A NEW LOOK AT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23

July 13, 2008

This is one of the first parables I remember learning when I was a child in Sunday School. I had something of an advantage on my classmates because I lived on a farm and I knew something about good soil and rocky soil; and pulling weeds in the vegetable garden. The lesson seemed to be that we Christians should want to be good soil. The implication was that the other kinds of soil represented some other people. Our teacher had us plant some seeds in a little pot of good soil, beans I think, because they germinate quickly and we could observe the miracle of growth.

However; the parables of Jesus often have a surprise ending, an unusual twist or a reversal of what we now call conventional wisdom. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is really misnamed. It is the story of a father who had two sons. And what shepherd would leave 99 sheep unattended to go and look for the one that is lost? Why choose someone who is despised by the listeners as the hero in the story of the “Good Samaritan?” Why choose an unjust judge to play God’s role? And why choose a foolish farmer to represent God scattering the seed of the Good News.

As David Buttrick observes in his book, Speaking Parables, here is a farmer who carelessly tosses most of his seeds into rock piles, thorn bushes and on busy lanes of a highway. In first century Palestine seed was far too precious to be sown carelessly. This opening in the story would have seemed at least strange if not downright foolish. Of course this theme of an extravagant God is woven through many of the parables and teachings of Jesus.

What if Jesus had in mind an alternative vision of the parable? What if our inner landscape is made up of all this variety of soil? What if the landscape of our lives is composed of rocky ground and good soil, beaten down paths of old habits and small cracks that just might receive a good seed of forgiveness? What if some of our soil is shallow due to winds of boredom and a culture that is addicted to entertainment? What if some is infested with weeds that we have been meaning to attend to?

And what about the good soil? Do we not bear responsibility to cultivate soil that will be receptive to the seed of Good News? Probably so but that is not the theme of this parable. The focus is on the sower and the giver of the seeds. This story is not about our action that facilitates the germination and growth of seeds; the production of fruit.

Every sermon must have Good News. Peter Gomes reminds us of the words of the great preacher of the last century George Buttrick; not in the sense that the sermon must end on an upbeat note and have a happy ending. Not that we are to be sent on our merry way and all is well with the world. Not so much in terms of optimism and the power of positive thinking. But in the profound sense that we have heard the Gospel and of course the word means Good News. Good News that in Jesus God is keeping an ancient promise, making it real in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and making it real by the presence of Jesus in our everyday lives.

In this parable the Good news is that God the sower keeps on sowing. There will be seasons of winter, but springtime and planting is coming. We may drift away from God, slide into apathy or find better things to do with our Sunday mornings.

After all we have heard this preacher before and we don’t always like the hymn selections. The Sunday morning news programs draw a large and faithful audience. We need only note the high regard in which the late Tim Russert was held. And family recreation seems a wholesome option. David Buttrick tells of an off Broadway play showing a couple sitting in a big city apartment, thick pile rugs and sinky couches, when all of a sudden, a Salvation Army band parades by the window blaring a Jesus song . The young man gets up, goes and slams the window, saying,

I really don’t see what Jesus can do for us.

Still God keeps on sowing seeds of grace and mercy.

We may become preoccupied with our agendas and projects, plans and schedules, meetings and deadlines. After all we are connected every moment of the day to the internet and in constant touch with our friends. We may send thousands of text messages in the course of a week. We have Google to answer almost any question we can pose, though even Google has trouble with meaning questions; Why am I here? What is my purpose in life? God keeps on sowing seeds of meaning and purpose.

We wrestle with intellectual questions that bump up against first century documents filled with miracles and an unscientific worldview. We ask; can there be just one true religion or are all religions equally valid ways to God? There are calls to outlaw religion, condemn religion or at least radically privatize it. (Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2007) We do well to remember that the first disciples after hearing the Great Commission in Matthew 28 worshipped Jesus but some doubted. God keeps on sowing seeds of wonder and awe, power and majesty.

Daily we are confronted with news of the latest evil or natural disaster or economic downturn. Timothy Keller in his book, The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism quotes a young adult Manhattan professional,

God allows terrible suffering in the world. So he might be either all powerful but not good enough to end evil and suffering, or else he might be all good but not powerful enough to end evil and suffering.

Either way the all-good, all-powerful God of the Bible couldn’t exist.

The “new atheism” of Dawkins and Harris sells books and the authors make the talk show circuit. The sower plants new seeds of peace and suffering with God’s children.

Often we are brought low by a mysterious ailment, subjected to tests and medical opinions, treatment plans and the maze of the healthcare system. Chronic illness wears on patients and families alike. Even the best treatment plans and surgical options do not always bring the desired outcomes. Caregivers wear down in well doing and secretly acknowledge anger and resentment and guilt. God keeps on sowing seeds of healing and the promise of presence.

There may be fields that lie fallow for a time only to spring to life with new vigor. How many people have we know and how many of us in this congregation have sprung to life in a second career or retirement, after a job loss or family crisis? Given longer life span who knows what seeds God may be sowing in the lives of older adults. We have a longtime friend who after a long career is entering a year of discernment to seek God’s guidance as to pursuing a call to ministry in the Episcopal Church. And how many retirees have launched new careers in the volunteer and non profit world?

Perhaps they had carried dormant seeds for years and now the time is right for new life to spring forth. God is planting seed of surprise and unexpected growth.

God it seems is extravagant in scattering seeds. God doesn’t wait until we have perfectly tilled soil to sow seeds. Seeds of love and grace, mercy and compassion are sown indiscriminately. Time is no barrier either. Planting goes on no matter what our age. We may think that a young college graduate has the most potential for growing and bearing fruit. Yet numerous inventors, scientists, philanthropists, writers, have born the most magnificent fruit in their advanced years. God is never finished planting seeds in human hearts.

And the seeds of God’s grace are powerful beyond our imagining. We have all noticed how plants have grown from seeds lodged in sidewalk cracks. We have been amazed to see trees growing up out of rocks while hiking in the mountains. Maybe this is a sign that seeds can sprout and grown in cracks that appear in human hearts. Maybe it truly is in the broken places that new life springs forth. Seeds of compassion sprout after the flood waters recede and hurricane winds subside. Seeds of mercy spring to life when a child shares God’s love. Seeds of forgiveness germinate with the simple words “I am truly sorry.”

God the sower keeps on sowing seeds of Good News with extravagance.