Sermon by Michael R. Martin
First United Methodist Church of Saranac Lake, NY
Matthew 13:1-9 (NIV): Later that same day, Jesus left the house and went down to the shore, 2where an immense crowd soon gathered. He got into a boat, where he sat and taught as the people listened on the shore. 3He told many stories such as this one: "A farmer went out to plant some seed. 4As he scattered it across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. 5Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The plants sprang up quickly, 6but they soon wilted beneath the hot sun and died because the roots had no nourishment in the shallow soil. 7Other seeds fell among thorns that shot up and choked out the tender blades. 8But some seeds fell on fertile soil and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted. 9Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
Matthew 13:18-23 (NIV): "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain: 19The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts. 20The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. 21But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word. 22The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced. 23The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest—thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."
We have entered in our readings into the “season of parables.” Now, there is no such thing as a season of parables on any clerical calendar that I am aware of, but our readings over the next weeks will re-introduce us to many of these teaching stories. This parable of the farmer sowing grain onto four soils is the first of Jesus’ many parables recounted by Matthew. It takes place on the shores of ??. It is said in some gospel translations that a boat was always kept ready and waiting, and here Jesus takes to the boat perhaps that he might better be seen and heard by the immense crowd that had gathered. Keep in mind that this parable is shared at time when Jesus faced opposition. Parables, like satire and other relatively obscure forms of speech, are frequently used when straightforward speech could be life threatening. Parables continue to be used as a rabbinical teaching tool. In Hebrew, parables are often called meshalim. I would say that there are two main questions for you to keep in mind as we explore these parables in our readings:
- First, what is the main point of the parable?
- and most importantly, how does this parable speak truth to you, today, in our time, in your life?
I often wondered if Jesus decided to use this particular parable first as a lesson in parables – he certainly spells this one right out for us; or perhaps Matthew chose it as something easy to cut our teeth on. It is a simple, straightforward story. It was very applicable to the agricultural life of the times, so it was accessible to the people – they could easily understand the imagery, as I think we still can today. Who here hasn’t at one time or another broadcast grass seeds over the soil, or perhaps fed chickens by broadcasting feed, as pastor Linda used to love to recount? So we can identify with that farmer, sowing seeds.
Just in case you have never sowed seed or fed chickens, I have a modern day equivalent parable for you – recount the hydroseeding out in front of our house. Road construction nearing completion, some areas top soil, some still stony sandy soil, some areas pavement, some concrete curbing. Nowadays, road crews use hydroseeder to sow seeds over large expanses. . .
So, in front of our house, some of this mixture was sprayed onto our paved driveway, some was sprayed onto the sandy rocky subsoil, and some was sprayed onto the clean, rich loamy topsoil. Yesterday it rained. Yesterday it rained a LOT. Most of the seed mixture on the driveway washed away, but some is stuck in little cracks where the pavement meets the concrete curb. The seed mixture stuck pretty well on both the sandy soil and top soil. The sun will come out, the seed will sprout – what do you suppose is going to happen to the grasses that start growing? The grass stuck on the pavement will grow, tucked into the spray mixture, but the roots will have nowhere to go, and soon the sun will wilt them and they will die. The grass mixture on the sandy, rocky subsoil will also sprout, the roots will take hold, but the sand will hold little moisture. So although these grasses will grow, they will not thrive. Ah, but the seed that landed where it was meant to land, on the rich loam, it will sprout, the roots will reach down into a soil that holds moisture for it and the grasses will do well here.
So, there is the parable, for the old-time farmer or modern soil conservationist in you. But the easy thing about this parable – it’s a pretty short hop to see how this story can relate to God’s word and our mission as disciples. Believe me, some of the parables are not so easy to decipher, to relate to our own lives. But here, we have God’s Word -- the seed, and God’s disciples – the farmer, and the people of the world – the soil. We are not the seed, YOU are not the seed. The Good News is the seed! And although you and I are in the world, we are not the soil, WE are not the soil. We are among God’s chosen people, YOU are among God’s chosen people. God has nurtured your life from before you were born, and made you who you are, and led you, to this very here and now. God’s seed has been planted and tended and taken root in your heart and soul. YOU, my good friends, are farmers. Or, if you’d rather, you are the person directing the nozzle of the hydro spray truck – it IS after all a heck of a lot more efficient!
As any farmer knows, you have to have two things first and foremost to grow a crop. . . good soil and good seed. Our mission, then, is to tend to the soil so that it is ready to accept seed, and plant seeds wherever and whenever we can. The nice thing about being God’s farmer is that you don’t have to do it all. You may never know the fruits of your labor, but perhaps that little bit of soil you cultivated in someone was just the planting bed needed for the next farmer that comes along. And after that farmer, someone did a little watering, then someone took out a hoe and did a little weeding. And before you know it, we’ve got another honest to God farmer on our hands!
I’ll reiterate what I said a few weeks back. We sit in this church at a time of incredible opportunity and challenge. We are by and large not happy with the way things are going, we have an inspired church council willing to evaluate change, and we have a new pastor who comes to us loaded with experience and energy and ideas. None of us is here by accident, nothing that has come before is wasted. I want to see this church bursting with farmers who come eagerly in each Sunday to get a little well deserved watering and tending so they can take it right back out their into the fields.
Can you IMAGINE what that would be like? How exciting that would be?
I know I am preaching to the choir here, or auctioning to the farmer, or whatever. I wish I could teleport our entire membership into this room right now and give them the same story. If I could teleport our membership here, I suspect we’d have mixed company -- farmers of all types and soil of various qualities -- but that’s ok, too. The body of Christ is made of many parts, each with a special purpose.
I am blessed that I can come here and worship with you, that you come here and worship with me, that we can worship together as often as we do. I am ready to do more.
I won’t ask for a show of hands, but if you are ready to do more, pray with me.
Heavenly Father, Creator God, continue to keep our church under your careful guidance. I praise your glory and am ever thankful for the gifts you have given me. I offer myself to you, Lord, in service. Guide me, Lord, that I might give what is most needed, where it is most needed, when it is most needed. Continue to water those of us gathered here with your blessings, Lord, that we continue to grow in your love. And, as always, I ask that all things be your will, Lord, not mine.
Michael R. Martin – July 10, 2005
First UMC of Saranac Lake, 8:30AM
No comments:
Post a Comment