Scattering Seed

Sermon Matthew 13:1-23 (1-9&18-23) July 12, 2020 Communion

Scattering Seed

We are blessed people.

We are blessed people of God.

We are blessed people of God’s creation!

We have been given creativity as a gift in human nature. We have been given the opportunity to be curious, to discover, to learn, to find pleasure, and to flourish in our whole being.

When we learn about the sower who scatters the seed,

we can imagine how broad and how wide

the seed is thrown in the air

catching on to the breeze,

being carried far beyond the sower’s reach

and then slowly settling along

the various places as the breeze settles.

It’s a wonderful image of the power of God’s hand scattering goodness, good seeds, good news, good things across the fields of life.

We know its important that this parable is one of the many parables of Jesus that we find in more than one gospel account of his life and words. This parable is so simple to turn into children’s ministry programs, Sunday school lessons, and plays and songs. As it is read and heard it is often simplified into basic points of faith and salvation. Matthew’s gospel focus’ the parable on the fate of the seeds and in the interpretation the hearer’s understanding.

Like a painting or a poem, we come to it each time with new experiences in our lenses of life and we see and hear new things that nourish us and offer us fresh renewed joy and hope.

We need fresh joy and hope.

 The truth is we all had hoped we could be on with our lives by now. That we could come to church in a different way. We had all hoped that this way we are living could have passed us and we could be on airplanes, at beach houses, running back and forth to sporting, fishing, music and theater events. And yet, here we have arrived at July and there seems no end in sight to the struggle we are all facing. Everywhere we turn we realize the simple things are harder. The things we took for granted in our daily routine require more effort.

We are tired.

We are really tired.

We are wondering where everyone has gone.

We are alone, still living safer at home with shelter in place conditions. Our circle of contact has diminished to just a few.

We hear the words of Jesus to refresh our souls with a story about goodness thrown to the wind.

There are confetti bombs sold in the stores and I’ve watched several videos where graduation, birthdays, and other major life changing events have been celebrated. People have had such great creativity! During this pandemic when contact of hugs and being close together hasn’t been possible people have found other ways to spread goodness and good cheer. From car windows or from across the street they have taken the confetti bomb and let it blast in the air and thousands of pieces of colored paper are carried by the air to offer joy and congratulations.

When I see those things I think of the scattering of the seeds of the good news of Jesus.

It is these efforts of commitment that encourage us each day as we wake up and wonder how we will approach the newness of another day.

We do our best scattering the seeds as far as they can go to spread wonder and joy.

We realize not everyone is in the mood to hear another story about Jesus’ love.

We realize that we all get distracted by the real struggle of life and our ears are not focused on good news. They are focused on news reports and local gossip, on memes, and sarcasm.

But, we are also distracted by very important things too.

Our worries take over our life as our ears are focused on listening to the latest report on how to educate our children or when will our general practitioners start seeing patients again.

The ground around us is hardened and parched.

We have to dig harder than we have before and

we beg for rain to soften the soil just a bit

so the good seeds have a chance to make it.

We hope that if we are not able to be scattering the seeds of good news and kindness perhaps there is someone else who can be scattering the seeds our way.

 

Because, everyday we realize that evil continues to lurk at the door to steal away what morsel of joy descends our way. The fear of what if and what next withers away our generosity. The world of chaos seeks to squeeze our courage from us.

We learn from this story that the seed comes in contact with good soil and

with time,

with time,

it grows and grows and yields an enormous harvest of finest quality.

Perhaps today, where we can be fed and nourished by God’s word.

As we work the soils and struggle through this never-ending time, we won’t give up.

We’ll keep scattering goodness.

We’ll keep insisting on blasting out God’s love.

Because even during this time;

even when we’re so tired

even when we’re so worn out and done,

we discover the heartwarming stories;

the ones that give us courage and nourish our souls; and we can say Lord, one more day, we can do this, we will continue to spread the seeds.

It’s the simple things that we discover the goodness of God. We will continue to spread the seeds and do our part.

A grandson required to come home from college in March now sits at table with his grandfather on a Sunday and asks him if he can keep doing this.

A child who found a way to be a helper at home by just emptying the dishwasher.

Learning that in the hard times there is a harvest of good.

How we rejoice over the time we have spent with our mother and the laughter shared even though she missed being home.

Today the fruit of the harvest is the nourishment of God’s word through the sacrament of the Lord’s supper. The seeds of goodness are spread across tables everywhere as we all partake together as we reap the bountiful harvest of our unity in the body of Christ. We have the strength to continue. Living bread. Amen.

Resources: NIB Matthew, Working Preacher Matthew 2020 post; Rev. Steve Doan.