In this passage, we hear the first of seven parables in Matthew’s gospel. Teaching this way, Jesus draws on images and stories from everyday life to illuminate who God is and what the kingdom of God looks like.
Here, Jesus tells what he himself calls “the parable of the sower.” Mark, Matthew and Luke all include it in their accounts of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Matthew also includes an explanation of the parable that most scholars agree was added later in the first century to encourage new Christians who faced challenges to their faith.
Like any teacher or storyteller, Jesus wrapped his point in a story that held the attention of his followers. Talking about God or trying to understand God’s kingdom might be overwhelming and confusing, but planting seeds and harvesting crops were familiar to his audience.
Today, even as we are less connected to the earth and fewer of us are farmers, many of us still have some experience with digging in the dirt, protecting our gardens from hungry deer, and having the satisfaction of growing things ourselves. And we’ve also weathered failure — when the seedlings never appear, the roots rot from too much water, or the vines wither in the scorching sun.
Because we can picture the scene that Jesus describes, the recklessness of the sower’s activity is even more noticeable.
First, the sower just goes out to sow.
No one has cultivated the ground ahead of time. No one has picked out the rocks, pulled the weeds, or amended the clay. No one has tilled it over or added compost to it.
And, then, the sower scatters the seed.
No one has measured the space between the plants or the depth of the seed into the furrows . No one marked sections for tomatoes or corn, squash or beans.
To our modern ears, and perhaps to his original listeners, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.
But, where some hear a lamentable wastefulness and lack of preparation, what Jesus describes is the extravagance of grace and the wideness of God’s mercy for each one of us.
The sower does not judge ahead of time where the seed may be sown, but broadly and generously sows;
The sower has confidence that, when it takes root, the seed will accomplish exactly what it needs to do; and,
the sower knows the harvest will be plentiful in spite of predators and hostility.
And so, with joyful freedom and hope, God sows the Good News of abundant love and forgiveness in us.
Teaching with parables Jesus turns what we know on its head and moves us from the safety and security of what is familiar into something else, something new.
When we rush to explain the parable, our focus shifts to the four soils and we miss learning about the sower. Trying to determine which soil we are most like, we begin to assign a grade to ourselves or others, forgetting that labeling people is rarely easy, or accurate. Any one of us, at different times in our lives, may be hardened toward God, or more receptive to receiving God’s love.
Other times, we create an illusion that we have some control over the conditions where the seed will be planted, or the yield that will be harvested. But again, we are overreaching, forgetting that God is the life-giving creator and we are not.
“This parable is a vivid reminder of all God has overcome – rocks, scorching sun, thorns and snatching – to bring life into the world.”[1] It invites us to reflect on all the uncultivated places where the gospel can be shared.
Our congregation may be a greenhouse where all the “right” conditions exist for the gospel to be heard, but the world is a lot more messy and uncontrollable. And yet, there is no place or person beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
I wonder where we might be surprised by God the way Jesus surprised his followers when he told this parable.
After all, life springs forth all around us from unexpected places and people — flowers bloom in the cracks of sidewalks and wildflowers flourish in highway medians. But we must open our eyes to see and open our ears to listen to our neighbors, if we want to witness what God is doing in our midst.
Let us pray…
Generous God,
Thank you for your reckless love for us,
even when we harden our hearts toward you or waste your gifts.
Help us follow your Son Jesus as disciples every day even when his teachings challenge us.
Sanctified by your Holy Spirit, may Your word take root deep in our hearts and minds, that we would share with our neighbors in the abundant life you prepare for us all.
Amen.
Here, Jesus tells what he himself calls “the parable of the sower.” Mark, Matthew and Luke all include it in their accounts of Jesus’ ministry and teaching. Matthew also includes an explanation of the parable that most scholars agree was added later in the first century to encourage new Christians who faced challenges to their faith.
Like any teacher or storyteller, Jesus wrapped his point in a story that held the attention of his followers. Talking about God or trying to understand God’s kingdom might be overwhelming and confusing, but planting seeds and harvesting crops were familiar to his audience.
Today, even as we are less connected to the earth and fewer of us are farmers, many of us still have some experience with digging in the dirt, protecting our gardens from hungry deer, and having the satisfaction of growing things ourselves. And we’ve also weathered failure — when the seedlings never appear, the roots rot from too much water, or the vines wither in the scorching sun.
Because we can picture the scene that Jesus describes, the recklessness of the sower’s activity is even more noticeable.
First, the sower just goes out to sow.
No one has cultivated the ground ahead of time. No one has picked out the rocks, pulled the weeds, or amended the clay. No one has tilled it over or added compost to it.
And, then, the sower scatters the seed.
No one has measured the space between the plants or the depth of the seed into the furrows . No one marked sections for tomatoes or corn, squash or beans.
To our modern ears, and perhaps to his original listeners, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.
But, where some hear a lamentable wastefulness and lack of preparation, what Jesus describes is the extravagance of grace and the wideness of God’s mercy for each one of us.
The sower does not judge ahead of time where the seed may be sown, but broadly and generously sows;
The sower has confidence that, when it takes root, the seed will accomplish exactly what it needs to do; and,
the sower knows the harvest will be plentiful in spite of predators and hostility.
And so, with joyful freedom and hope, God sows the Good News of abundant love and forgiveness in us.
Teaching with parables Jesus turns what we know on its head and moves us from the safety and security of what is familiar into something else, something new.
When we rush to explain the parable, our focus shifts to the four soils and we miss learning about the sower. Trying to determine which soil we are most like, we begin to assign a grade to ourselves or others, forgetting that labeling people is rarely easy, or accurate. Any one of us, at different times in our lives, may be hardened toward God, or more receptive to receiving God’s love.
Other times, we create an illusion that we have some control over the conditions where the seed will be planted, or the yield that will be harvested. But again, we are overreaching, forgetting that God is the life-giving creator and we are not.
“This parable is a vivid reminder of all God has overcome – rocks, scorching sun, thorns and snatching – to bring life into the world.”[1] It invites us to reflect on all the uncultivated places where the gospel can be shared.
Our congregation may be a greenhouse where all the “right” conditions exist for the gospel to be heard, but the world is a lot more messy and uncontrollable. And yet, there is no place or person beyond the reach of God’s mercy.
I wonder where we might be surprised by God the way Jesus surprised his followers when he told this parable.
After all, life springs forth all around us from unexpected places and people — flowers bloom in the cracks of sidewalks and wildflowers flourish in highway medians. But we must open our eyes to see and open our ears to listen to our neighbors, if we want to witness what God is doing in our midst.
Let us pray…
Generous God,
Thank you for your reckless love for us,
even when we harden our hearts toward you or waste your gifts.
Help us follow your Son Jesus as disciples every day even when his teachings challenge us.
Sanctified by your Holy Spirit, may Your word take root deep in our hearts and minds, that we would share with our neighbors in the abundant life you prepare for us all.
Amen.
[1] “Day Resources,” Sundays and Seasons.
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