One of the things that
I love to do is garden- particularly grow vegetables. There is something
incredibly satisfying about growing a plump- juicy red tomato from little tiny
seed. Over the last six years I have put
in four raised bed vegetable gardens out behind the rectory.
Now toward the end of
May, when we can be assured of no
further snow--- I begin the planting process.
Now I am a guy who likes to follow directions. The first year I began
gardening- I carefully followed every instructions on the seed packets of how to plant.
If the packet said that plants should be eighteen inches apart- by Golly
I had my yard stick out there and was measuring precisely where I should plant
each plant. If the seed was to be sown in a half inch of soil- by golly I
planted the seed a half inch down -- I followed this orderly planting
process. I’ve moved away from that but
still…
This
method of planting- is not the method of
planting subscribed to by the sower of today’s parable. The sower doesn’t have a measuring stick out to make sure each seed is placed precisely where
it needs to be. No the sower from the parable subscribes to a method of
planting this method is called broadcasting.
Broadcasting is taking
a big handful of seed and just tossing it everywhere- indiscriminately
scattering of seed
The sower does not
paying close attention to the “precision planting instructions you find on the back of a Burpee
seed packet.
The sower toss his seed
to and from- the parable tells us that some of the seeds lands on the hard path where Jesus says it is quickly
gobbled up by birds, some of the seed lands
on rocky soil where it can’t take root, other seed lands among thorns where it
is easily choked out, but seed lands on good- fertile- healthy soil – where
it takes root and grows into beautiful plants.
And the yield is amazing.
Welcome to the parables
folks—we have entered a portion of the lectionary where we will have a number
of parables tossed at us throughout the summer.
C. H. Dodd-- distinguished biblical scholar
said something to the effect that parables are meant “to tease the mind into
active thought.”[1]
Yes they certainly do that, I am often scratching my head after reading a
parable wondering- but I like the way my colleague Steve Pankey describes parables-
he calls parables “auditory hand grenades----- dropped by Jesus in[to] our
brains just waiting to explode with meaning.”[2]
Often after reading a parable- it feels like a
hand grenade went has gone off in my head.
One of the things I
read this week about this particular parable is that Jesus may have used this
parable to help his followers understand why or why not there was growth in the
kingdom of God. If the seed or the word
of God was scattered on hard, crusty closed off “path” people-it wasn’t able to penetrate and then
there was no growth. If it fell among
thorns- it was choked – if it fell on Good soil it flourished.
But what good is that
for today. Where can find meaning in
this parable?
Now my immediate
reaction to this parable is to look at people and begin assigning different
soil types to the people I encounter -- I begin to look and say that guy- he’s definitely
rock soil- he has no root.
Or that person hard and
crusty- path person nothing seems to penetrate.
Let me just say that way of interpreting that’s bad—worse yet – is when I automatically assume – I am fertile--
good soil- where God’s word is going to blossom
I guess if I am honest I can say there are times that I find all
these soil types in my life.
If I am honest there
are times that I am very much closed off to work and movement of God- hard and
crusty path-where the work and movement of the kingdom of God just bounces off
and can’t penetrate. Don’t see it- don’t
experience it.
If I am honest there
are times when the thorns overtake the growth and choke out the work of God in
my life-these are times when my priorities get out of line and I am
distracted--- the parable mentions priorities like worldly ambitions and wealth and how
those can sometime easily choke out the word of God.
If I am honest there
are also times when I am distracted by trouble or difficulties that happen those
are times when toward anxiety and fear
take center stage rather than turning
toward Christ- that’s when my faith is shallow and I have very little root.
And I guess- if I am
also honest there are time when the soil is just right and the stars align and
I am able to receive the word of God and movement of God in my life bears much
fruit.
Several years ago, I
went on a church retreat. On the first
evening, at the opening worship service- I sat down next to a person who quite
obviously didn't want to be there on the retreat. Arms crossed- scowling face—there was almost
a palpable negative energy coming from this guys. It was so palpable- that I was wondering why-
was he here.
But over the course of
the weekend- this guy became a changed person- by the end of the weekend- there was and
openness and a joy deep within this man that had been evident on Friday Night.
And I realize now that I am not very good at judging soils types-- God had cast
some seed into this man’s life and the kingdom began to blossom- obviously the
soil was just right – when I would not a chance in hell.
What I find hopeful is that God, the sower is
constantly broadcasting seed and he generously sows on all-- God generously
sows seeds of life into our lives and into our communities and into our
churches. And that seed sinks down into and the kingdom of
God, the kingdom of heaven burst forth in our lives and in our
communities.
Our job isn't so much
as to worry about the soil- and who’s this kind of soil or who’s that kind of
soil- because we are not very good at that.
I think our job is to
celebrate the kingdom-- the abundant yield- to go to the place where the
kingdom is tearing through the soil and to celebrate its presence.
One of the greatest
joys of my priesthood is that I often get
to watch the kingdom of God tear through the soil into our lives and into this
world.
Peace that overtakes
someone as they draw their last breaths—that’s the kingdom tearing through. Moments of forgiveness and reconciliation
that finally emerge after years of deep pain and suffering-that’s the
kingdom—someone finally able to escape the clutches of an abusive relationship
in that white house down the street-- that’s the kingdom- a smile- a door held
open—the kingdom tearing through the soil. Someone struggling with the demons
of addiction or mental illness and trying their darnedest to scrape and claw
their ways free- that’s the kingdom .Forty Kids hopping on a bus to go into New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. A mother lovingly rocking her colicky baby at
3:57 in the morning that’s the kingdom.
Go today and look for
the kingdom- for God has cast his seed and it is blossoming – maybe just maybe
you might see the seed emerge and find a glimpse of heaven.
AMEN
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