AtomGod’s Extravagant Seeding
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
It’s certainly not the way I would have done it – the sowing of seed, I mean. Jesus says, “A sower – a farmer, a planter of seed – goes forth to plant. And he apparently just starts slinging it, letting it land wherever it may. When I plant garden or replant those bare patches in my lawn, I’m a bit more particular. I hate wasting seed. I scrape up the soil. I roto-til the garden. I rake out the roots and weeds. I may even put down a little fertilizer and then I evenly scatter the seed on the soil or plant it in little furrows and cover it up. I want every seed to count.
And it seems to me that most of the farmers I know operate pretty much the same way. They carefully prepare the soil. They till out the weeds. They test the soil and add some fertilizer or maybe some lime or some other nutrients or minerals to make the soil more fertile and productive and then they carefully plant the seed – in straight rows, not only so the neighbors won’t be talking in the coffee shop about their skill with the planter, but also because crooked rows take more seed. Good farming is carefully prepared soil, straight rows, and enough seed but not too much so as to get the best return for effort and investment.
So you see why I say this story doesn’t appear to be about good farming practice. A sower ( I believe the story is about Jesus the planter) goes out to sow. And he scatters the seed on the carefully prepared, good soil, rich with nutrients. But he also slings some on the path and on the rocky patch that is a bit thin on top, and even in a weedy spot where it was too wet to get the cultivator in or where the herbicide didn’t seem to work. He just throws it out there. In my mind that’s…well, wasteful. It’s not making the best use of your seed.
Have you ever thought of the story in that way? Perhaps not. It’s a familiar story after all. Those of us who have been around the church have heard it often. And we know the interpretation that Jesus gives and we have maybe even spent a good deal of time thinking about the different kinds of soils Jesus describes and wondering which one best describes ourselves or our neighbors or the family down the street that doesn’t darken the doors of the church. And maybe sometimes in the honesty of our own hearts we’ve even come to terms with the truth that all of us have a mixed bag of soils in our life. Sometimes we are open to God’s good news and guidance planted in us. Other times we are too distracted, not listening, hardened and God’s word and God’s spirit has little effect on us. Let me say here that it is worth the effort to consider our own soil type and need for tending. But I also want to suggest that the story Jesus tells is not only about the soil. It is also about the seed – the Word of God, the Good news of Love and forgiveness and peace and Joy – and it is about the one who scatters the seed, the extravagant – and in my mind – wasteful sower of the seed. At least that’s how I see it.
In fact, to be quite honest with you, there’s a lot of God’s story that seems extravagant and less than careful. I mean consider how the gospel of Matthew starts. When Jesus is born, cruel King Herod massacred hundreds of innocent baby boys because he was so paranoid about a “new king” being born. Wouldn’t it have been better if the magi – the Wise men – had kept the “new king” business a bit quiet, so as not to rile up King Herod. Maybe they could have toned it down a bit.
But caution and “toning it down” are not the ways of God. The Magi show up at the manger with extravagant gifts – gold, frankincense and myrrh – and lay these expensive gifts at the feet of Mary and the baby.
The extravagance continues with the grown up Jesus. He speaks to multitudes and heals whole towns of their diseases. Yet only twelve follow. Maybe he could have focused his teaching a bit. Why cast the seed so wide? Why not draw it in a bit to save energy and insure a good return for the seed? And even Jesus’ parables speak of extravagance. A shepherd leaves the 99 safe sheep to seek out the one lost sheep. A man throws a banquet for the whole community and nobody comes. A Samaritan bandages the wounds of a man lying in the ditch that he does not even know and then tells the innkeeper with whom he leaves the injured man, “I will pay whatever his costs are while his mending. Just give me the bill.” No limits? I would ask, “What if he uses room service and gets into the mini-bar while convalescing?”
Friends, I am suggesting that one could look at the stories of the kingdom that Jesus tells as stories of extravagance and in my way of thinking, waste. What could be more wasteful than for the most wonderful Godly human, who ever lived to lay down his life for all people – even the ones not interested?
Wasteful extravagance, it seems to me. I have to admit that I like to think at the end of the day that I have not wasted my efforts, my time or my money. Not that I don’t from time to time. But I like to think that I am more careful than wasteful, more prudent than extravagant. So maybe I have something to learn here from Jesus…maybe you, too.
It seems to me that at least one thing we might here in this story from Jesus is that waste is unavoidable when doing the work of God’s kingdom. There will be seed thrown into places where it doesn’t seem to have much chance of bearing fruit. Such casting of seed will seem extravagant and wasterful. Sorry. Those of you who are leaders in the congregation or givers to the ministries of the church and watch carefully our income and outgo may not want to hear that. You’re doing your best to make sure we are careful and efficient with what we have. Yet, you may have thought yourselves sometimes that what we do is extravagant. Consider….
Many Sundays our sanctuary is twice what we need. Our singing would be fine with a lot less organ. Whatever where the folks thinking who built this church that they would build it so big just so we could all get inside on Christmas and Easter? There is a good deal of wasteful extravagance in what we offer.
And even in our preaching and teaching. William Willimon tells that one day he overheard a member of his congregation telling another, “I get something out of about one in three sermons.” And he thought, “Only one in three? So two-thirds of his efforts are wasted?”
I once had a member of my congregation in Nebraska ask me – jokingly, I think, are we going to have church again this Sunday – again? Isn’t every weak a little extravagant and wasteful? People don’t come every week anyway. Why spend so much effort and time? And those of you who are Sunday School teachers or Bible study leaders. You prepare your lessons the same way whether there are twenty-five present or five. But you may wonder if you are wasting your time when only a few show up. In the economy of our world, you are. You are not getting much return for your effort. But that seems to be the nature of sharing the good news…extravagant, wasteful sowing.
Today is Family Jam down at the Park near the lake. A great deal of energy has been expended and many dollars! A lot of rehearsing has happened. Consider the amount of practice our friends from Triad: 4Christ (gospel group from Minneapolis singing in worship and at Family Jam Sunday afternoon) have put in for their songs – hours and hours of practice. To be sure they love doing what they do and share the Joy of the Lord. But in some sense we might consider it wasteful. Perhaps they could be doing something better with their time and money. How many lives will really be changed for the hours of work they have put in? And will they even know? More will walk by on the beach than will stop to listen.
Are you discouraged yet? Have you heard more than you want to hear? Maybe. But maybe you were discouraged before, wondering if the effort you are making in teaching your grandchildren about Jesus, or sending the youth group off to Puerto Rico is really going to bear fruit equal to your effort. If so, you are in good company. So were those who followed Jesus from the very beginning. Jesus spoke, Jesus healed, Jesus raised people from the dead, Jesus himself rose from the dead. And folks turned and walked away. Or looked up from their work and play and went back to what they were doing. But Jesus kept casting out seed. And those who followed Jesus told the story and healed in Jesus’ name and tended to the needs of their community and spread the seeds of faith and hope. And again people turned and walked the other way. But they remembered this story….a story Jesus told to encourage his disciples…and kept casting the seed, even on the ground that seemed unproductive.
You see, Jesus told a story about a planter of seed who has a great deal working against him – lousy soil, rocks, weeds, maybe even bugs…there are always bugs in farming, too.
The same could be said of anyone planting the seeds of Good news. There is a lot working against the receiving and growing of God’s will in this world. There are a lot of lives beaten down and hardened, a lot of folks who may hear God’s word, but not have the support in themselves and around themselves for it to grow, a lot of folks who are so distracted by life that whatever faith they once had can hardly be seen for weeds.
There is a lot working against us. And sometimes in casting the seed, it may seem that we are being extravagant and wasteful in casting it too wide into places where it doesn’t seem we’ll get good return for our investment. But Jesus says, “That’s what it is to be a sower of God’s word. There are lots of folks in different situations out there and some of what you sow may seem wasted and unlikely to produce fruit.
But remember that the seed is God’s seed and even what seems wasteful and extravagant may result in a greater harvest than you can imagine. Not all the seed is wasted and unproductive. There is a harvest – a gracious, abundant harvest. Jesus did say that a lot of the seed was choked and lost, but wonder of wonders, some of the seed took root, grew and brought forth 30, 60, 100 times over a rich reward. If you have hears to hear, listen!
So, do take note of the condition of your soil today. Check your heart. That is the way we often hear this parable of Jesus. But also take hope in the ever-persistent, ever-seeking, ever-hopeful grace of God that continues to cast out forgiveness and hope, knowing that the word will take root in hearts being prepared even as we gather – hearts that once hard that are being plowed by the life and the Spirit, hearts that have been dry and rocky that are being watered by the love of neighbors, hearts that were choked and weedy that have been shredded and cultivated by life so that true purpose and hope might be seen and found. Take heart that the seed you cast in the name of Jesus will bear fruit, some that you will never see, but which will exceed your wildest expectations.
I for one am thankful that my confirmation teacher didn’t give up on spreading the seed. To be quite honest, two out of the three of us weren’t particularly interested. We knew we were supposed to be there. Our parents sent us. But we didn’t listen all that closely. Kathy did. She was the good soil. But Jim and I had other things on our minds. He might have been the hard path. A lot of the seed in his life was snatched away by things that were not of God – enemies if you will. In my life, it was no doubt the weeds. I had a lot going on…school, sports, work, girls. But I’m sure glad my teacher didn’t give up and stop scattering the seed. I believe Jim would say the same. Sometimes it takes a while for the seed to bear fruit…sometimes it takes a little cultivating and watering and tending. Thanks be to God that God is extravagant and over the top and even – in my mind – wastefully extravagant in God’s passionate pursuit of us! Let’s pray…
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