Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Proper 10 / Year A
Some
commentators refer to Matthew’s thirteenth chapter as “The Sermon from a Boat”,
as opposed to the more famous “Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus is hanging out
at on Galilean lakeside when a large crowd gathers around him. So large, in
fact, he has to get into a fishing boat in order to have a space from which to
teach. And teach he does. Over the next few weeks we will read the
content of what has to say, all of which he sets forth in parables.
The word ‘parable’
comes from two root words - para and bolos. Para
means “alongside of” (think of the word parallel). Bolas means “to
throw” or “to cast.” So a parable is a story where something is thrown
against something else. For Jesus, his parables are stories of familiar
activities and events thrown against deeper and perhaps hidden spiritual things
in order to shed light on what the kingdom of heaven is like.
This morning we
read what we might call ‘the leadoff hitter’ in Jesus’ all-star story line-up…
the sower who spreads seeds. Now, all parables have been given names,
mostly by scholars and bible translators. These names can be helpful or
misleading. As an example of the later, the title “The Parable of the
Prodigal Son” diverts our attention away from the older brother who refuses to
welcome back his wayward sibling.
Some suggest
today’s reading should be called “The Parable of the Soils” and to be sure
Jesus focuses much attention on the different types of earth which receive the
scattered seed resulting in very different outcomes. But, with this
parable, Jesus himself gives it a name so it would seem reckless to deviate
from it. He calls this “The Parable of the Sower.”
Jesus tells us a
farmer does the sowing. He refers to the seed as being ‘the message of
the kingdom” and as “the word.” This suggests farmer is God the Father
and the seed is Jesus the Word. More than one commentator has suggested
the farmer, by scattering seed so indiscriminately, is wasteful. His
approach, they contend, should be less random and more targeted. The
farmers who spend this day at the beach listening to Jesus surely are thinking
about how carefully they sow resources as precious as seed only where it has
the best chance to thrive.
But, as I always
say about parables, this is Jesus’ story and he gets to tell it any way he
wants to. Rather than wasteful, what Jesus wants us to know through the
metaphor of the farmer with his wide casting method is that God is generous and
desires to reach each and every person. For Jesus, God the Father is not
angry, vengeful, or punitive. For him, God holds there are no exclusions
and no outsiders. The message of the kingdom Jesus proclaims is not MIGA
- Make Israel Great Again. God cares deeply and equally for each and
every person and this is why everyone receives the Word without preconditions
or limitations. The seed - the Word of God’s love - is made known to
everyone… because everyone is precious to God… no exceptions.
There are at least
two things Jesus understands about his seed. First, every seed is going
to die in or on the ground it which it lands. Jesus will say in another
parable, “Unless a seed falls into the earth and dies it cannot bear
fruit.” Jesus the Word does not come into the world with great power and
might, but rather humble and vulnerable. He says he comes to serve, not
to be served. Humility, vulnerability, and service are the hallmarks of
God’s seed once it dies in the soil and erupts into new life.
The second thing
Jesus knows about the seed is not all of it will make it. Some will
sprout up, but for various reasons, not survive. And rather than try to
consign particular individuals, groups, or movements to being one type of soil
or another, I am acutely aware how the soil of my own soul is a composite of
all four conditions. A part of me is so densely packed the Word of God
never even penetrates it for consideration. There are other parts of me
where the evil one has a hold and it is tough to shake it off. There is
a part of me wrapped up in the cares and concerns of the world and in spite of
my intentions, these things chock out God’s Word in my life. And,
thankfully, there are places in my soul where the seeds find fertile soil and
produce an abundance of humility, vulnerability, and service. I am
confident you see this in your own life as well.
Perhaps the best
known line from Oscar Wilde’s 1893 play A Woman of No Importance is
this: “The only difference between the saint and the sinner is every saint has
a past and every sinner has a future.” It is a sentiment much in keeping
with the message of today’s parable. Each person is precious to God and
God will withhold nothing in order for any and every one of us to know divine
Love. It is a love which is capable of producing in each of us a harvest
of goodness and godliness beyond measure. Thanks be to God.
