed? Are we the Word of God sent into the world? Yes, I believe we are the seed. But listen carefully, what does the parable say about the seed? Well, for one thing, the seed has absolutely no control over where it is sent; as the seed, we must go wherever God sends us. We do not get to choose the soil where we are sown. Has God sent us to rich and fertile soil where the growth is easy, or has God sent us to rocky and thorn infested soil where the growth is slow and difficult? In either case, we do not get to choose where we are sown. God, the sower, sends us to the place we are most needed and to the place where we can produce the most fruit. As seed, we are not called to complain; we are called to work and grow where God has sown us. But, even when the conditions are difficult, it is important to remember that sometimes a seed is sown to improve the soil for a later crop. God may be sending us to dry and hard soil and our only result may be to break up the soil a little so the next seed finds better soil. Are we the seed?
Or, are we the soil? Are we called to receive the word of God and provide a foundation for the seed to grow? Yes, I believe we are the soil. But listen carefully, what does the parable say about the soil? Well, it says that some soil is not very good. Some soil is hard – so hard that it resists the Word of God and the Word is taken from it. Are we so hard that we are unable to hear God’s word for us? Some soil is rocky and while it may give quick initial growth it does not provide a sound foundation for the trials that are to come. Are we rocky soil that cannot provide strong roots that will endure? And, some soil is so full of thorns that it actually nourishes the thorns better that the seed. Do we nourish the thorns, the cares of this world, better than we nourish the Word God has given to us? But some soil is rich and fertile, and it provides the perfect place for the seeds. If we see ourselves as the soil, then we must remember that there are many kinds of soil and not all of it is good for growing the crop God wants to plant in us. Are we the soil?
Perhaps, I am the thorns. Am I the cares that choke the good seed that is trying to grow in others? If I am honest with myself, I must confess that the answer is yes; there have been times when I have been the thorns. There have been times when I have put up obstacles to the growth of God’s Word. There have been times when I have raised practical, worldly objections to plans and projects that were clearly the will of God. I have been slow to offer an encouraging word to someone seeking to grow in the faith. I have been self centered and wanted the soil’s nourishment for myself instead of letting the soil nourish others. All of this is part of the sin I share with all humanity – we refuse to trust God to give us good seed and good soil and provide for our growth. Are we the thorns?
Are we the sower? Are we the ones called to broadcast God’s Word to the world? Yes, I believe we are called to sow God’s Word. And over the years, many people have felt called to be the sower. One Bible Society uses the image of the sower as their logo because their mission is to spread the Word of God to all people. And, some people who are involved in translating the Bible into native languages also feel called to be sowers of the word; they work to remove human language barriers to God’s Word. But if we look carefully at the sower, we notice a very curious thing. The sower is not very careful about where the seed goes. I would think that a good farmer would be more careful about where he sows the valuable seed. After all, why waste seeds by throwing them into places where they will not grow? Why cast the seed on the hard path or the thorn infested soil? Isn’t that just a waste of good seed? Yet the sower in the parable does not seemed to be concerned about wasting the seed. The sower sows the seed as if there is plenty – plenty for the good soil – but also enough to send some seeds to unlikely places. Is that how God sends forth the Word? Is that the attitude we are to take when we proclaim God’s Word? I believe God calls us to proclaim the Word of God everywhere, even in the most unlikely of places. We are called to proclaim the Word because the supply really is inexhaustible. Just as God does not first check to see if we are worthy of God’s rich grace, the sower does not check first to see if the soil is “worthy” of the seed. The sower lavishes seed on all the soil in the hope, that some may produce a bountiful harvest. So, as sowers of God’s Word, we are called to be free with the seed; free to the point of seeming to be wasteful; free to the point of broadcasting the seed on the hard path and rocky soil. And, as we spread the gospel seed, we must trust that God will give the harvest. Are we the sower?
We do not have time to explore all the possibilities open to us in this parable. Could we be the birds that snatch the Word away from others? Could we be the sun – the sun that sometimes provides needed warmth but also the hot sun that scorches and withers the plants? Could we be the rocks that look fertile but have no real power to sustain growth? All of these perspectives are possible, and all of them offer some new insight into our relationship with God and God’s kingdom.
But, before we leave this parable, there is one more question we need to ask: Where is God in this parable? What role does God play in the Parable of the Sower? Well, there are many possibilities. I believe that God is the one who provides the seed in the first place. The Good News we proclaim is God’s news. The story of salvation is the story of God at work in the world. The love we offer to the world is God’s love poured out for all people. I also see God at work before the seed is sown. Before the sower even begins sowing the seed God is at work preparing the soil and removing the rocks; God is at work removing the weeds; and God is at work selecting the seed that will be sown. Finally, God is at work after the seed is sown. God provides the rain and the sunshine that nourishes the seed. God is the one who provides the miracle of life and growth.
I hope that you have heard something new in this parable today. Maybe you have found yourself in an unexpected place today. Maybe for the first time you have seen yourself as the seed, or the soil, or the sower, or maybe even realized that sometimes we are the thorns.
Today I believe Jesus is speaking to us in this parable. Christ is calling us to be the seed and proclaim God’s word in good places and in unlikely places. Christ is calling us to be the good soil that provides nourishment to the seed that is sown in our lives. Christ is calling us to be extravagant and lavish sowers who proclaim God’s Word in every circumstance. Christ is calling us to preach the Good News in hard and rocky soil with the same fervor and passion as we do in the rich and fertile soil. At the same time, this parable is also a cautionary tale. Christ is warning us not to be hard or rocky soil that destroys the word in ourselves and in others. Christ is warning us not to be the weeds and thorns that choke and stifle the word in others. Christ is warning us not to be the birds that snatch the word and prevent it from going into the world.
I also believe that Jesus is making a promise in this parable. Jesus is promising that when we sow the seed God will provide an abundant harvest. Jesus is promising that when we receive the seed into our lives, God will provide an abundant harvest. Jesus is promising that when we go as seed into the world, God will provide an abundant harvest.
It is God’s will that the seed bear fruit.
God will give the growth; and God will give an abundant harvest.
Let anyone with ears listen!
Amen!