- Psalmody: Psalm 44:23-24a, 25b-26a, 44:1a; Psalm 83:18, 13; Psalm 60:2, 4b, 5a; Psalm 17:5, 6b–7a; Psalm 43:4a
- Lection: Isaiah 55:10–13; 2 Corinthians 11:19—12:9; Luke 8:4–15
In the Name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
How we worship God reveals what we believe about Him and His Holy Word. It reveals what we believe about His seed that He faithfully and graciously scatters among us. If we gather around Him and His holy things with performance-focused gesture indecipherable from rock concerts, then we are revealing that we worship entertainment more than God; that in order to grab our attention and keep it, something, even God, must entertain us. Flipping TV channels and scrolling social media has only further turned us in on ourselves in this way and gotten our culture deeply addicted to eye and ear sugar. If we cast aside the historic liturgy for the sake of wanting to feel casual, less formal, or to ease the atmosphere a bit so that sinners are accommodated in our wants, then we confess that encountering the Almighty is no big deal; that His majesty is not majestic enough to stir within us a desire to come in our best before Him Who is the Most High that graciously welcomes sinners. If we treat His Word as something less than it is, then we are in danger of the life within the seed being trampled underfoot, snatched away, dried up, or choked away, even if we maintain the liturgy and great hymnody. In the parable of the Sower, the Chief Sower Himself gives both warning and promise to all who hear the Word of God so that we turn from whatever may rob us of life and yield a hundredfold a godly crop within.
Give thanks to the Lord that to you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, for Jesus’ parables are given that you may hear and believe. Faith comes by hearing the word of Jesus, Who said, “The seed is the word of God.” If, then, you are asked, “what is the word of God?”, you would not be wrong in answering The Bible. But what would we say that the Bible is? Don’t answer the word of God, because that’ll get us stuck in an infinite loop. Let us rather define what it means. We know that the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is so, because the word of God is what He has chosen to say in human language that communicates and makes known to us His mind, His will, His heart, His desires, His love, His majesty, His very holiness, and His salvation. He has given words that reveal Him in glorious splendor, might, and detail, because without His revealed word, we could only conclude limited things about Him that are clear to us in creation; a creation that does not reveal a merciful and gracious Savior Who Himself was incarnate that He might save us from our sins and redeem the whole creation that eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God on the Last Day .
So, His words not only deliver information, but they accomplish that for which He sends them out. Not one of them return to Him void. God said, Let there be light: and there was light. [F]aith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. When and where the mind, will, and heart of the Creator is proclaimed, it is being done so at His desire for the good of the soil that receives the seed wherever it may land.
This seed comes to you regularly, which is also according to His good and gracious will. God speaks to you by His word in the Holy Scriptures, given that you might spend time in them listening to what God has to say. This is done in the Divine Service and in your in-home devotions where even the walls of your house are blessed by God’s Word resounding upon them. God speaks to you through His holy ministers when they carry out the holy office of the public reading and preaching of His Word. In this very moment, you are participating in a divine decree and blessing of your Savior Who has sent us ordained men to speak to you on His behalf. God also speaks to you in His Holy Sacraments, which you know to be from Him and of Him by His instituting Word. Baptism is not just plain water, but it is a Holy Baptism because God’s word of promise is in and with the water. Holy Communion is the true Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, given for us Christians to eat and to drink, because by His Word, “This is My Body…This is My Blood…This do in remembrance of Me,” He instituted it to be so. Beloved, this is the heavenly inheritance so enthusiastically scattered among you in this life, especially in the Lord’s Divine Service. Hence, the befitting warnings against not receiving with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
Some fell by the wayside. Picture a way of life with few or even no cars, and thus very few roads. Such places still exist and likely resemble what the terrain looked like in Jesus’ day. Expansive areas of open land beheld no matter which direction the head is turned; grand areas used heavily for growing food. What can easily be seen in between growing seasons are all the footpaths leading away to neighboring villages. Other paths cutting across fields in another direction to a cluster of houses just beyond a ridge. And others crossing a field leading down to a nearby water source. All the paths well-trodden, packed firm, and hardened by the repetitive trample of feet to and fro going about daily tasks. When the word of God is sown upon such a hardened heart of a place that is more concerned with just getting through the task, getting through service, getting through the prayers, through the readings, through the preaching where the almighty word is actively being cast, then the seed falls upon an unwelcoming place, and the devil comes and takes away the word out of the heart, lest you believe. Satan’s great tactic comes in words, too. Did God really say? was the question that brought about the downfall of humanity and is still the means by which he quickly contradicts all that God says. But we are not likely to be tempted to come sit in church and listen to the tempter’s words did God really say. Our weakness lies in entertaining the thought didn’t God really say this or that for so and so or for somebody else? Dear Christian, every reading is for you. Every sermon is for you, no matter who you are. You cannot be as those who pass quickly and mindlessly through where the word is being cast while letting it go in one ear and out the other only to the others. Do not dash unaware through this holy place, hardening by pace and stride your own heart, for upon it the word will then only sit and be snatched away.
Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. If you’ve ever gardened, or had a bird feeder, you’re likely to have been amazed at how much life is aching to burst forth from a singular little seed, even those precious little lettuce seeds. You’ve seen and wondered at times how intended seedbeds don’t always germinate so well, but somehow, some way, in some little chance nook or cranny, a stray seed has fallen, found a crumb of soil, and, behold, a seedling greets you with a smile. The rock of which Christ speaks of a seed falling is like that little seedling in that little nook joyously shooting up in a moment’s delight, but only to wither away when true, deep nourishment is needed as the heat of the day bears down. Trials test our roots to see if we’re tapped into living waters. Faith and life from the Good Sower’s seed is meant to endure. Thus, beware in keeping the seed of the word shallow, for in time of deep need, the lack of deep roots within can lead to deep downfall.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. Thorns can be anything of this life that we value more than God and His Word. He doesn’t beckon us to pledge undiscerning fealty to the Jesus brand just because others are or that it’s what we heard is good for us to do. The Sower desires that the rich, unrivaled treasure of the seed be grasped in the heart, for in the seed of the word is the Good News of the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake. That truth, in the word, in the seed, is the most priceless treasure ever to cast before sinners. What chokes that valuation are cares, riches, and pleasures of life; things that our thistle-ridden hearts love to grasp firmly and value highly, even though they pierce us through and bleed life out of all who cling to them more than to the sure word of Christ.
But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold. This is the sure promise about those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. What causes us to be good ground, to hear the word with a noble and good heart? This promise comes with what most of God’s promises do in this life: an answer our flesh doesn’t like to hear. Picture what it takes for a farmer to prepare soil well. If it has been hard-packed down, it requires much work to be done to it, much tilling, much plowing and turning the soil over, breaking apart the paths of habit, establishing better ones; all things done at the will and good intention of the farmer. From the ground’s perspective, this might be considered quite traumatic, disturbing, and, indeed, suffering. The same goes for taking rocky soil, digging down deep with spade and firm hand to remove what is preventing the seed from having what it needs to root deeply. And the thorns; preventive measures by wisdom of the word are taken against their intrusion long before they show up, along with decisive action where they begin to sprout. Love for the choking cares, riches, and pleasures of life are most easily rooted out when they’re first noticed and not welcomed at all. The temptations of this world are best dealt with as soon as they’re perceived, just like thorny weeds, for once they’re allowed to grow and intertwine with the good plant, it is hard to tear one up without harming the other.
If the Lord must plow upon us with fatherly chastisement in order to break up pride, tear out self-centeredness, and sift away love of the world, then let us rejoice that it is by His hand that we receive such meaningful and loving suffering. And if in our infirmities the power of Christ rests upon us, then let us most gladly boast in them knowing that His grace is sufficient for us, for His strength is made perfect in our weakness.
Thus, it is regularly by suffering that the Lord prepares us so that at the reception of His blessed word, it strikes rich soil and the life lying dormant within the seed springs forth to bountiful fruit in our lives; fruit that does not boast at its success, but just as a healthy crop causes limb to bend in its bounty in the sight of heaven, so healthy spiritual fruit within us thrives to bring about godly humility and thanksgiving that it is God Who plows, God Who plants, God Who waters, God Who shines from above. The parable of the Sower is another great case of warning against our flesh and the dangers of rejecting His mighty word, while being one also of great promise that it is the will of God to bring suffering upon us that we may hear the word with a noble and good heart, keep it, and bear fruit with patience. May the grace of Christ ever bestow upon us this growth.
In ✠ Jesus’ Name. Amen.
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