ALM Carol O gave this sermon on Sunday 16 July – our Patronal Festival. Here it is for you again:
Mary, Mary, quite contrary how does your garden grow? I am sure we all know how this nursery rhyme goes and as every gardener knows, it’s all about the soil. Without good soil, worked with compost, water and tender care, seeds will not flourish.
The parable in our Gospel this morning must be one of Jesus’ most well-known. And for good reason. This story has implications that are just as powerful today as the first time Jesus told it. This parable starts with the farmer going out and spreading seed. And the rest of the parable talks about the soil and the land in which this seed falls. While we call this the parable of the sower, it’s more of a parable of the soil. It teaches us that the sower – who is God – sows generously. But the rest centres around the soil and the seed -which is us.
In Jesus’ story, there are four kinds of soil on which the seeds fall when they are scattered – the path – the rocky ground – the thorny bushes and the good fertile soil. The image that should be in our heads right now is a farmer with a bag/satchel full of seeds. The farmer is reaching in grabbing handfuls of seeds and throwing them on every inch of his land. He is not concerned with the kind of soil the seeds will fall on. He’s liberally spreading it anywhere and everywhere. This is much different than how we farm today. In Jesus’ day you sowed and then ploughed. Thus, the harsh ground that chokes out life of the growing seeds might become fertile. The farmer is sowing generously because he knows the more he sows the bigger his crop. Yes, he’ll lose some of his seed, but the return is worth the cost. So, let’s look at these seeds and the four types of soil in detail:
- The Seeds On The Path
“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.” – This soil represents those who have hardened their hearts and refuse to listen to the word of God. Seeds cannot flourish in hard pressed soil. Similarly, the Gospel or the Word cannot take root in a hardened heart.
- The Seeds In The Thin Soil
“Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no roots.” – This seed represents a person who was initially enthusiastic. But their roots never went deep, life happened, tragedy struck, or they just got busy and their faith cannot survive the trials and hardships of life. Plants need roots that go deep to get water and nutrients to survive. Similarly, Christians need deep roots that continually renew and refresh their faith.
- The Seeds In The Thorns
“Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.” – When you have fertile soil it’s not just the good seeds that will take root, thorns/weeds also try to take advantage of the soil, choking out the good seeds. The young seeds can simply not survive the onslaught. This seed represents those who may look good on the outside but have let sin creep in on the inside. Although they might say that Jesus is Lord, their lives tell a different story. They haven’t fully turned their lives over to him.
- The Seeds In The Good Soil
“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” – When seeds find good fertile soil, they will sprout to life and produce an abundant crop. In the parable of the sower the yield is a hundred fold, which is huge; and certainly would have grabbed the attention of Jesus’ listeners. Getting such a big return was what they all wanted. This soil represents those who hear the Gospel and follow Jesus. Their roots go deep and can sustain the hardships of life. They have guarded their hearts to ensure no thorns can choke out their life. They are primed and ready to grow. And grow they do. Their lives produce more than they could have ever imagined.
I said that this parable is more about the soil than the sower. But there is an incredible point that we shouldn’t ignore about the farmer who sows the seed generously. He gives every kind of soil a chance to produce life. The likeliness that seed would take root in rocky soil is slim. But not impossible. What the parable of the sower teaches us is that God is generous. He’s extended his grace to EVERYONE. Even those he knows will likely reject it, he gives it to them anyway in the hope they will cultivate their heart and experience the life he came to give them.
God sows everywhere. Whether on the path, on rocky soil, among thorns, or in the good dirt, the Good News cannot be contained. God does not discriminate between good soil and bad soil. God throws the seed of the Kingdom everywhere! It goes out into all the world, to transform any who will accept it. Jesus said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Let us continue to sow the seeds, be it in church, in school, in the home, to our next generations. Never give up even when the ground is hard, who knows how the seed will grow. We only have to scatter, cultivate, nurture and wait.
We don’t have to do extra work to allow God to use us. We just have to hear His Word, be sincere in our prayers, and ask for His help when we struggle. We can love others and share the good news that God is at work in us. And we can rest assured that God can and will do amazing things, if we let Him! Amen
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 