A Close Encounter
With a revelation. And no, not the Book of Revelation in the Bible, and the end of the world it describes (and the coming of the next). I mean, when something you hear or read clicks and is immediately accepted as an obvious truth. A revelation, as in something that is revealed. Maybe a fresh perspective from a podcast, or a snippet of conversation with a friend, or penetrating song lyric. Or a sermon and Scripture reading that rings a bell. When we intuit something as “true,” despite it being contrary to some tightly held belief. Our thinking expands. And shifts. Sometimes it’s so seamless, we feel like we always knew it to be true. And maybe we did. Maybe that particular truth was always lurking, just below our consciousness, until a friend or a book or a song nudged it loose, materializing it to our conscious mind. Like the wave of a wand. Suddenly, we “see” it. I had such an experience in church this past Sunday.
The Scripture preached on was The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), which is below. A parable is defined as “a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels.” Usually, however, they are not so simple. This parable appears in three different gospels, Mark, Mathew, and Luke, which means it’s important. Basically, the Parable of the Sower describes how seeds can land on various types of ground: rocky, where it can’t grow; loose soil, where if it takes hold, the shallow roots wash away in the first storm. And fertile soil, where the seed can sink deep roots and bear fruit. The obvious reference is to our faith. We can ignore God’s calling altogether, or we can respond half-heartedly, only to the extent that our commitment doesn't require too much. And of course, we can be fertile soil, which bears fruit- a visible manifestation of our faith that endures, despite the storms of life. This interpretation causes many of us angst from time to time, wondering if we are doing enough to honor God. How much fruit are we bearing? Presbyterians believe that faith is sufficient for salvation. Faith is all you need. Still, it's like when someone cooks you a fabulous meal, you don’t want to just sit there and watch them clean up too. You want to help with the dishes. Are we giving enough of ourselves and our resources of time, talent, and money back to our Creator? That's what the story’s about, right? But as pointed out by our pastor, it’s called the Parable of the Sower, not the parable of the seed. When the Sower is the focus of the story, the meaning expands to illustrate how God throws his seeds with abandon, recklessly, on all kinds of ground and on all kinds of people, in hope and in expectation, which means, there’s hope for all of us all the time.
The feast He prepares is continuous. So, we do our best. We get it right sometimes and sometimes we don't, but God has an infinite supply of seeds.
Here’s the parable, Mathew 13: 1-9: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
These stories were shared by Jesus over 2,000 years ago, using touchstones that his agrarian audience would understand. It’s amazing (divine actually), that they are still so relevant today. We rely on the Holy Spirit to help us understand the truth of these Bible stories and apply it to our lives. That’s the magic and the mystery of God’s Word, the Bible. Interpreting this parable in the traditional way is valuable to me. It reminds me to keep an eye on how I’m measuring up- to ask myself what I’m doing with the gifts God gives me and how committed I am to share his love and his message of love. But after Sunday, the Parable of the Sower has an expanded meaning that is lighter and more hope filled. It is that God’s love and patience are infinite. He scatters limitless seeds for us to nurture and grow- the best we can. The song pairing is “Obvious Truth.” Until next time, stay safe, be brave and keep walking in the light.
Obvious Truth
Yeah, it’s an obvious truth
when I see you smile
I don’t need no proof
‘cause it’s an obvious truth
Yeah, when you hold my hand
I look into your eyes
you know I understand
I just understand
One love, one love, one love…
Now the years roll by like a radio song
playing in my head
I was singing along
now I wonder where they’ve gone
One Love…
Across my skin blows a gentle breeze
but no one sees the wind
Just the shimmering leaves
moving through the trees
Yeah, it’s an obvious truth…