Sexagesima
Lk
8:4-15
2/4/24
Just after Christmas we had an
unfortunate discovery. We learned that the sewer line that runs from our house
out to the street had decayed to the point that it had to be replaced. As you
can probably guess, this was not an inexpensive problem. I can think of few ways that are less
enjoyable to spend money. However, once
you have a problem you discover that a working sewer line is fairly high on the
list of priorities in life. Many aspects
of daily life depend on it.
The sewer line was replaced and in
doing so the yard was dug up from the house all the way down to the street. We
now have a dirt scar that runs through the whole yard. Later on the area will be leveled off and
seeded with grass. They will be working
with a very specific area as they seek to repair the damage that was done. Hopefully it will grow back and blend in.
The seeding of the strip of ground
in our yard is very different from what we hear about in our Gospel lesson this
morning. There the farmer is dealing
with a large area as he casts seed out.
He casts seed everywhere, and not all of it lands in the right
place. As Jesus tells the parable of the
sower, he teaches us about the different ways in which God’s word is
received. We learn that we need to hold
fast to God’s word because there are many threats to the life of faith.
Our text begins by telling us, “And when a great crowd was gathering and
people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable.” The word parable has a rather broad range of
meaning. However, here we have the classic
form that we expect. Jesus tells an account that bears a meaning that goes
beyond the story itself. In fact we will
learn that in an allegorical fashion, different elements of the story each convey
meaning.
Jesus
described how a sower went out to sow his seed.
Sowing was done by casting seed out onto the ground. We learn that some of it fell along the path. Worn walking paths bordered fields or
sometimes even went through the midst of them.
We learn that this seed was trampled underfoot and the birds ate it.
Some
seed fell on the rock. It landed where
the ground was not good. This seed grew up, but because it had no moisture it
withered. Some seed fell among thorns.
When the seed and the thorns grew up together, the thorns choked it out.
However, other seed fell on good soil.
This seed grew up and yielded a hundredfold. It produced a great harvest.
When
Jesus had finished the parable he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
This was a signal that there was more going on here than an interesting
story. The disciples asked Jesus what the parable meant and he said, “To you it
has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others
they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they
may not understand.’” Our Lord described how the parables revealed and
concealed at the same time. For those
who had faith in Jesus they revealed understanding about God’s reign. However,
for those who did not believe they were simply interesting stories.
Jesus then
explained the parable. He said, “The seed is the word of God.” The parable is sharing the secrets of the
kingdom of God – the reign of God – so this word of God has a specific
content. In the next chapter Jesus will
predict his passion for the first time as he says, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the
third day be raised.” Then a little later we read, “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he
set his face to go to Jerusalem.”
Jesus is the sinless Son of God who entered the
world to be numbered with the transgressors.
Paul told the Romans, “For while
we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one
will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one
would dare even to die--
but God
shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for
us.”
Christ died for us to redeem us from
sin – to free us from its slavery. But
as our Lord had predicted, he did not stay dead. On the third day God raised Jesus from the
dead. He brought life that overcomes
death and gives us the promise that we will share in his resurrection.
This word – the word of the death and
resurrection of Jesus - is the seed that that is cast into the world. Our Lord explained, “The ones along the path are those who
have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so
that they may not believe and be saved.”
Jesus’ words teach us that the world
is not a neutral spiritual place.
Instead it is a setting where God’s reign in Christ has invaded a world
that was trapped in sin and under the devil’s rule. He is the lord for those who do not believe
in Christ, and the devil does not want to surrender his subjects. He works against the Gospel to prevent people
from believing.
You have probably had the experience
of speaking the Gospel to someone who will not give it a hearing. Perhaps they have already decided that they
“don’t need religion.” Perhaps they view
Christianity as nothing more than a myth.
Perhaps they have no interest in believing anything that is going to
change their life. The devil uses these opposing worldviews to take the word
from their heart so they are not saved.
We are saddened by this, but we should not be surprised. Jesus said it would be this way.
Next Jesus explained, “And the ones on
the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But
these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of
testing fall away.” Our Lord’s
words do not only describe the rejection of the Gospel. They also include those who believe but then
fall away.
It is not enough to start in the
faith. One must finish in the faith as
well. As Paul faced the likelihood of
death he told Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the
race, I have kept the faith.”
Jesus warns us about believing and then falling
away. He describes this seed as having
no root so that in time of testing or trial a person stops believing. A little earlier Jesus had said, “Blessed are
you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you
and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man!”
Belief in Jesus Christ will bring testing. The world says that everyone should be loving
and accepting. It says that there is no
absolute right or wrong. It rejects and
attacks all who say that there is only one right way.
This is what Jesus claims to be. In fact he said, “I am the way, the truth and
the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” To confess Jesus
Christ as the only Lord and Savior will bring testing. It will bring trials. We must be prepared for this as Christians.
We must expect it. We will need to
persevere in the faith as we face these challenges.
Then Jesus said, “And as for what fell among the
thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are
choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does
not mature.” Once again, our Lord describes those who have begun in the
faith. However, they have not
finished. They live for awhile as
Christians, but then their fruit does not mature.
Christ says that faith is choked out by the cares
and worries of life. We face challenges and difficulties. These things are a burden on us. They wear us down. Trust in Christ can die as we face these
things. People focus on the worries
instead of Christ. In time, they lose
sight of Christ altogether and faith is lost.
Jesus tells us that riches choke out faith. He warned, “No servant can serve two masters,
for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to
the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” Wealth is a dangerous false god that competes
against Jesus. The material riches of this world attract attention and draw us
away from Christ. They become more
important and skew our vision. Over
time, they choke out faith.
Finally, our Lord says that the pleasures of life
threaten faith. We live in a world that
says sexuality can be used in any way a person wants. Our Lord tells us that sex is to be shared
only between a husband and wife. So a
couple begins having sex outside of marriage.
Next, they choose to live together.
In doing so they reject Christ and drive out faith as they live in
unrepentant sin.
The parable of the sower warns us about the
threats to faith that exist. Faith is
not something we can just take for granted.
Instead, it must be something that has the highest priority in our life. We must care for it.
Jesus explains, “As for that in the good soil,
they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart,
and bear fruit with patience.”
In order to remain in the faith we must hold the word fast. This means
that we need to receive the word. We
must hear it. We must read it. We must think about it.
So what role does God’s word have in your life?
You are here at the Divine Service receiving the Means of Grace. That is a
great start! But is this the regular
pattern of your life, or something that is somewhat hit and miss? Does Sunday mean for you that you attend
church, or does it sometimes mean something else?
Do you attend Bible study on Sunday or
Wednesday? Are you taking the time to
learn more about God’s word? Are you
going deeper into God’s revelation? Or are you content with a superficial
understanding?
What about your personal devotional reading of
Scripture? Does God’s word have a regular place in your daily life? Are you taking time during the day to read
God’s word and be fed by it? If we are
to remain in the faith, then we must hold fast to the word. We need to be in God’s word so that the Holy
Spirit nurtures and strengthens us in faith.
Jesus says that faith “bears fruit with patience”
or “endurance” as it also can be translated.
Where faith in Christ is present, it produces fruit. It carries out works of love, care, and
compassion for others. It serves in the
vocations where God has placed us. And it does so with patience. Sustained by
Christ, faith is in it for the long haul.
This morning Jesus warns us about threats to our
faith. He clearly teaches that this is
not a matter of “once saved always saved.”
Christians can lose faith and he describes some of the things that bring
this about. Instead, we must hold fast to God’s word for there we continue to
meet Jesus Christ, our crucified and risen Lord.
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