Every once in awhile, I’ll come across something in a book or sermon that just stuns me of how the ideas came together to convey deep insights with minimal words. At our church recently, we celebrated what is called “Lessons and Carols”, which is a service during the penitent season of Advent to reflect on the coming incarnation of our Lord. God entered a dark world in a unique way as the person of Jesus Christ, fully God, fully Human. Humanity is given new hope of a restored creation where God sets all things right, again.
This worship service communicates the biblical narrative primarily through scripture and songs with a few, brief meditations on the scripture throughout. They were all good and insightful presentations, but this one by Nikki Smith on our church staff struck me as rich theology captured in just a few hundred words. I asked for permission to share this on my blog for others to ponder as well. Just before Nikki gave this meditation, Genesis 3:1-15 was read.
I’m always intrigued by the idea of the Before Times: specifically the time before sin came into the world. What draws me into the creation story isn’t the explanation for why the world is the way it is, but the glimpse we get of something truly extraordinary before sin.
Our readings open just as the Trinity reaches into the dust and fashions a creature unlike any of the others he’s made so far. This creature, this human, He makes in His own image and gives His own breath – His very life. He then creates a woman from the same substance as man and places these images of Himself in the garden with a mandate to continue the work He began. We see Adam flourishing under this mandate, naming the creatures he meets and tending the garden; Eve joins with him and together, in fellowship with the Lord, they begin to establish the first culture.
That all this comes before sin enters the world is important because it shows us that human contributions to creation were good and culture was meant to grow and develop with human creativity leading the way. God’s creation, and therefore human creativity, before and apart from sin was entirely good. Humans were gifted with God’s image, His breath, fellowship with Him, and His blessing on their endeavors.
But then Adam and Eve throw it all away. They choose to take their destiny in their own hands, and in doing so, their ability to create thoroughly good things is lost. Their ability to work side-by-side with the Creator is taken away. The image of the Almighty in them is tarnished. Death came immediately. Not physical death, but the death of definitive human good, the death of Adam’s, Eve’s and – by extension – our relationship with God.
Our mutiny against the Creator’s order is the root cause of all the wrong we see and experience. We decided that God’s instruction wasn’t actually good at all. And in doing so we broke something precious and now all of creation groans. But even in our separation from God, He gives us a glimpse of something good to come: the serpent’s head will be crushed.
Do we first engage online social media platforms that are designed to draw us into concern, worry, paranoia, anger, even obsessive hateful thoughts?
Or do we look outside at the remarkable world God has created, thanking Him for another day of life, and turn our hearts towards expectancy and even a joy “that passes understanding”?
I fully realize that severe depression steals this choice from many; some very close to me. The choice here is often about seeking and getting the help necessary to survive day-to-day. Still there is a decision made and a truly heroic one as well: “I will embrace my life as it is this day and refuse to withdraw from those who love me.”
Life is not about choosing to be a “good” person or a “bad” person, we all are both. How we start our day can make a significant difference to how our day unfolds. Perspective is so often about attitude and decision. Choose today whom you will serve: worry or hope?
Hope is better. Attitudes matters. Think on those things that are excellent. And start early in the day.
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.”
Matthew 13:1
Now whenever a passage of scripture begins with “therefore” or “after this” or in this case “that same day” then we are compelled to look back at what came before. It’s like walking into a conversation between your spouse and one of your kids, where the first thing you hear is “Well, in light of that new information, I guess we’ll just have to bail you out!” What? What happened. What went before scriptures like this often shed light on the context and emotion of the words.
So, glance back at Matthew, Chapter 12, and you’ll the day got off to a rough start. It began with Jesus and the disciples walking through a grainfield on the Sabbath and his disciples plucked some grain to eat. Jesus got blasted by the Pharisees. Then they all went synagogue and Jesus healed a man with a withered hand. Once again, he was verbally attacked by the religious leaders and they even conspired on how to destroy him.
Wow! The day doesn’t seem to get much better from there: he heals a demon possessed man and is accused by this same group of critics that he was in league with the devil, which started an intense series of Jesus teaching about evil and unclean spirits, and the consequences of sin. Towards the end of this conflict, his family arrives outside while he was speaking intensely to these detractors. Jesus seems frustrated by it all and states, “My mother and my brothers and sisters?” Stretching his hand towards his followers he said, “Whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Now, the scripture does not tell us, but I suspect Jesus did go out and spend some time with his family before he went down to sit beside the Sea of Galilee. I suspect this resulted in a calming effect from the earlier frustrations in his day. Jesus was not rejecting his family by his statement, he was making a point: a relationship with God is not about lineage or inheritance or being born into the right family, it is about transformational faith in response to God’s amazing grace.
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Praying. Pondering. Processing all that happened so far that day. Probably glad to get some peace and quiet.
However…
v2 Great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach.
Jesus cannot seem to get a break! I’m an introvert so I am obviously projecting into this narrative, but this has been an overwhelming morning, and now the crowd gathers again?
The crowd came, but this time, he has what seems to be a receptive audience, people hungry for truth and crowding together, listening to the One who has the words of life. I suspect he was energized by their openness and as always, responsive to their need.
“And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Matthew 13:3-8
Later, when they asked Jesus why he speaks in parables and he answers, v13 “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.”
Jesus is likely referring here to the hearts of these religious leaders whose lives had become filled with anger, pride, and judgmentalism. They think they see, because they are learned and respected men; they think they hear, because they have sat at the feet of famous preachers and are they themselves are teachers of others, they think they understand the Law and Prophets, but miss God’s redemptive narrative throughout the entirity of Holy Scripture.
What is missing in their lives is a “good soil” attitude where the word of God can be planted, nurtured, and able to produce an abundant harvest. But the crowd is curious and open to learn. All of Jesus’ parables in Matthew 13 are about the Kingdom of Heaven.
Jesus explains the four responses described in the parable:
[Jesus] v19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
What Jesus describes here is the hardenedheart of the Disinterested.
[Jesus] v20-21 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Here we see the unreliablemind of the Disillusioned.
[Jesus] v22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
I see this as the confusedemotions of the Distracted.
Disinterested, Disillusioned, Distracted… hardened path, rocky soil, thorns that choke…
Before we let ourselves begin to think of various friends and family, let me challenge you, as I challenge myself, to ask the hard questions: Where am I falling short? Does this parable resonate with various parts of my own faith journey?
In my life, am I sometimes disinterested in a word from the Lord? Where has God’s message of grace and truth been scattered on the hard paths of my heart? Do I care about the things that God cares about? Is there rocky ground in my mind that confuses and weakens my commitment? Am I more interested in being liked than I am in being honest about my perspectives? Am I distracted by the world; confused by messages in our society regarding what’s right and wrong? Am I maintaining a clear understanding of grace and truth? Am I falling into unnecessary legalism and judgmentalism while holding on to biblical truths?
So, what are the responsive actions of the Devoted?
[Jesus] v23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
This is not a calling to “good works” in order to earn favor with God. Quite the opposite! In this parable, the faithful one who hears the message, understands what it means, and simply lives this way, bears fruit. This person’s role is simply to prepare “good soil” for God to do the work of bearing fruit and yields. Here we observe the responsive actions of the Devoted.
Our Old Testament reading in Isaiah gives us insights into God’s initiative and our response, using this imagery: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:10-11
It is God who does the work, we simply respond by preparing the soil.
[Jesus] v23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.
Today’s epistle reading in Romans says v15-16 “You have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.”
Kathy and I have six adopted children who between them, have given us twelve delightful grandchildren (the reward for having survived parenting). We adopted them all as older children and raised five of the six. The last one was an informal adoption when he was already an adult, but he is fully part of the family.
We like to say we have really great kids who were born into very difficult situations. They are fully and 100% our children, just as if Kathy had given birth to them. They are our children. Their children are our grandchildren. We love them all deeply. By the way, no NFL linemen in the bunch.
Each one has emotional struggles to overcome from early childhood experiences of abuse, neglect, or institutional life. During the most difficult times, by the power of Christ in us we told them and hopefully showed them that we can “love you longer than you can stay angry, deeper than you can hurt, and farther than you can run.” This is just what loving parents do.
We can “love you longer than you can stay angry, deeper than you can hurt, and farther than you can run.” This is just what parents do. We are ordinary people who serve the most extraordinary God.
It only makes sense because our Heavenly Father has loved us, and accepted us while we were still sinners, and has adopted us into his family as full heirs of his promise. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”
You remember the Disinterested, Disillusioned, Distracted? They too need to know about the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
There seem to be more of them every day. Maybe through lots of prayer, simple acts of kindness, and honesty about what we have seen, learned, or personally experienced, and prepare “good soil” in our lives, I believe we’ll even begin to see changes in the lives of those around us.
The hardened heart of the Disinterested might become the inspired heart of a seeker. The unreliable mind of the Disillusioned could become the committed mind of a new believer. The confused emotions of the Distracted may become the dependable feelings of someone wanting to be mentored.
Everything the world needs, we have to offer: community, friendship, forgiveness, purpose, hope, encouragement, instruction, understanding, a place to serve, eternal life. This is all only possible through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Stranger things have happened. I too was once lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see. It was because of the responsive actions of the Devoted… people like you, who showed up in my life, inviting me to learn more about the God who offers for us to know him as “Abba, Father.”
He is the Lord of the harvest. We are just workers in the field preparing the soil.
In the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grateful for the many insights of my friend and colleague, Rev. Dan Thompson. He reminds us that as followers of Jesus, we are called to be respectful of all including those with whom we disagree.
“And the fruit of righteousness I shown in peace by those who make peace.” (James 3:18)
What I reflect on in our current day is how we love controversy, discord, disruption, chaos, pride, and so much more. We don’t mind creating chaos. We have come to a place as conservative American Christians where we like our power and we will “fight” to keep it, thank you very much.
We are a severely broken society and culture. It doesn’t show up in our GDP or stock market portfolios. We use money as a “leading indicator” in white America. We don’t take into account how we treat people. Ever.
Perspectives from R. E. Ayres 