Let us pray:
Lord Jesus Christ, please sow Your life-giving Word into our hearts today. Bless us in this time of meditation, through Your Word, Your Word is truth, Amen.
What's the difference between a seed and a pebble?
The seed has life in it. It can grow, and can have an effect on the whole landscape.
Over the next 4 weeks, Godwilling, I would like to consider the 4 responses to the Word, as described in this parable. But today let's look at the very beginning of the parable:
"A sower went out to sow."
This is how it starts. Obvious! But good to remember. How does any Christian work start? How does a congregation come into being? How do people come to faith? Not by human effort or any amount of careful planning or special techniques. No, we are here, as the result of the Saviour's sowing. God Himself came into our world, with His Word. His Word is the seed. He came into the world, to sow.
It's His idea. The World was created by God. We didn't make it. He spoke it into being, and later revealed this to Moses and His other prophets of old. They wrote down what he told them, so the words we have in the Bible are God's Words. Written by people, but authored by God. God's Word is living and active, Hebrews 4:12 tells us. His Word is powerful, it has life in it - like a seed.
God tells us in Peter 1:23, "You have been born anew, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God." The next verse goes on to say, "All flesh (that is, all humanity) is like grass, and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, the flowers fall, but the Word of the Lord abides forever. This Word is the good news which was preached to you."
So we see that God's Word is substantial, and God's Word is powerful. This is the seed that the Jesus, as the Sower, brings to us, and seeks to plant in us, so that we might receive life through the Word.
What is this powerful, life -giving Word? It is the gospel, the word of grace, the word we hear in Romans 8:1, where, God declares to us : "There is now no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus!"
Only this Word, the Word of God, has power to bring life to our dead hearts.
By His Word, God shaped Israel's history. By His Word, He taught and guided the apostles, and gave them the sacred charge of passing this Word on. But before we start thinking about how we are going to share God's Word, and all that we are going to do, let's stop and remember: The Sower goes out to sow: It is Jesus Himself who is sowing the seed of the Word throughout our World.
He takes the initiative.
We're going to look into some of the ways we, as rebellious fallen human beings resist God's Word, and the different factors that may rob us of the life that God wants us to know and enjoy, life that comes to us, by His Word. That's for the next few weeks. Today let's see and appreciate our Lord's initiative, His intention, and his provision.
"A Sower went out to sow."
It's his idea, his initiative, to sow the seed. There is no way the soil compelled the sower to come, no way the soil could "prepare itself" so to speak. In fact, the natural state of the human heart, (described in terms of soil in this parable), is dead! Indifferent. Uninterested. God understands the human heart. He knows what we need. He provides what we need, here in His Word. Now through the Word, He also gives us the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper. They are an extension, a 'fleshing out,' an enactment of His Word; precious gifts to be received with faith, and our deepest gratitude.
"A Sower went out to sow" - what? He went to sow seed. Seed that he had gathered, for this purpose: not to store it up and just look at it, but to scatter it all over the ground! Why? Imagine if you had never seen a person seeding/sowing before. You might get upset, that perfectly good grain is being wasted, thrown on the ground here there and everywhere! There is a very good reason why the sower is sowing the seed. There is a very good reason why you are here today, and why God gives you many and various opportunities to receive His Word: He wants a crop.
The seed is His Word, and the crop he seeks, is a crop of forgiven, renewed, faithfilled people, willing and active to respond to His great love, with our own love and service. He has a purpose for his sowing. He sows, with a view to harvesting.
God takes the initiative, in giving us His Word. The Word is his, it's not a mere human word; God's Word is powerful, and achieves the purpose God has set for it.
We have a role in sowing also: sharing God's Word as His royal priesthood: we are to declare the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (From 1 Peter 2:9) But let's remember that it remains God's Word, and is not ours to do what we like with, changing it to suit our tastes and sensitivities.
What happens when a church goes out, in Christ's name, sowing seed that is not God's Word? Very little! We can organise well, We can work hard and get activities happening, we can feel quite good about ourselves, but no mere human word and wisdom can substitute for God's truly powerful Word. We may be tempted. We might look at God's Word, and think, 'This is old hat' We might think, 'This doesn't work, or 'it's not attractive,' but no human word has ever been able to deal with dead hearts and spiritual indifference. We may substitute pretty marbles for the seeds of the Word, but planting marbles won't grow spiritual plants.
"A Sower went out to sow."
Our Lord sowed His living Word among his disciples, and before he ascended, gave them his word, recorded at the end of the Gospel according to Matthew: "Make disciples of all nations, baptising them in God's Name, and teaching them to obey all I have commanded you, and remember: I will be with you always, even to the close of the ages." In the book of Revelation, Jesus told John to write to the Churches. In other words, give them His Word. A Word that is dynamic, and that He uses to speak to us today. A Word that continues to create out of nothing, faith in stony hearts. The forgiveness of sins, through water and the elements of Holy Communion- not ordinary, but filled with God! By His Word, our God governs us with holy love, and changes our hearts. His Word can renew our minds, and secures us forever!
We are utterly dependent on his Word. Recall Luther's brief explanation to the 3rd article:
"I believe that by my own understanding or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, made me holy, and kept me in true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and makes holy the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one common, true faith."God's Word is true, Amen.