Scattered and Sown

Matthew 13:1-9New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Sower

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Our scripture this morning is one of the more identifiable scriptures to us here in rural, middle America.  Even if you have never driven a tractor or planted any sort of seed, whether in a field or garden, you have seen it done countless times.  Anytime any of my friends or family, not familiar with the midwest visits, I always hear, “There is just so much corn.”  Simply by living in this part of the world, you have seen the illustration Jesus is drawing upon being done so many different times.  So have the people of Palestine to whom Jesus was speaking to on the day he spoke this parable.  They too knew exactly what Jesus was referring to and one biblical commentator even thinks there may have been a man sowing seeds at the same moment Jesus was preaching from a boat on the shores of the sea of Galilee.

Jesus had spent the day preaching, healing and sharing God’s love with all of those who would listen and I would venture to say that when he went out to the water he was just trying to get away and relax.  But as they often did, the crowds quickly gathered around and so he continued preaching.  It is quite possible that there was a man planting crops as Jesus began speaking and that man was the inspiration for Jesus’ teaching.  Imagine for a moment, a tired Jesus looking stoically across the horizon and seeing the farmer planting the seed.  For 7-8 months every year we get to see this very parable at work in nearly every field we drive passed.  Someone has prepared the field, planted the seed, and killed the weeds but much of what happens to those seeds after that is left up to nature.  If the weather turns off dry, the plant cannot reach its best yield.  If the weather turns off too wet, the seed drowns out.  The farmer knows that not every seed will grow but they are the epitome of optimism and plant every single one in the hopes that the conditions will be just right for all of them to yield well.  The seeds that first emerge are what farmers call the “stand.”  Even if a farmer has a good initial stand, there is still the threat of wind or hail, and recently around here the tornados have done their fair share of damage.  These natural factors can hurt the final yield in addition to the possible too wet and too dry scenarios that I have already mentioned.  Come fall, the farmer goes out to harvest and this is where they finally get to see the fruits of their labor.  Even in a bad yielding year, the farmer still harvests the crop.  

Onto the parable itself.  What is it trying to tell us?  The parable is not so much about the seed as much as where it is placed.  Before the seed is actually sown, every seed has the exact same potential yield.  Think about that for a moment.... Every seed has the exact same potential.  Plug that into God’s relationship with each one of us.  God’s love and grace is spread evenly among each of us.  However, this does not guarantee we are sown in equal locations.  You see, each seed is exactly the same in terms of its potential yield but so much depends on where it is placed.  The first seeds Jesus spoke of are the seeds that are scattered along a path.  Those seeds don’t even have a chance to germinate because birds come along and eat them.  In the explanation of this parable, Jesus refers to these seeds as those who do not understand the message about the kingdom and the evil one comes along and snatches the seeds that have been sown in their heart.  The parable goes onto to talk about those seeds planted in rocky soil and by living in southern Iowa we have a pretty good understanding of what this means.  These seeds come up quickly because the soil is shallow and warms quickly in the spring but once the roots hit the rocks, the plant can no longer grow.  In the heat of the summer, these plants are scorched because their roots can no longer reach the moisture found in the deeper soil.  The explanation for these seeds is pretty simple: some who hear the word quickly receive it with joy but since they have no roots, they quickly fall away.  The next seeds were scattered among the weeds which quickly choke out the plant.  Jesus explains this part of the parable as those who hear the word, but the worries of this life choke out the word, making it unfruitful.  And finally, some seeds are scattered in good soil where it protected from the birds and weeds and has a deep root.  Jesus explains that these are the people who hear the word and understand it.  Again, so much depends on where the seed sown.  

This parable does a lot in helping us to understand that we should be rooted deeply in God’s word, get rid of those things in life that keep choking out our faith, and the “birds” that keep us from faith.  Even when planted in good soil, the winds and hail and tornados of life can knock us down.  The heavy rains of life can keep our faith from growing.  The drought stricken days of this life can cause us to harden our hearts.  Even when planted in good soil, seeds often do not reach their full potential.  Not knowing how the year is going to turn out, the farmer plants each seed in good faith.  That seed will be tested by weeds, winds, hail, drought, and heavy rains.  Even after a bad year, the farmer goes back the next year and tries again.  The truth is that we, even if planted in good soil, will face something that can keep us from reaching the full potential of our faith.  And yet God still loves us.  He keeps planting that seed, week after week, month after month, year after year.  God is the farmer who scatters the seed.  Some are scattered among the weeds, among the rocks and some are scattered in good soil but no matter where we are, we each have a set of challenges that lay before us.

Is it fair that some are scattered in rocks and others in good soil?  No, not at all.  The challenges may be different for each Christian but there are challenges regardless.  Nothing about faith has promised us that fairness would be the deciding factor in our yield.  If we are planted in good soil, the fruits of our harvest must represent that.  If we are planted among the thorns, and still come out with a strong faith, there is something to be said about that as well.  Relating this to last week, the point here is that we shouldn’t base our faith on where someone else has been scattered.  God may have given you an easier road to a fruitful faith, but what have you done with it?  God may have placed you among the rocks or thorns but you have made it.  Your faith may not be as strong as some others but it is battle tested.  When God scattered us just as the farmer scattered seed, He knowingly placed each of us differently and each of us with the same potential.  No matter where you and your faith have been scattered, you have been planted out of the deepest and most genuine love you possibly could have been.  No matter where you and your faith have been scattered, you have been planted within abounding and eternal grace.

The point is this: no matter our set of circumstances, no matter where the winds of life have scattered us, we still have potential to grow into something beautiful if we place our faith into the hands of God who is full of love and grace.  No matter where you have been scattered, God loves you no less, no more than someone else.  Take the challenges of this life and place them into the context of God’s love and grace and watch the beautiful plant that takes shape, take an active part in the journey that shows others that they too are scattered and sown within the context of God’s love and grace.  God is the farmer who tirelessly plants and harvests, despite the yield, and He does so because of His love for you.  Amen.