Photo by Kashif Shah on Unsplash

Audio: iTunes | Spotify | Download

“The Seed is the Word of God.”

᛭ INI ᛭

This week, we’re still following Jesus down from the mountain of Transfiguration. We’re moving from Epiphany to Lent, Transfiguration to Calvary, and just like a mountain transitions to a valley, so does our Lectionary! We’re traveling with Jesus on His final trip to Jerusalem. We’re about 60 days out, but still not quite into the valley of Lent.

We’re still considering the Reformation Solas: Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone), Sola Scriptura (By Scripture Alone), and Sola Fide (By Faith Alone). (Good prep for Lent!) They mean that Christ alone saves us by grace alone, we receive this by faith alone, and we receive this by Scripture alone.

We’ve got another parable, today. Parables are “an earthly story with an out of this world meaning!” That’s because there’s usually something that doesn’t make sense. Also, Jesus doesn’t tell Parables so people understand! “For the rest,” Jesus says, “they’re in parables so that seeing they wouldn’t see and hearing they wouldn’t understand.” But “for you” disciples, who are baptized and cherish His Word, “it’s given to know the Mysteries of God’s Kingdom.”

So, “He who has ears to hear, let him listen” to “The Parable of the Sower”!

*(ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω τῆς Παραβολῆς τοῦ Σπείραντος, τοῦ Ἰησοῦ τὴν τῇ Γραφῇ μόνῃ Παραβολήν.)*

(2. The Sola Scriptura Parable retold.)

There’s a farmer who’s planting. Now, in Jesus’ story, it appears that he’s “broadcasting” the seed, just tossing it out. That’s quite different from modern implements, but let’s consider, for a moment, Jesus’ parable in terms of modern equipment.

His seed lands in the road, over rocks, among thorns, and on good soil. He’s just throwing willy nilly! It’s like running his planter down the road; through his pastureland; through his easements and waterways; last of all, through his good, and actually arable, land.

It’s no wonder then that his seed gets run over or eaten by birds. It’s no surprise that it withers on shallow, rocky ground. It’s obvious that all sorts of other plants, even thorns and thistles—weeds!—will outcompete it. In the end—quite a surprise!—his good land produces exceptionally well (100 fold!)—15,000 bushel corn; 3,900 bushel soybean; 6,300 bushel wheat!

(Transition.)

It’s uch a waste! Who’d plant on roads or rocks or ‘round weeds? His harvest, well, that’s out of this world! 100 fold? Really!? See, Jesus’ parables are out of this world, told “that seeing they wouldn’t see and hearing they wouldn’t understand!”

“Please, explain the Parable to us.” A very good question…

(1.The Sola Scriptura Parable preached.)

So, what’s it mean? Jesus calls it “the Parable of the sower” (Mt 13), not “the Parable of the Soils.” Stop focusing on the soils! Because, as you all know, much better than I do, since I grew up in the city—soils can’t change themselves! An abandoned farmstead can’t turn itself into a fertile field—neither can rocky soil or windbreaks or hedgerows. (I’m sure it would be nice if a field would spit out all its rocks for you…)

Why are there different soils? The Lord doesn’t answer that question. “What of that?” as our first hymn put it. He leaves that to His own wisdom and majesty! He simply tells us there are different kinds of soils…different kinds of hearers and hearts.

Jesus wants our attention on the Sower and His Seed. This Parable shows the Lord’s gracious and out of this world sowing! The sower must’ve started out at the Vineyard from last week’s parable! Last week, Vineyard owner gave everyone full pay. Today, the Sower sows His full seed on every kind of soil! And “the Seed is the Word of God.”

God’s Word is living and active and produces fruit—like seed that grows. His Word is powerful and life-giving! It would’ve grown on the path had the birds not eaten it! (That’s what Jesus says…) It grew on rocks. It grew among thorns. It grew in the field. God’s Word always grows and will produce hundredfold unless, of course, it’s taken away or scorched or choked.

God’s Word—His Bible and His Means of Grace—are that powerful! The Spirit (2 Pet 1) wrote the Bible. Scripture alone make you wise unto salvation (2 Tim 3), through faith in Christ. Only the Bible is God’s all-holy Word. It’s sown into hearts each time we read it, hear it, or even “as we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Col 3). That’s how all of us together plant the Seed into each others hearts, how “Christ’s Word dwells in us richly”!

Not reading your Bible is “the devil coming and taking the Word from your heart.” He wants to take away any chance you’ve got to hear how much you need Jesus and to actually believe in Him! Scripture contains “the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.” (Rom 1:16) The Gospel is the message that Jesus’ dying and rising actually saves you. The Bible delivers that message from Genesis all the way through Revelation!

God’s Word also says that Jesus sows that Gospel in other ways—through preaching Christ and Him crucified for sin (Rom 10; 1 Cor 1); through Holy Baptism (Mt 28; Mk 16); through Absolution (Jn 20; Mt 16); through the Supper of Jesus’ body and blood, for you to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of all your sins. Christ’s “Words along with the bodily eating and drinking are the main thing in the Sacrament.” (SC) (Good reason to beautify them with music…)

It’s just a Baptism, just another Bible reading, just another Sermon, just another psalm and introit or canticle or hymn, just another time for Communion… Not so! Each time its “the Sower,” Jesus, “going out to so seed,” His Word in your heart! [Congregation at Prayer]

“Receive the implanted word that can save you.” (James 1) “Even if [the] gospel’s veiled, it’s veiled to those who are [going to hell]. In their case the god of this world[, the devil,] has blinded unbelievers’ minds, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel…” (2 Cor 4:3–4)

The devil would take it from us, too, make us hypocrites who say, “By Scripture alone” but never read nor learn it. (Set it on the shelf after confirmation…) He makes people tune out faithful sermons, gobble up unfaithful ones, wait to baptize their children, let absolution fall into disuse, not take the Sacrament all too much!

There’s others who believe and rejoice for awhile, then hardships or temptations come—they fall away. Other’s’ve got work or sports or family or other worldly concerns that choke the Word.

Finally, some do receive God’s Word “in an beautiful and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.” Their feeble hearts show the true power of God’s Word and why the Sower sows the way He does. No matter how many paths or rocks or thorns there are—

GOD’S WORD WILL ALWAYS BRING A HARVEST HUNDREDFOLD!

(Conclusion.)

That’s the point of the Parable of the Sower.

GOD’S WORD WILL ALWAYS BRING A HARVEST HUNDREDFOLD!

Soils aren’t the point, because, truth is, for all of us, the devil often steals the Word away (that should bother you), sometimes we’re excited but then life gets tough and we’re in grave danger of losing faith, sometimes—most times—there’s all sorts of junk that chokes the Word, silences it, and we’re unfruitful, unloving toward God and toward the people in our daily lives. But in each case Jesus hints that the Word will grow even in such places, if only for a bit, for

GOD’S WORD WILL ALWAYS BRING A HARVEST HUNDREDFOLD!

Only in good soil, of course. How’s it good? It’s free of rocks, thorns, and devil by the Word alone! “You are pure through the Word I speak to you.” (Jn 15) Scripture alone! Baptism alone! Absolution alone! The Sacrament alone! The Word alone! Preaching alone! “Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” alone! Each time: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” The Sower sows, and

GOD’S WORD WILL ALWAYS BRING A HARVEST HUNDREDFOLD!

**“the implanted Word can save you.” (James 1:21)** 
God’s Word alone is **“living and active.” (Heb 12)**

It doesn’t come back empty-handed. (Is 55) What about rocks and thorns in your heart? “Create in me a clean heart, O God.” His Word alone answers that prayer! “My Word’s like fire, declares the LORD, like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces.” (Jer 23) His Word does that. Which Word? Scripture, of course! The Bible also says Baptism and Preaching and Absolution and Supper, too! There’s a hundredfold because each sowing, each seed offers the whole thing! Like full pay last week, a full Word this week! Only the devil takes Word away… The Lord abundantly sows that you’d bear an hundredfold.

᛭ INI ᛭