Matt 13:1-9, 18-23
23 July 2017
Union Ave
Are we the seed that does not understand and so the birds or the ‘evil one’ snatch us away before we could even be immersed in the dirt?
Are we the seed who hears the story with great joy but because of persecution or some kind of trouble immediately forgets that we could find some depth?
Are we the seed thrown into the thorns and though we hear, we are MUCH more consumed by the lure of wealth and other mighty acts we might accomplish?
Or are we the seed who hear and understands and also trusts in God to nurture, challenge, love and grow us?
None of this is easy or simple! And actually Jesus was not just ‘telling’ this parable. He was living it! Several of the disciples were having trouble with their faith – especially when caught in a storm on the sea. The Pharisees were wanting to dismiss Jesus’ messages. The Nazarenes (Jesus’ own neighborhood) were getting ready to reject him. Thus, Jesus was totally understanding that seeds merely thrown on soil often did NOT have a chance of bearing whatever they were supposed to bear.
Today, farmers know that they need to cultivate the soil before sowing….this was NOT always the practice in ancient times. Planning – for anything – has become a wondrous concept for modern times. n most arenas of life now, there is much, much time in the discovery and planning process before there is the ‘flinging of seeds’ into somewhat good, bad or unknown soil.
However, even with good planning and great conversation and discovery … this does not always mean success. Some of us (as parents) spend a good amount of time sharing words of guidance and compassion to our children – in the hopes that they will listen, learn, and not make some of the mistakes we have already made! However, some children do not want to listen … do not want to learn from our advice … and merely want to start their lives on their own.
Also some business people strive to produce quality products and provide good wages to their workers. And clients go elsewhere because they want cheaper products.
Thus, even our work at trying to help people understand that life is NOT ALWAYS easy, but good life takes work and learning from the past … many do not want to hear this. They merely want to go out on their own – as if there is not a past that could help them learn.
So, how can we be the seed that truly finds root and grows into beneficial fruit? There are some very important pieces illustrated in this parable. We need:
understanding
perseverance
attentiveness
and belief in the miracle of faith
Understanding comes first. We do need to learn from others and fully believe that we can be taught. The world did NOT begin with us! And to think that we can be totally independent and not reach out to others for depth is absurd.
And when we are willing to receive insight and understanding from others we will come to accept that it takes time … life takes perseverance. We will NOT get everything correct immediately. Well, you have heard me say over and over we will not get things correct ALL OF THE TIME anyway! But with persistence, we can change … we can grow … and we can improve even when we falter along the way.
And then there is attentiveness. The world spins even so much faster now than in ancient days. And frankly, I believe it is spinning faster every decade. We have so many wondrous gizmos that help us do multiple tasks at one time … and these often disallow us to focus and stay attentive to one issue … to one thought … to one perspective. This is our world today. But we must try and try and try to be attentive … and we must try to teach our children and grandchildren to do so as well. This will allow us to grow in depth.
And the last characteristic is that we must believe in the miracle of faith. We must honestly believe that we can change … and that when we change, the world around us will change. And this happens when we are attuned to God – when we listen – when we are challenged – when we not only grow in love, but grow in faith and service. Jesus is trying to teach his listeners (and us) that through deepening our understanding, our faithful perseverance, staying attentive and believing that God can and will change us … that we can become the fruit of any seed planted in this world.
We will each have our own special places of being planted. We will each have our own giftedness and be the people of faith in very special ways. But together we can be the children of God that is so very, very important for the healing of this world.
May we be the seeds that God needs.
Cultivating growth ... 