There is something strange about this very familiar parable (Matthew 13. 1-9, 18-23); something that does not make sense from the point of view of an efficient farmer. Jesus says in the verses between those used for today's Gospel reading that the parables, the stories he tells, are not easy to understand and there is an aspect of this parable that doesn’t seem to make sense from a farming point of view.
What I am thinking of is the indiscriminate nature of the way the sower sows the seed. The sower scatters the seed on the path, on the rocky ground and among the thorn bushes, as well as in the good soil. Any farmer would know that the seed falling on the path, on the rocky ground and among the thorn bushes is going to be wasted because it is not going to grow well and yet the sower goes ahead regardless. What sort of farmer wastes two-thirds of the seed like that?
Was it because the sower was uninformed about the principles of farming or unconcerned about the harvest? Perhaps, instead, the actions of the sower are telling us something significant about the nature of God.
The seed was sown indiscriminately, even recklessly. Those places that were known to be poor places for seed to grow were nevertheless given the opportunity for seeds to take root. Doesn’t this suggest to us the indiscriminate and reckless nature of God’s love for all? The seed is the Word of the Kingdom and the Word, John’s Gospel tells us is Jesus himself.
So Jesus himself, this parable, seems to suggest is being scattered throughout the world (perhaps in and through the Body of Christ, the Church). Some parts of the Body of Christ find themselves in areas like the path where the seed seems to be snatched away almost as soon as it is sown. That may seem a little like our experience in a culture where people seem resistant towards Christian faith and the media revel in sensationalising the debates that go on within the Church.
Other parts of the Body of Christ are in areas like the rocky ground where it is hard for the seed to take root and grow. We might about situations around the world where Christians experience persecution or where the sharing of Christian faith is illegal. Last weekend at St John's we were visited by a Congolese Bishop, Bishop Isingoma, the Bishop of Boga, who has lived through the war years in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His experience has been one of ministering in a situation of great trouble and trauma.
Other parts of the Body of Christ are amongst the thorn bushes where the worries of this life and the love of riches choke the seed. Again, we might think about our situation and the way in which our wealthy, consumerist society makes people apathetic towards Christian faith.
Finally, there is the good soil where the seed grows well and the yield can be as much as a hundred fold. Again, there are parts of the Body of Christ who find themselves in good soil. That is the current experience of Bishop Isingoma and his colleagues in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Recently, he confirmed 220 people at a church in Mafifi, which was originally built through the financial support of St John’s. Three months earlier he had confirmed 140 at that same church. The Anglican Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo is seeing significant numerical growth as is the Christian faith in many parts of the world outside of the West.
We can rejoice in that growth, although it is not an experience we currently share in the UK, and can support its continued growth through our mission giving and partnerships. We should not be discouraged because that kind of growth is not our current experience in the UK. Growth does still occur even when we are on the path or the rocky ground or among the thorn bushes. We can look forward to the Confirmation Service in October for our cluster of churches, which this year St John’s will host, and see that in each of our churches people have come to faith and grown in faith. Seeds have taken root even in the hard ground that is our current experience here in the UK.
This happens because God’s love is indiscrimate wanting all to have the opportunity to receive the seed of his Word. He sows Jesus, the Body of Christ, into the poor soil as well as the good soil knowing that some seed will not grow or be as fruitful but wanting all to have the opportunity to receive the seed of his Word.
He knows too that ground which at one time was perhaps rocky ground, as in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the war years, can become good soil in which spectacular growth can occur, as is now the case in the Congo. In this country we need to pray that our culture which currently feels like the path or the thorn bushes will in time also become good soil once again and, in the meantime, celebrate that growth that does occur on the path and among the thorn bushes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neal Morse - We All Need Some Light.
No comments:
Post a Comment