Proper 10 A: Isaiah 55:10-13, Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 “Out of Left Field”
My sermon partner for this message on an important teaching of Jesus is Rev. Dick Donovan. I was pleased to discover, in my sermon research, that he used a lot of baseball metaphors in his musings, and as a new convert to the sport of baseball, I felt they held some merit. Please be sure to stay tuned to the information pipeline here at Wild Rose Church for an opportunity to attend a Colorado Rockies game as a group. It should be happening in August!
Let’s begin by placing this scripture passage in the context of what has come before. “Jesus has just gone through a series of controversies. The disciples got into trouble with religious authorities for plucking grain on the Sabbath. Jesus got into trouble for healing on the Sabbath. When Jesus healed (a person with a demon), the religious authorities accused him of healing by the power of the devil. Then Matthew tells us that that same day, Jesus sat beside the sea. The very day he had experienced so much trouble. He sat down, and great crowds gathered around him—so many that Jesus got into a boat and (went out) a few feet to give himself space. Then he began to teach them. He told them…the Parable of the Sower.” (Donovan)
As we have discussed in prior messages, parables were told on several levels. For some, they were just interesting stories. For others, their interest was picqued in what Jesus and his message were about. For the disciples, those with inside knowledge and a good foot on the path of the Kingdom, they carried deeper messages. In this case, the message had to do with not becoming discouraged.
Certainly the Colorado Rockies have had plenty of experience this year in trying not to become discouraged. After winning the National League last year, they languish at well below .500 in their win/loss record. Steve and I have discussed this many times and the Denver Post did an article last month about this phenomenon, so well known in baseball. As Steve puts it, even a player who is batting .350 is basically NOT hitting the ball two thirds of the time. How many times we fans have watched a player who hit a home run in the last game, become an easy out for the pitcher in this game. Sports writers agree that many young men have the athletic ability to pursue baseball professionally, but not everyone is put together to mentally withstand the pressure of the failures that are part and parcel of the game.
Jesus is talking about just such failures in today’s message. The sower, whom I believe represents those of us who speak and live of Jesus’ message, casts a lot of seed, in an abundant fashion. Some of it falls on a pathway, where the ground is packed hard by those who travel upon it. The seed couldn’t sink into that soil, so it lay on the surface where hungry birds grabbed it up in no time. Not much encouragement for the sower so far!
Then some of the seed fell on rocky ground. The seed sank into the soil and sprouted, but then its roots hit the rock and could go no further. This is a common problem for gardeners here in the Rocky Mountains. The struggling plant could not withstand the weather extremes, and withered in the heat of the hot sun. Not much encouragement there either!
Then some seed fell among the thorns. The seed tried to grow, but the thorns choked it out. Not much encouragement here…
BUT THEN! Listen to this! BUT THEN some of the seed fell on good soil—and it sprouted—and it put down roots—and it grew tall—and it produced an abundant harvest—thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold. Wow. So it was worthwhile after all. All the at-bats that produced no hits, all the seeds that did not flourish. Some effort seems wasted, but sometimes, out of left field (the place we least expect it), something happens.
Donovan shares the story of a very famous Christian leader and writer named Tony Compolo. I have read some of his books and find them very meaningful. It seems that as a nine-year-old, Tony Compolo joined a Baptist church and was baptized. Two other boys his age were baptized with him that day. “It was a small church—struggling. Not very long after Campolo was baptized, the church closed its doors and sold its building. I can imagine how discouraged the pastor much have been.” States Donovan, “It’s difficult to handle the workload of a large congregation, but it’s even more difficult to keep the faith when serving a small, struggling congregation.”
“Many years after his baptism, Campolo was doing some research in his denominational archives, and looked up the records of that little church. Leafing through those records, he came to the year he was baptized.” He found his name along with those of the other two boys, Dick White and Bert Newman. White had become a missionary and Newman a professor of theology at an African seminary. The words entered into the church record that year were, “It has not been a good year for our church. We have lost 27 members. Three joined, and they were only children.”
Think of the seeds we sow as a congregation. We support missions, we provide a safe space for sharing in worship, we offer inspiring music, we have a face in the community through such events as electronic waste recycling and articles in the newspaper. But it is difficult to know whether anything is happening. In Donovan’s words, “It’s easy to tally the scorecard for the year—to know how many people attended church, how many were baptized or wed, or had funerals—but it’s far more difficult to know how many lives were truly changed. Things might be looking down from our perspective—but God might think that they are looking up. The opposite can also be true. It is quite possible to fill pews—and build buildings—and run popular programs—and fail to help people walk with Jesus. We can’t guage our effectiveness as Christians or as a congregation with certainty—but God can…Campolo’s church record read, “Three joined, and they were only children.” But what children they were! One turned out to be an acclaimed speaker and author, one became a missionary and the other a seminary professor. Sometimes great things are happening, but we just can’t see them. Jesus lesson for today tells us, “Don’t lose heart, things are happening!”
We have no way of knowing which of us will fail to understand God’s words through Jesus. Strike one! Or which will fall away when the going gets rough. Strike two! Or which will come and listen to the word of God and begin to grow. A transforming power gets a foothold in their life, but they become distracted by golf, or taking the family to the lake, and we never see them again. Strike three! But the game isn’t over! Something is happening over in left field. Lots of people are over there growing quietly—humbly serving. They aren’t doing it perfectly, they aren’t a well-oiled machine. But the Holy Spirit gives us a nudge, and things begin to happen. It happens here, it happens there and pretty soon things are popping all over. Take heart! Good things are happening! God’s things are happening! All in God’s time.
Simply stated, our job is to continue to sow seeds abundantly. To serve, to give, to listen, to grow. God is in charge of what germinates. We need only do the footwork.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
