WHAT IS GOD THE SOWER CULTIVATING IN YOU?
Matthew 13:1-8
Rev. Paul Wrightman 1/9/22
ONCE UPON A TIME, TWO FAMILIES CAME TO A RABBI,
WANTING HIM TO SETTLE A DISPUTE
ABOUT THE BOUNDARIES OF THEIR LAND.
HE LISTENED TO THE MEMBERS OF ONE FAMILY
AS THEY RECOUNTED HOW THEY HAD RECEIVED THIS LAND
AS THEIR INHERITANCE FROM THEIR ANCESTORS
AND HOW IT HAD BEEN IN THEIR FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS.
THEY HAD MAPS AND PAPERS TO PROVE IT.
THEN THE RABBI LISTENED TO THE OTHER FAMILY.
ITS MEMBERS DESCRIBED HOW
THEY HAD LIVED ON THE LAND FOR YEARS,
WORKING IT AND HARVESTING IT.
THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY KNEW THE LAND INTIMATELY
AND THAT IT WAS THEIR LAND.
THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE PAPERS TO PROVE IT,
BUT THEY HAD THE CALLUSES AND SORE BACKS
AND THE HARVEST AND THE PRODUCE OF THE LAND.
THE RABBI LOOKED AT BOTH FAMILIES
AND BACKED AWAY FROM BETWEEN THEM.
THEY TURNED ON HIM AND SAID,
“DECIDE, RABBI, WHO OWNS THIS LAND.”
BUT THE RABBI KNELT DOWN ON THE LAND
AND PUT HIS EAR TO THE GROUND, LISTENING.
FINALLY HE STOOD UP AND LOOKED AT BOTH FAMILIES.
HE SAID, “I HAD TO LISTEN TO BOTH OF YOU,
BUT I ALSO HAD TO LISTEN TO THE LAND,
THE CENTER OF THE DISPUTE.
AND THE LAND HAS SPOKEN.
IT TOLD ME THIS:
“NEITHER OF YOU OWNS THE LAND YOU STAND ON.
IT IS THE LAND THAT OWNS YOU.”
WHAT IS IT THAT OWNS US?
OR A BETTER QUESTION FOR US THIS MORNING
AS WE BEGIN A SERIES ON THE MAJOR PARABLES OF JESUS,
IS WHO IS IT THAT OWNS US?
IS IT GOD WHO OWNS US, AND WHO CHALLENGES US
TO NEW PERSPECTIVES AND NEW POSSIBILITIES
IN SURPRISINGLY OPEN WAYS OF COMMUNICATION,
SUCH AS PARABLES,
OR DO WE THINK THAT WE OWN GOD,
AND CLAIM OUR OWNERSHIP
THROROUGH VARIOUS CREEDS AND DOCTRINES
OF OUR OWN DEVISING?
SINCE THE TIME OF ST. PAUL, THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
HAS OVERWHELMINGLY GONE IN THE DIRECTION
OF EMPHASIZING CONCEPTUAL THEOLOGY.
BILLIONS UPON BILLIONS OF WORDS
HAVE BEEN WRITTEN IN OUR ATTEMPT
TO CAPTURE GOD IN CONCEPTS.
WE HAVE LITERALLY FOUGHT WARS OVER WORDS.
THE NET RESULT OF OUR EMPHASIS ON CONCEPTS
HAS BEEN TO CREATE A GOD WHO COMES ACROSS
AS DISTANT AND ABSTRACT,
A GOD WHO WILL NOT ALLOW ACCESS
UNLESS WE APPROACH WITH EXACTLY THE RIGHT WORDS.
OUR EMPHASIS ON CONCEPTS IS HIGHLY IRONIC,
NOT TO MENTION DEEPLY TRAGIC,
GIVEN THE FACT THAT JESUS, OUR FOUNDER,
WAS NOT A CONCEPTUAL, BUT A METAPHORICAL THEOLOGICAN.
THAT IS, JESUS’ PRIMARY METHOD OF CREATING MEANING
WAS THROUGH METAPHOR, SIMILE, PARABLE,
AND DRAMATIC ACTION
RATHER THAN THROUGH LOGIC AND REASONING.
JESUS CREATED MEANING LIKE AN ARTIST, A DRAMATIST,
AND A POET RATHER THAN LIKE A PHILOSOPHER.
AN EXTENDED METAPHOR LIKE A PARABLE
COMMUNICATES IN WAYS THAT RATIONAL ARGUMENTS CANNOT.
A POWERFUL IMAGE COMMUNICATES MORE MEANING
THAN A THOUSAND WORDS CAN EXPRESS.
WHEN USED IN THEOLOGY TO CREATE MEANING,
A PARABLE CHALLENGES THE LISTENER IN WAYS
THAT ABSTRACT STATEMENTS OF TRUTH CANNOT APPROACH.
A METAPHOR DOES MORE THAN EXPLAIN MEANING,
IT CREATES MEANING.
A PARABLE IS AN EXTENDED METAPHOR.
AS SUCH IT IS NOT A DELIVERY SYSTEM FOR AN IDEA,
BUT A HOUSE IN WHICH THE LISTENER OR READER
IS INVITED TO TAKE UP RESIDENCE.
JESUS INVITES US TO MOVE INTO EACH OF HIS PARABLES
AS A DWELLING PLACE,
AND TO SEE THE WORLD THROUGH THE WINDOWS
OF THAT PARTICULAR DWELLING.
SO OUR CHALLENGE FOR TODAY IS TO ALLOW OURSELVES
TO ACTUALLY MOVE INTO THE PARABLE
AND LOOK AT OURSELVES AND OUR WORLD
THROUGH ITS WINDOWS.
SPECIFICALLY WITH REGARD TO TODAY’S PARABLE,
KNOWN AS “THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER,”
OR “THE PARABLE OF THE DIFFERENT SOILS,”
I WANT TO ASK YOU TO FORGET
THE EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE
WHICH MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE
EACH ATTRIBUTE TO JESUS.
SHORTLY AFTER THE ORIGINAL PARABLE FROM JESUS
THAT YOU JUST HEARD, MATTHEW PUTS HIS OWN EXPLANATION
OF THIS PARABLE INTO THE MOUTH OF JESUS:
“WHEN ANYONE HEARS THER WORD OF THE KINGDOM
AND DOES NOT UNDERSTAND IT,
THE EVIL ONE COMES AND SNATCHES AWAY
WHAT IS SOWN IN THE HEART;
THIS IS WHAT WAS SOWN ON THE PATH.
AS FOR WHAT WAS SOWN ON ROCKY GROUND,
THIS IS THE ONE WHO HEARS THE WORD
AND IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES IT WITH JOY;
YET SUCH A PERSON HAS NO ROOT,
BUT ENDURES ONLY FOR A WHILE,
AND WHEN TROUBLE OR PERSECUTION ARISES
ON ACCOUNT OF THE WORD,
THAT PERSON IMMEDIATELY FALLS AWAY.
AS FOR WHAT WAS SOWN AMONG THORNS,
THIS IS THE ONE WHO HEARS THE WORD,
BUT THE CARES OF THE WORLD AND THE LURE OF WEALTH
CHOKE THE WORD, AND IT YIELDS NOTHING.
BUT AS FOR WHAT WAS SOWN ON GOOD SOIL,
THIS IS THE ONE WHO HEARS THE WORD AND UNDERSTANDS IT,
WHO INDEED BEARS FRUIT AND YIELDS,
IN ONE CASE A HUNDREDFOLD, IN ANOTHER SIXTY,
AND IN ANOTHER THIRTY.”
(Matthew 13:19-23)
WE KNOW FROM DIFFERENCES IN VOCABULARY, SYNTAX,
AND CULTURAL SETTING BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL PARABLE
FROM JESUS, AND MATTHEW’S EXPLANATION OF THIS PARABLE,
THAT THIS EXPLANATION, AND SIMILAR ONES IN MARK AND LUKE,
DID NOT COME FROM JESUS, BUT FROM MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE,
WHO WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A SINGLE MEANING
FOR EACH PART OF THE PARABLE AND TO NAIL IT DOWN
FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE AUDIENCES.
FOR JESUS HIMSELF, PARABLES WERE NOT SUPPOSED
TO BE FIGURED OUT, BUT TO BE LIVED INTO.
OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, FOR JESUS
PARABLES WERE NOT INTENDED TO ELICIT CONCEPTUAL TRUTH,
BUT TO EVOKE RELATIONAL REALITY.
SO, THE QUESTION FOR EACH OF US THIS MORNING IS:
WHAT IS IT LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY TO MOVE INTO
THE TEXT, TO DWELL INSIDE THIS TEXT
AND TO SEE OURSELVES AND OUR WORLD
THROUGH ITS WINDOWS?
NOW LET US MOVE INTO THE PARABLE OURSELVES
AND SEE WHAT WE COME UP WITH.
A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN IS WITH THE MANY STATEMENTS
FROM JESUS HIMSELF THAT HIS PARABLES ARE NOT ONLY
ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
BUT ARE INTENDED TO PROVOKE A DEEPER EXPERIENCE,
A DEEPER SENSE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD
IN THE LISTENER OR READER.
SO WHAT DO WE NOTICE WHEN WE MOVE INSIDE TODAY’S PARABLE?
THE FIRST THING I NOTICE IS THE WORD “PATH,”
AND HOW THE WELL-BEATED NATURE OF THAT PATH
MAKES IT POSSIBLE FOR THE BIRDS TO USE IT AS A DINNER-PLATE.
THIS EVOKES IN ME MEMORIES OF TIMES IN MY OWN LIFE
WHEN I HAVE THOUGHTLESSLY LIVED ACCORDING TO
“THE WAYS OF THE WORLD,” WAYS LIKE UNTHINKING CONSUMERISM,
WAYS LIKE WHITE, MALE PRIVILEGE,
AND THE SEED OF GOD’S KINGDOM HAS NOT EVEN BEEN GIVEN
A CHANCE TO GROW.
THE NEXT PHRASE I NOTICE IS “HAD NO DEPTH,”
WHICH MAKES ME THINK OF
THOSE TIMES AND PLACES AND RELATIONSHIPS IN MY LIFE
THAT HAD NO DEPTH, THE MANY PASSIONATE, BUT SHORT-LIVED`
ENTHUSIASMS IN MY LIFE, GOD’S KINGDOM AT TIMES AMONG THEM,
THAT SEEMED SO IMPORTANT AT THE TIME, BUT THAT SOON FADED.
AND NOW THE WORD “THORNS” COMES INTO PLAY,
AND REMINDS ME OF CERTAIN BAD HABITS
AND AREAS OF DOWNRIGHT STUBBORNESS IN MY LIFE
THAT CHOKE OUT ANY POSSIBILITY
OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD FLOURISHING IN ME.
BUT NOW THE DOUBLE-MEANING OF THE WORD “YIELDING”
CATCHES MY ATTENTION – “YIELDING MEANING BOTH
“TO PRODUCE” AND “TO LET GO,”
AND I GET HIT WITH THE SUDDEN REALIZATION
THAT IT’S PRECISELY WHEN I LET GO AND LET GOD
THAT GOD’S KINGDOM SNEAKS INTO MY LIFE
AND REAL GROWTH HAPPENS.
SO WHAT KIND OF SOIL AM I?
WHAT KIND OF SOIL ARE YOU?
WE ARE – ALL OF US – DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL
AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN OUR LIVES.
AND IF YOU’RE ANYTHING LIKE ME,
AT TIMES WE’RE ALL FOUR TYPES OF SOIL ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
WHAT’S THE CHALLENGE IN ALL OF THIS FOR US?
TO REMEMBER THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE CONTEXT
OF THIS PARABLE – THE LAND OF ISRAEL –
THE SOWER GOES OUT TO SOW SEVERAL TIMES EACH YEAR.
MULTIPLE CROPS, MULTIPLE HARVESTS ARE POSSIBLE,
ALL BECAUSE OF THE SOWER’S PERSEVERANCE.
SO IF I MESS UP OCCASIONALLY AND DON’T PRODUCE,
IF YOU MESS UP OCCASIONALLY AND DON’T PRODUCE –
NOT TO WORRY.
THE SOWER ISN’T GOING TO GIVE UP ON YOU OR ON ME.
THE SOWER IS GOING TO KEEP ON SOWING
UNTIL EACH OF US FINALLY YIELDS – LETS GO AND LETS GOD –
AND ALLOWS GOD TO DO GOD’S KINGDOM WORK
WITHIN US AND AMONG US.
I’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU NOW A CONTEMPORARY PARABLE
AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE MOVING INSIDE A STORY
AND ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
TO ENCOURAGE PERSONAL GROWTH.
ONCE UPON A TIME THERE WAS A RAVEN,
JUST AN ORDINARY BLACK BIRD.
THE RAVEN USED TO LOVE TO FLY OFF EARLY IN THE MORNING
AND FIND A PERCH AND STAY FOR THE DAY
AND WATCH THE WORLD HAPPEN.
THEN AT NIGHT THE RAVEN WOULD HEAD BACK TO THE ROOKERY
AND SHARE ALL THE TALES OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED THAT DAY.
WELL, ONE DAY THE RAVEN FOUND A PERCH IN A HIGH OLD TREE
AND SETTLED DOWN FOR THE DAY.
THE RAVEN DIDN’T HAVE LONG TO WAIT.
SOON, A HUNTER APPROACHED
AND STOPPED RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE TREE.
HE SCATTERED SEED LIBERALLY AND THICKLY UNDER THE TREE.
HE HUNG A HUGE NET, HIDDEN IN THE BRANCHES OF THE TREE,
WHICH HE COULD EASILY LET LOOSE
AND CAPTURE ANYTHING BENEATH.
THE HUNTER STEPPED BACK TO LOOK AT HIS HANDIWORK.
HE WAS PLEASED AND STEPPED BACK FURTHER INTO THE FOREST
TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HE WOULD CATCH.
THE RAVEN HAD WATCHED FASCINATED AND WAITED TOO,
ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN.
THE WAIT WAS NOT LONG.
SOON, HIGH ABOVE, A FLOCK OF PIGEONS FLEW OVER.
THEY STOPPED ALMOST IN MID-AIR, SEEING ALL THE SEED AND GRAIN
SCATTERED DOWN BELOW UNDER THE TREE
AND, OF COURSE, NOT SEEING THE GREAT NET HANGING
AND WAITING AS WELL.
THE PIGEONS CIRCLED, GETTING READY TO SWOOP DOWN.
AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE, THE RAVEN CRIED OUT LOUDLY,
“CAW, CAW! DON’T, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, IT’S A TRAP.”
THERE WAS A GREAT SQUAWKING AND FLURRY OF WINGS
AS THE PIGEONS REGROUPED.
FINALLY, THE LEADER CALLED BACK, “OH, IT’S A TRAP ALL RIGHT,
BUT YOU’RE THE ONE WHO THINKS TO SET IT.
YOU WANT ALL THAT SEED FOR YOURSELF.
WELL, WE AREN’T THAT EASILY TAKEN IN.”
AND WITH THAT THE PIGEONS SWOOPED DOWN,
LANDED UNDER THE TREE, RIGHT UNDER THE RAVEN,
AND BEGAN TO EAT.
SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING, THE HUNTER LET LOOSE THE NET.
IT FELL AND CAUGHT THEM ALL.
THERE WAS A TERRIBLE SQUAWKING AND LOUD FLAPPING OF WINGS,
BUT NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY TRIED,
THEY COULDN’T MOVE THE HEAVY NET.
FINALLY, THE PIGEON LEADER CRIED OUT TO THE RAVEN,
“WE’RE SORRY. YOU WERE RIGHT. CAN YOU HELP US GET FREE?”
THE RAVEN COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW STUPID THE PIGEONS WERE,
BUT HAD COMPASSION ON THEM AND SAID,
“YES, BUT YOU MUST DO EXACTLY AS I SAY.
FIRST, SHUT UP.”
NOW THIS WAS VERY HARD FOR THE PIGEONS, BECAUSE, AFTER ALL,
PIGEONS ARE PIGEONS, AND THEY COULD HEAR
THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE HUNTER RAPIDLY APPROACHING.
“SECOND, DO EXACTLY WHAT I TELL YOU,” SAID THE RAVEN.
“AT THE COUNT OF THREE, ALL OF YOU RISE TOGETHER.
THEN, WHEN YOU LEFT THE NET, FOLLOW ME.
I WILL TAKE YOU TO A FIELD NEAR HERE WHERE I HAVE SOME FRIENDS,
THE MICE, AND THEY WILL CHEW THE NET AND YOU WILL BE FREE.”
THE PIGEONS FINALLY SETTLED DOWN, AND JUST IN TIME, TOO.
THE RAVEN CRIED OUT, “ONE, TWO, THREE, RISE!”
AND ALL THE PIGEONS ROSE AS ONE.
THE LAST THING THE HUNTER SAW
WAS A FLOCK OF PIGEONS CARRYING HIS NET,
FOLLOWING A RAVEN AWAY ACROSS THE TREE TOPS.
THEY FOLLOWED THE RAVEN AND DROPPED DOWN IN THE FIELD.
THE MICE APPEARED AND CHEWED THE NET,
SETTING THE PIGEONS FREE.
AGAIN, THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE AND FLAPPING OF WINGS.
FINALLY THINGS SETTLED DOWN,
AND THE LEADER APPROACHED THE RAVEN AGAIN.
“HOW CAN WE THANK YOU FOR SAVING OUR LIVES?”
THE RAVEN SAID, “YOU CAN’T.
BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS YOU CAN LEARN
FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.
LISTEN VERY CAREFULLY.
FIRST, WHEN YOU GET YOURSELF INTO SOMETHING STUPID,
EVERYBODY SHUT UP.
NUMBER TWO: DECIDE WHO IT IS YOU’RE GOING TO OBEY.
THREE: ALL OF YOU RISE TOGETHER AND BEAR YOUR BURDEN AS ONE.
AND FOUR: MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE MICE IN FARAWAY FIELDS.”
I LIKE TO THINK OF THIS PARABLE AS A CONTEMPORARY PARABLE
OF “CHRIST AS RAVEN.”
LIKE JESUS’ OWN PARABLE OF THE SOWER,
IT IS A FUN PARABLE TO PLAY WITH.
AND INCIDENTIALLY, THE UNKNOWN AUTHOR OF THIS PARABLE
SLIPS INTO THE SAME ATTITUDE AS MATTHEW, MARK, AND LUKE,
BY SUPPLYING HIS OR HER OWN LEARNINGS,
INSTEAD OF LETTING THE READERS
IMAGINATIVELY EVOKE THEIR OWN LEARNINGS.
SOME OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS THAT IMMEDIATELY COME TO MIND
CONCERNING THIS PARABLE ARE:
AM I MORE LIKE THE RAVEN OR THE PIGEONS?
IF I AM EACH OF THESE AT DIFFERENT TIMES --
LIKE I AM THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL AT DIFFEENT TIMES –
WHAT ABOUT THOSE TIMES PUSHES ME
TO BE MORE LIKE A PIGEON OR A RAVEN?
IS COMMUNITY CHURCH MORE LIKE THE RAVEN OR THE PIGEONS?
IF COMMUNITY CHURCH IS LIKE EACH OF THESE AT DIFFERENT TIMES,
WHAT ABOUT THOSE TIMES PUSHES OUR CHURCH TO BE
MORE LIKE A PIGEON THAN A RAVEN?
WHO ARE THE TWO CRUCIAL
OVERLOOKED CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY?
ANSWER: THE HUNTER AND THE MICE.
ANOTHER QUESTION: IS THE “NET,” IN EFFECT,
AN ADDITIONAL CHARACTER IN THIS PARABLE?
YET MORE QUESTIONS:
WHEN AM I MOST LIKE THE HUNTER, THE NET, AND THE MICE?
HOW CAN I, HOW CAN COMMUNITY CHURCH,
BECOME MORE LIKE THE RAVEN AND THE MICE
AND LESS LIKE THE HUNTER AND THE NET?
YOU GET THE IDEA.
PARABLES ARE INTENDED TO SPARK IN THE HEARER
A CASCADE OF QUESTIONS.
AND IT IS THIS VERY PROCESS OF QUESTIONING
WHICH EVENTUALLY LEADS ONE TO NEW INSIGHTS AND NEW TRUTH.
NEXT WEEKI WE’LL BE LOOKING AT TWO SHORT PARABLES
THAT JESUS USES TO DESCRIBE THE KINGDOM OF GOD,
“THE PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED”
AND “THE PARABLE OF THE YEAST.”
YOU CAN FIND THEM IN LUKE CHAPTER THIRTEEN,
VERSES EIGHTEEN THROUGH TWENTY-ONE.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE SOME FUN THIS WEEK
BY PLAYING WITH THESE PARABLES IN A WAY SIMILAR
TO THE WAY WE’VE PLAYED WITH “THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER”
AND “THE PARABLE OF CHRIST AS RAVEN” TODAY.
YOU’LL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AT WHAT YOU COME UP WITH!
AMEN.