The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost --- 12 July 2020

Isaiah 55:10-13

10 For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, 11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it. 12 For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

Romans 8:1-11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law—indeed it cannot, 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!"

18 "Hear then the parable of the sower. 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

"Listen! A sower went out to sow.”

§  What’s going on here in this parable? We know it, front and back. We’ve heard it. But now, there’s a difference. We’re asked to listen, not just hear.

§  Good soil is necessary. This reminds me of stories I’ve heard of farmers who could pick up a handful of soil, smell it, run it through their fingers, and then say how the crop planted in that soil would come up. Through experience and intuition, they just “knew.” It’s the same way with people who can smell the rain before it come or smell the snow before it begins to fall.

§  The un-named sower of the seed seems to be rather wastefully generous in sowing. The seed goes where it goes – on the pathway, in the rocky patches, among the thorns, and in good soil. Each shows some sort of loss or gain. The path is too hard or too busy for the seed to take root. The soil around the rocks is too shallow to sustain the plants. The thorns and weeds choke out the crop, while the good soil yields a crop. Jesus goes on to add that the yield of fruit varies even though it is always a true crop.

§  We can take this parable as addressing various types of people who receive the Word and vary as to what they do with it. Distractions, attention elsewhere, or even a sort of rootlessness in the people who hear the Word of the Kingdom all lead to no growth. As we look at it now, this appears to be the way Jesus addressed it originally. However, we could also take it as speaking of the various types of “soil” within one of us.

§  We all have places in our heart, in our mind, and in our spirit that receive the Word of God in different ways. Some are fertile places, craving growth while other places within us are beaten down, or so thorny or rocky that it is difficult for the seed to take root. As there are a lot of variations in people, so it is within people as well.

§  In my own life, I’ve wondered about this and sometimes taken myself to task over my lack of growth. I don’t recommend this. Instead of becoming worried and discouraged by this, we may be helpful to remember a few things.

§  Plants can still grow on rocky or beaten down soil. We’ve all seen things grow up through openings in driveways, parking lots, or sidewalks. We’ve even seen plants break up the walls or foundations of buildings! It’s amazing what growing things can do. Plants are patient things and will eventually find a way to break through. In a similar way, God is patient with us and the Kingdom can still break through.

§  The harvest may vary but Jesus doesn’t seem to be worried about each “plant” yielding the same. One hundred-fold, sixty-fold, or thirty-fold are all growth. It is absolutely worthless to compare ourselves (even if we might do it all the time.) Growth and the harvest is given as it is given. It all comes from the same source and it builds up the same Kingdom. Paul used the example of the body to remind the Christians that each part has its function even if they are not the same. So it goes with the Kingdom’s harvest; each gives to the harvest as they are given to grow and none are refused.

§  Lastly, it is well worthwhile to remember that the sower will continue to sow. The sowing is not a once-and-done thing. As long as the word is preached and shared, growth can be given and received, season after season. As the prophet Isaiah said For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

§  God’s purpose will be accomplished, never fear.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow.”