Pentecost 14 Parables of Jesus Series Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

Pentecost 14 Parables of Jesus Series Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

August 21, 2016

Several years ago I tilled up part of my backyard for a garden. At first it was amazing. It grew terrific tomato plants, beans, peppers, cucumbers and squash. But something happened to it. One year everything was sickly and spindly. The next year I put a lot of compost in it. Same thing. After a few disappointing years I finally let it go back to grass. If I had sent in a soil sample to have it analyzed I might have known how to improve it.

This familiar parable of Jesus speaks about soil, seeds and plants, too. But the soil is not dirt. It’s hearts. The sower is the living God who spreads the seed of His Word to our hearts. The harvest is not vegetables but fruits of faith. In telling this parable Jesus was preparing His disciples for the different reactions they would find as they shared God’s Word with others. They might be discouraged by some who would simply reject it. Other times they’d be disappointed by those who believed and who looked so promising, but in time they would lose interest and fall away – some quickly, some over a longer period of time. Still others would bring them great joy by producing an abundant crop of faith.

The Holy Spirit made sure we received this important teaching because he knew we would find the same reactions to God’s Word today. We experience them in the people around us, but we also find those reactions in our own hearts. The soil of a believer’s heart needs to be sampled every day, too, to make sure that our sinful nature doesn’t take over and destroy the good seed God planted there.

1. SAMPLE THE SOIL OF YOUR HEART FOR HARDNESS

“As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path and the birds came and ate it up.”

Every gardener knows that t before you plant, you need to till the soil. The seed needs to get under the surface before it can sprout and grow. The same is true with our hearts. God must first till the surface by pointing out and condemning our sin. Then we are ready for the good news of forgiveness in Christ.

The seed along the path stands for those who hear God’s Word but don’t take it to heart. The message sort of lays on top of the heart, unwilling to have it scratch the surface. The birds that snatch it away represent the many ways the Devil works to keep that Word from getting through to the heart. Satan’s temptations keep the surface nice and hard:

“I don’t need this in my life. The Bible’s message about sin is so negative. It makes me feel uneasy. It just can’t be as urgent as the Bible makes it sound. Maybe I’ll think about it later, but not now.”

“You can’t just take God’s Word at face value. Much of it can’t be proven by science. It’s outdated and doesn’t relate to modern man. It’s just for those who need a crutch.”

“Other people don’t really believe it, either. Most of them just want to look good and their lives show their hypocrisy. The pastor doesn’t believe it, either. He just wants an easy living and others are foolish enough to give it to him.”

Such a person may belong to a church to fill social needs or because the family expects it, but he/she only gives lip service to what God says. But as the seed falls on the path over and over again, eventually the ground becomes so hard that it can’t be tilled anymore. When man hardens by constant rejection of God’s Word, God eventually hardens in judgment.

2. SAMPLE THE SOIL OF YOUR HEART FOR SHALLOWNESS.

“Some (seed) fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.”

I used to call my garden in Wisconsin my “rock collection.” Every year I tilled it I hit new rocks. Some of them were huge. I had to get them out because they were in the way of the roots of my plants.

The seed that falls in rocky soil stands for those who base their faith on how they feel. The seed of the gospel takes root and they rejoice at the good news of forgiveness and eternal in Christ. They are enthusedto become part of a Christian congregation and soak up everything like a sponge. But they also expect heaven’s glory right now. “Now I’m a Christian I’ll finally get my life in order. I won’t have to deal with the problems I had before.” But then reality strikes. We cannot escape the troubles of living in a sinful world. People need to be forgiven. Love needs to be patient, kind, humble and sensitive. Not everyone will share our enthusiasm about Jesus. We might be ridiculed, avoided, or even lose some friends because of what we believe.

Such a person may belong to a church when things are going wellbut keeps one hand on the door to walk out when the going gets tough. When Jesus calls us to follow him through hard times and to trust him; when faith requires a commitment, that person may become disillusioned. “This isn’t what I expected. This isn’t for me.”

A weak faith saves as well as a strong faith, but who wants to be satisfied with a weak faith that can easily wither away? God instead urges us to grow in his Word so it can go deep down into our hearts and we can“be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power” by “put[ting] on the full armor of God, so that [we] can take [our] stand against the devil’s schemes.” (Ephesians 6:10)

3. SAMPLE THE SOIL OF YOUR HEART FOR OTHER ROOTS

“Other seeds fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.”

I never appreciated the impact weeds can have in a garden until one summer they got out of control. One day I spent a whole afternoon pulling them out. When I got to the cucumber plants, I could hardly see them. They were spindly and the leaves were almost yellow. I thought for sure they would die. But after a few weeks I was astonished to see them triple in size, become deep green and full of blossoms.

Jesus helps us understand the weeds that choke faith: “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it out, making it unfruitful” Faith is choked when God’s Word shares space with other priorities in our hearts. When Christians allow doubts to overtake God’s promise to care for us, their hearts fill with worry . They worry about the economy, crime and violence, their health, politics, and growing old.

And then there’s the constant concern aboutmoney .If we only had more.If we only had a nicer home, nicer things. If we could only put away more so we could retire with a lifestyle of our dreams. Soon there aren’t enough days in the week to make the money we feel we need…and not enough time to fill up on God’s Word. Jesus calls it the “deceitfulness” of wealth. It is a lie. Money and the things money can buy have no power to solve any problems. Riches can disappear in a moment. An over-emphasis on money grows into a dependence upon it and a love of it until a Christian no longer is content with anything in his/her life. We end up serving it instead of it serving us. And no one can serve two masters. “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. Some….have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:9.10)

The weeds creep in so slowly, but as they take over, faith is smothered and slowly drained of its source of power. God’s Word is squeezed out so the seed of faith never reaches maturity and does not produce the fruit God intended. Unless the weeds are pulled, such faith may die, too.

4. SAMPLE THE RICHNESS OF FAITH THAT ALLOWS GROWTH

“Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. “

Every gardener and farmer has to admit that they can’t take any credit for what happens there. They plant a seed and God makes it grow. About all they can do is work so that nothing hinders its growth.

All of the soil Jesus talks about in this parable is really made of the same stuff. None of our hearts are by nature suitable for planting. We are born with a sinful nature that rejects God’s Word. So what makes this latsoil “good”? If it isn’t something in us, it must be something in God. God is gracious. He plants the seed of faith in uspurely by grace. We can do nothing to make it happen. God simply puts us into situations where the seed can be sown. Where it falls, he promises that is has the power to produce great things – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We just make sure nothing gets in the way of us hearing the message so that nothing will hinder its growth.

If you’re like me, your soil sample today has revealed some dangerous tendencies. With the man who approached Jesus for help one day, we confess. “I believe, but Lord, help me overcome my unbelief!” And we pray, “For Jesus’ sake, forgive my hard-heartedness, my shallowness, my worries, my distractions. Take my eyes off myself and fix them on Jesus, who shed his blood for me. And then Lord, let your Word take root in me. Make it grow that I may bear fruit for you, to my joy and your glory.” Amen.