“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables.”
The “parable of the sower”, which we heard this morning, is one of the special parables in the New Testament, special because Jesus, Himself, interprets it for us. What the Gospel doesn’t tell us – is what motivated Him to choose this particular topic. There are no Pharisees or curious onlookers taunting Jesus or asking questions – at least, none who are mentioned.
But was can, with some assurance, surmise that it is most likely Jesus told this parable to answer a question that dealt with a real issue. We can almost hear one of the disciples ask, “Rabbi, why doesn’t everyone respond positively to You?” For those of us who follow and love Jesus, who believe and seek to live in obedience to God’s commandments, this is a question that might also trouble us. Why is it that some people, even if they have heard Jesus’ message, or grew up going to church, just don’t get it?
This question has been answered in various ways by different theological systems over the years. Different Protestant denominations have come up with different answers. For example, Universalists would say that it doesn’t matter, “God chooses those who will be saved and it is nobody’s business but God’s, as we all deserve condemnation for our sinfulness anyway.” And there are other answers that range between the extremes of God chooses and we deserve it anyway.
But in the end, Jesus’ own answer is much more complex - and is both satisfying and troubling. Jesus interprets His own parable this way. The seeds are sown. Some hear, but the evil one snatches the words from them, these are the people represented by the seeds that fall on the path.
Those people represented by the seeds that fall on the shallow soil are able to hear and respond, but the Gospel never really takes root in their lives. So the barely started Christians, those who have not developed roots, wither away and never reach maturity, as the text says, “they fall away when persecution comes.” In our own time there is not as much persecution of those seeking the Christian religious path, certainly nothing like there was there was in earlier times, but peer pressure and societal pressure can still do much to “nip in the bud” a newly found faith in Jesus.
And there are other modern ways to explain what Jesus is telling us.
Seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away.
It may be that our equivalent of this is when “unrooted” new Christians, they who were so excited and joyful when they first began, hear about tithing, weekly church attendance, regular prayer, and celibacy or monogamy, they leave the Church. They find such ideas too demanding, or too out of touch with modern day reality.
Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Where seeds fall in the weeds, the text says that the “cares of the world and the lure of wealth” draw them away. That pretty much says it all, even for us today. We all know folks for whom this is reality. Even the best of us often find we must choose between attending worship services, a school sporting event, or a family BBQ. And if we have to choose between work/money or church responsibility, we know which one we’re likely to pick.
But some seed falls on the deep soil and bears grain. These are people who hear the Gospel. They respond. The word of grace takes charge of their lives. They grow and mature into Christians. As we might put it, they take it seriously.
This parable not only answers the question,” Why doesn’t everybody get it?” But also leads those of us who do get it to three questions: What can we do to help those who don’t “get” the saving message? Shall we continue to proclaim the Gospel even if everyone doesn’t get it? And finally, and perhaps the most important, “what kind of soil am I?”
Should we continue to proclaim the Gospel? Obviously, that’s a definitive, “Yes.” Whether or not we proclaim the Gospel is not really an option. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” Jesus also commanded, “Go and make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
If we love Him, we evangelize. That word, evangelize, can call to mind the preacher standing on the street corner, but for us it means living our faith and, on occasion or when necessary, saying so. I recently had an emergency with my car, and as I was paying the bill, the very pleasant and likeable older gentleman handling the transaction exclaimed (I don’t remember why), “Jesus, help me.” It took a bit of courage on my part, but I responded, “I’m sure He does”, to which the kindly man asked, “He – who’s He?” And I said simply, “Jesus. The guy you just spoke to.” We let it drop at that.
Evangelizing is more than just a matter of obedience. It is a matter of our soul’s health. As we grow in obedience, we grow in love. As we grow in love, our souls grow in health. The seed that falls on the deep cultivated soil grows to maturity and productivity.
One image for evangelism is the cultivation of the soil where the seed of the Gospel will fall. Almost all of the mature Christians we might question will describe how they were loved into an awareness of God’s love. The love may have come from a father, or a mother, or a brother, or a sister, or a wife, or a husband, or a friend. The love entered the life of the person preparing them for the love of God. That love was good and fertile soil.
When asked how he had come to be a Christian, after a life devoid of faith, one man said, “My wife loved me into submission; I realized that I was immersed in the love of Jesus flowing through her. When I finally heard the call to claim Jesus as Savior, I couldn’t refuse.” For me, personally, it was my grandmother and also the warm and welcoming people I met at church when I attended Sunday School. My grandmother read me Bible stories, for that matter, so did my Dad, and everything connected to Jesus and these wonderful stories and experiences, was filled with acceptance and love.
These are only two illustrations of the cultivation of love. Love prepares the way for love. It may be that those who have known a lot of love can more easily know the love of God when it comes than can others. They can recognize it. We, who are blessed with talent, and security unknown in many parts of the world, we who say we are Jesus’ followers, have the ability and responsibility to spread acceptance, kindness, generosity, patience, time, and love – to share all this with others. We help create receptive soil, and then we need only remember to let those we love know who it is we love and serve.
Of course, we too need times of refreshment, time to feel for ourselves, the Love that surpasses understanding. Our Lord has told us that to become satisfied people, rich people, holy people, we need humility and prayer. He, himself, taught us how to pray, and He told us to learn from Him to be meek and humble of heart. Humility and prayer grow from ears and eyes, minds and tongues, that have made time for and rested, perhaps just a short time each day, in silence with God. It is in the silence of the heart God speaks
“What kind of soil are you?” All of us have parts of our lives like the path, or the shallow soil, or the tangled place where there are weeds. The degree to which we focus on, become overly involved in, these troubled areas of our lives is the degree to which we will not “get it”. Give those areas to God and then don’t take them back.
We are called to live in the part of our lives that is deep and well cultivated, so that the Gospel, the Good News, the joy can grow there, and then we need to offer it freely to each other. God’s Love and is meant to flow through us. We are called to be the ones who bear the fruit that will feed the world.
Let us pray:
Save our souls, Good Gardener. Evil flies in wanting to steal our hope. Work piles up, insecure boulders ready to crash, leaving no room to root. Our faith begins to wither as does our relationship with You. Distractions grow, choking our gratitude, our perspective, our spirits. Guard us. Guide us. Deliver us. Nourish the soil of our souls, that we may blossom and bring forth Your fruit, a hundredfold. All this ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.