Seed and Soil
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
"O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord." (Jeremiah 22:29) These words of Jeremiah were chosen for the front of the pulpit in our new Redeemer Church on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. As the people faced the pulpit at sermon time, these words carved in wood called upon the worshipers to listen to the sermon as God's Word. Moreover, there was an urgency to hearing the Word, for listen to Jeremiah's threefold appeal, "O earth, earth, earth ..." The church and the world need to hear what God has to say.
For many hearing is a problem. It is not a matter of getting a hearing aid. In spite of excellent physical hearing, we often fail to hear what is said. Some have not yet learned the art of listening, and all of us need to improve our skills in the art.
Recent studies bear out this contention. The average person spends fifty to eighty percent of each day listening. But only half of us hear what is said. And of what is said, only twenty-five percent is understood. Of what is understood less than twenty-five percent is remembered. Communication specialists declare that people use only twenty-five percent of their listening ability. As a result it is often said, "You are not hearing me," or "You are not listening," or "We are not communicating," or "You hear only what you want to hear." As a result of not hearing, misunderstandings develop, marriages fail, and businesses lose money. All of this proves that hearing each other is no small problem.
Along with every proclaimer, Jesus faced this very same problem. He was speaking to people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A huge crowd came. People came from all over Palestine. The number was so great that Jesus was being pushed into the surf. Someone lent him a boat from which he preached. As he looked at this sea of faces, he probably wondered how many would accept his message. At the time a sower may have been in the act of spreading seed on the hillside. This may have prompted him to tell the parable of the sower, seed, and soils. At the conclusion, he expressed his concern for their hearing when he said, "He who has ears, let him hear."
This problem of hearing was emphasized in the interpretation of the parable. (vv. 18-23) In this explanation, four times we read, "hears the word." Over and over again, the concern is hearing the Word of God. As it was a concern of Jesus and the apostolic church, it is still a problem of every preacher. As with the people of Nazareth, will the message be rejected by today's listeners? (Matthew 13:53-57) Hopefully they will hear the truth and bring forth abundant fruit.
Context
Context of the Church Year
Today's parable is the first of three from Matthew 13:
Pentecost 8 - 13:1-9, 18-23 - Seed and Soil.
Pentecost 9 - 13:24-30, 36-43 - Wheat and Weeds.
Pentecost 10 - 13:44-52 - Treasure and Trash.
The parables are given in-course, for the first verse of the following gospel lesson is the next verse of the preceding Gospel. The three parables lend themselves to a series of sermons.
Context of Matthew 13
Matthew 13 may be called "the parable chapter." It contains seven parables. In addition to the series of parables:
1. An interpretation of two parables: Sower and Weeds.
2. The purpose of parables - 13:10-17.
3. An explanation of Jesus' use of parables - 13:34-35.
4. The people of Nazareth reject Jesus' teachings - 13:53-58.
Context of Parallel Passages (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15)
1. Scene of the parable. Matthew and Mark give details of the setting for the parable. Jesus is speaking on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Because of the immense crowd, he must get in a boat to speak to the multiude standing on the beach. Luke reports only that a "great crowd" was present for the parable.
2. Yield. There is a variance in the amount of harvest. Matthew says, 100, 60, 30. Mark reverses the figures: 30, 60, 100. Luke mentions only 100.
3. Understanding. Matthew explains that people who understand the Word will be like good soil. Mark has Jesus ask his Disciples whether they understand the parable. Apparently they do not and therefore he explains it. Luke makes no mention of "understanding" related to this parable.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Exodus 2:11-22) After killing an Egyptian Moses fled to Midian where he married Zipporah, a daughter of Jethro.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 8:9-17) The Spirit witnesses to the fact that we are children of God. If we live by our sinful nature, we will die. But, if we have the spirit of Christ and live by the Spirit, we will live.
Gospel. (Matthew 13:1-9,18-23) The parable of the soils and its interpretation.
Psalm. (Psalm 69:6-15) In spite of insults and shame, the Psalmist declares his loyalty and prays for safety from his enemies.
Prayer of the Day. We thank God for planting the seed of his Word in our hearts.
Hymn of the Day. "Almighty God, Your Word is Cast" - a prayer that the seed of the Word may abound in righteous fruit.
Putting it all together
The three Lessons and Liturgical Propers do not have a central theme. However, the Psalm is in keeping with Moses' exile in Midian (Lesson 1). The Prayer and Hymn harmonize with the Gospel's parable.
Context of Related Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Hear, O Israel."
1 Samuel 3:9 - "Speak, for thy servant hears."
Isaiah 55:10-11 - The Word of God will not return void.
Ezekiel 33:30-33 - "They hear what you say but they will not do it."
Ezekiel 37:3-4 - "O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord."
Amos 7:10-17 - When the Word falls on a beaten path.
Amos 8:11 - A famine of hearing the Word.
Mark 9:7 - "This is my beloved son; listen to him."
Romans 10:14-17 - "So faith comes from what is heard."
Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruit of the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:2; 5:11 - Hearing demands faith and alertness.
Content
Content of the Pericope
In this gospel lesson for Pentecost 8, we have, in a sense, twin parables. The first (vv. 1-9) was given by Jesus to the public. Taken by itself it seems to have an eschatological application. The emphasis is not upon the soils that did not bear fruit but upon the enormous harvest from the fertile soil. This could indicate that Christians are encouraged and inspired by the knowledge that in spite of some soil, God's harvest will be great. The parable leads to hope and confidence of victory in the end.
The second parable (vv. 18-23) is not a parable in the strict sense of the word but an interpretation of the former parable. This is addressed to the disciples. Many New Testament scholars are convinced for various reasons that this section comes from the early church. It is an allegorical interpretation. The sower is the proclaimer of the Word. The seed is the Word of God. The spoils represent four kinds of people: 1. hearers who do not understand; 2. hearers who do not persevere in times of persecution; 3. the worldly hearers; 4. faithful people who are fruitful in good works. The church's version deals with the current problem of hearing the Word aright. In Matthew 11 and 12, the Pharisees and Disciples are contrasted. Jesus' teachings have failed to get the Pharisees to produce fruit. They are represented by the unproductive soils. The early church, by this allegorical interpretation, is trying to explain why the preaching of the Gospel has not been accepted by many Jews and others.
Precis of the Parable
Jesus was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd from many parts of the country came to hear him. To avoid being pushed in the surf, Jesus borrowed a boat in which he sat as he addressed the multitude standing on the shore. He told them a parable about a man who went out to sow seed. Some of the seed fell on a beaten path and the birds came and ate the seed. Other seed fell on rocky ground which had a thin layer of earth on the rock. The seed quickly sprang up but when the heat of the sun hit it, the plants withered because they had no roots. Some seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked the seed. But some fell on good soil and then there was a harvest of 100, 60, and 30. Jesus concluded, "He who has ears, let him hear."
Then Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. The seed on the beaten path represents those hearers who do not understand the Word. The seed on rocky ground are those who accept the Gospel enthusiastically but in time of trouble drop out. The seed that fell among the thorns refers to the hearers who get too busy with secular affairs and do not have time for the Word. The seed on the good ground stand for those who hear, understand, and bear fruit as much as 100-, 60-, and 30-fold.
Thesis:
13:1-9 - God's Word will enjoy a rich harvest.
13:18-23 - Take heed to hearing the Word of God.
Theme: 13:1-9 - God's truth wins out!
13:18-23 - How do you hear?
Key Words in the Parable
1. "Sower." (v. 3) The sower is any person who broadcasts the seed. A preacher or teacher sows the seed of God's Word. In the parable, there is no problem with the sower. No fault can be found with his sowing the seed. The sower is simply doing his job. He is not responsible for where the seed may fall.
2. "Sow." (v. 3) In Palestine sowing preceded plowing. This accounts for the seed falling on other than broken, prepared ground. The seed was thrown on the surface of the field. Later the soil was scratched with a primitive wooden plow. The sower walked across a field and spread the seed held in a cloth which was fastened around his waist. To prevent the birds eating the seed, the field was plowed as soon as possible after spreading the seed.
3. "Seeds." (v. 4) Three of the four areas where seed was sown did not yield grain. Like the sower, there was nothing wrong with the seed. The seed is the Word of God. It is faultless and has inherent power to grow and produce. The problem is not with the seed but with the soil, the hearers.
4. "Hear." (vv. 8, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23) The word, "hear" occurs more frequently in the parable and its explanation than any other one word. "Hears the word" is a refrain that occurs six times. This leads us to conclude that the main point of the parable, in the light of the interpretation, is proper listening. We hear but we may not hear what is said. To hear is to listen. It calls for understanding, integration, and acceptance of the truth proclaimed.
5. "Kingdom." (v. 18) The seed is the "word of the Kingdom." What is the "Kingdom"? Jesus said that his coming meant that the Kingdom of God was near. Jesus is the King and his people constitute the Kingdom in which God reigns. Jesus is the Word that is sown as seed. To sow the seed means to preach Christ.
6. "Understand." (v. 18) Whether or not the seed produces fruit depends on the hearer's understanding the Word. To understand calls for one to think, reflect, and have insight. Understanding requires faith and the Spirit who gives insight. St. Augustine said, "Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand." Similarly, what the love of God is none but his loved ones know.
7. "Persecution." (v. 21) This word probably reflects the conditions faced by Christians in the first century. Followers of Christ were subject to persecution by both unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. In every generation Christians experience tribulation: sorrow, suffering, injustice, and death. Christians live in a hostile world and are subject to the tribulations in the world and caused by the world. Without roots, Christians will be unable to stand the scorching sun of adversity.
Contemplation
Insights
1. A variety of soils. Soil is just not soil. The parable points to a variety of soils, some bad, some not so bad, and good soil. Hearers of the Word are like the soils. In any group of listeners, especially in church, there are people who divide into several categories:
A. People who reject the message - the hardened soil of the path. The truth never gets into the person.
B. People who are shallow - the layer of soil above the rock. These receive the Word enthusiastically but they do not keep the faith very long. They keep getting revived or converted time after time. Often they are overly emotional and sentimental.
C. People who are too busy with secular interests - the thorns. They do not take time to be holy.
D. People who receive the Word and obey it - the good soil.
2. Who is to blame? In the parable, three types of people fail to produce. Is this the best a preacher can expect - twenty-five percent of the congregation will respond? It depends on the percentage of each soil. The three soils may comprise only ten percent of the congregation. It is important to observe that the fault of the nonproductive soils is not the sower. The fault, moreover, is not the seed. The problem lies in the recipients - the hearers, the soils. Our problem then is to develop our people to be fertile soil. There is an art to listening, an art that can be learned.
3. All four soils in one person. The parable gives us four different soils according to different kinds of listeners. Which soil is a person? Is it possible that a person can be all four? In a lifetime of listening, there are times when we rejected a message, or took it eagerly for a time, or got too busy to deal with the truth proclaimed, or produced many good works. Each person can be each of these soils at different times and circumstances.
4. A sower's encouragement. To have three categories of listeners do nothing about your preaching is to be tempted to be discouraged and it it the "foolishness of preaching." It discourages preachers in sermon preparation for they may say, "Why waste all that time when the people won't do anything about it?" However, attention needs to be focused on the good soil. Fertile soil usually has a ten percent production rate but God's Word is good soil producing 30-, 60-, and 100-fold! This gives proclaimers reason to be optimistic, encouraged, and hopeful. In spite of the failure of the other soils, there will be a wonderful harvest of good deeds. The parable as Jesus gave it (13:1-9) has an eschatological dimension - the ultimate harvest will be one of victory for God.
5. The power of the seed. When the seed of the Word falls on good soil, the Word proves its power to grow and to produce. The life and power are in the seed. Give the seed a chance by spreading it. When the soil is receptive, the seed produces miracles. In times of crisis, when personal and corporate problems are threatening, let the Word handle it. It is enough for us to spread the Word. Then wait and see the change God's Word can make. We need not take matters in our own hands and solve the problems. Let the Word do it!
Homily Hints
1. Listening Hearts. (13:1-9, 18-23) In every group of hearers, there are different listening hearts. Some hear nothing, others do nothing, but some bear fruit. To which do you belong?
A. The closed heart - the beaten path.
B. The shallow heart - the soil on the rock.
C. The crowded heart - the thorns.
D. The responsive heart - the fertile soil.
2. Are You a Good Listener? (13:1-9) Some are better listeners than others. Some have ears but do not hear. Others hear only what they want to hear. Some hear things that the speaker did not say or mean. To learn what kind of listener you are, ask yourself -
A. Is there a beaten path in your life? - v. 4.
B. Is there a rock in your life? - v. 5.
C. Are thorns in your life? - v. 7.
D. Is there good ground in your life? - v. 8.
3. Nobody to Blame but Yourself. (13:1-9) Why doesn't the seed in all cases produce grain?
A. Is it the fault of the sower?
No, because the sower is God speaking through a person.
B. Is it the fault of the seed?
No, because the seed is the Word of God.
C. Is it the fault of the soil?
Yes, because we are the soil.
4. What Makes a Good Listener? (13:23) Listeners are not born but made. You can become a good listener like good soil which produces.
A. Hear the Word - "hears the word."
B. Understand the Word - "hears and understands."
C. Put the Word into practice - "bears fruit."
5. The Winning Word. (13:1-9) The Word of God will bring a harvest in spite of three other non-productive soils. The good soil is enough and the seed of the Word so powerful, that an abundant harvest will result. What this means to us today -
A. It is a gracious promise for the future.
B. It gives us hope for the future.
C. It encourages us to keep sowing the seed of the Word.
6. Let the Word Do It. (13:1-9) The Kingdom will not come because of human effort. We cannot change hearts nor transform lives. We cannot solve the problems of peace and poverty. Luther advised, "Let the Word do it." How can the Word do it?
A. The Word has infinite power.
B. The Word has power to produce.
C. The Word is pre-eminent.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Hearing the Word aright. The parable of the seed and soil is very closely related to both the listening congregation and the preacher. Do the people hear what is proclaimed? Are they listening? To what extent are they listening? If they hear, are they getting the message or is it distorted by their experiences, prejudices, or ignorance? Getting the message across and accepted has always been a problem for speakers. Jesus had the problem, too. At the close of the parable of Lazarus and Dives, Jesus said, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16:3 1) At another time Jesus remarked about the peoples hearing the message. Though John the Baptizer neither ate nor drank, they said he had a demon. Though Jesus ate and drank, they called him a drunkard and glutton. (Matthew 11:18-19) In his hometown where he preached, the people were so angered by his words that they were about to throw him off a cliff to his death. (Luke 4:20-30) The parable of the seed and soil is applicable to every sermon.
2. A participatory event. Preaching is not a spectator sport when one watches others perform. Preaching is not a solo performance. It is a participatory event, a two-way street, involving both pulpit and pew. Preaching is a communication event which involves the sending of messages to and from the pulpit. True communication demands a response on the part of the hearers. Thus, preaching should be dialogical. The congregation has an equally important part in the process. Communication begins with the preacher as a source. The truth is encoded in proper language and is sent through the channel of the preacher's personality. When the message reaches the pews, the people decode the message and respond to it. Preaching as communication becomes a circle, half in the pulpit and half in the pew. Therefore, it takes two to preach, for if only one preaches, the Word falls to the ground uselessly. This makes preaching a conversation. The preacher speaks with the people rather than to them.
3. The hope of preaching. Is there a preacher who never wonders whether his/her preaching does any good? Time after time we preach but we see little to no results. Has all the seed fallen on nonproductive soil? The parable of the seed and soil tells us that there is hope of an eventual harvest. The preacher may not see it because he/she has moved to another church or went to heaven. Some of the seed of God's Word falls on good ground and the harvest is more than abundant. Maybe preachers are too impatient by not waiting for the seed to produce. Our task as preachers is not to necessarily be successful in preaching as to be faithful in broadcasting the seed Sunday after Sunday. We preach with the promise that God's Word will not return void.
Points to Ponder
1. Shall allegory be used? The interpretation of the parable (13:8-23) uses allegory. From the time of Julicher, the allegorization of parables has been discouraged because of possible faulty applications. Can an exception be made in this case? Is this a justifiable use of allegory? Since the church added the allegory, could the church be trusted?
2. Two possibilities. Today's gospel lesson gives us both the parable and its interpretation. According to New Testament scholars, the parable came from Jesus and the interpretation was given by the church at the time of the Evangelists.
Which of these shall be used as a text, or can both be used? One possibility is to use only the parable. (vv. 1-9) In this case we would interpret it eschatologically. We would see the parable assuring us of hope, confidence, courage, and assurance that God's Word when proclaimed will in the end bring a harvest of souls and service.
The other possibility is to use the interpretation. (vv. 18-23) This would call for a homiletical and allegorical interpretation dealing with the art of listening. This can be justified because of the repeated references to "hear." (vv. 9, 18, 20, 22, 23) The person who hears with understanding will bring forth the grain of good works.
Illustrative Materials
1. The Sower. The state capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska has a tower 400 feet high. On the top of the tower is the figure of a sower which can be seen for miles. The statue is a symbol of the agricultural state.
2. The Art of Listening. One time a politician asked Oliver Wendell Holmes how to get elected to office. He replied, "To be able to listen to others in a sympathetic and understanding manner is, perhaps, the most effective mechanism in the world for getting along with people, and tying up their friendship for good. Too few people practice the 'white magic' of being good listeners."
3. The Hard Path of Listeners. Expressions of parishioners after a worship service:
"You always manage to find something to fill up the time."
"I don't care what they say. I like your sermons."
"If I'd known you were going to be good today, I'd have brought a neighbor."
"Did you know there are 243 panes of glass in the windows?"
"We shouldn't make you preach so often."
4. Seed-bearing Fruit. People responded to Saint Augustine's preaching by applauding, shouting approval, and asking questions. Once Augustine said, "I see my words please you. That is good. I have your applause, now I ask for your good works."
5. Dialogical Preaching. Bette Davis: "Today we watch acting but nobody is involving the audience. As a member of the audience, you shouldn't be watching what's going on, you should be involved."
6. Listen Louder. For twenty-five years Arlene Francis was on the television panel, What's My Line? At first she had difficulty asking the right questions. Her husband advised, "When I watch the show, I get the impression you can't wait to ask a question. You should listen carefully to what all the others say. Learn to listen louder." She took his advice and became very adept at the game.
7. The Seed. After buying a new home, a man began to put in a new lawn. He prepared the soil, put in a sprinkler system, and then waited for the right day to sow the seed. Then he sowed the seed, rolled and watered the lawn. For the next three weeks he daily watered the lawn and chased away the birds and his cat. Except for a few weeds, nothing came up. Then one Saturday morning he discovered in his garage a sack of grass seed. "What in the world did you plant?" asked his wife. With a sigh he replied, "kitty litter."
8. Listen to Hear. In an interview with Joan of Arc the Dauphin of France complained that he did not hear the voices she claimed to hear. Joan replied, "They do come to you, but you do not listen. You have not sat in the field in the evening and considered their message. When the angelus rings, you cross yourself and you are done with it; but if you prayed from your heart and listened to the thrilling bells in the air, after they stopped ringing, you would hear the same voices as I do."
9. Partnership in Preaching. A speaker said to an audience: "You and I have a job to do. My job is to speak, and your job is to listen. I pray that you do not get finished before I do!"
10. Hearing is Listening. When Joseph's brothers came to buy grain, Joseph accused them of being spies. They felt guilty and blamed themselves for their misfortune because they had sold him into slavery. When by themselves they said, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother ... When he besought us and we would not listen." Reuben said, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the lad? But you would not listen ..." (Genesis 42:18-22)
11. Productive Seeds. One day Benjamin Franklin received a whisk broom from India. He noticed a few seeds fastened to the wisps of the broom. He planted them. When the first crop came up, he distributed the seeds among friends. Their crops flourished. In this way Franklin was responsible for introducing broom corn to the colonies.
12. Potential Seed. John Trebonius reverenced every boy in his classroom, for he realized he did not know a boy's potential. One of his boys was Martin Luther. A Sunday school teacher in Boston presented Christ to a shoe salesman. The young man that listened was Dwight L. Moody.
13. Patience for the Harvest. One night a minister dreamed of seeing a new shop. He went in and saw an angel behind the counter. He asked what the shop sold. The angel answered, "Everything your heart desires." "Then I want peace an earth and an end to sorrow, famine, and disease." "Just a moment," smiled the angel, "You don't seem to understand. We don't sell fruits here, only seeds."
14. A Listener. A counselor in Largo, Florida each year at Christmas time offers a listening ear to people who may want to talk. There is no charge. He may be called between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For many hearing is a problem. It is not a matter of getting a hearing aid. In spite of excellent physical hearing, we often fail to hear what is said. Some have not yet learned the art of listening, and all of us need to improve our skills in the art.
Recent studies bear out this contention. The average person spends fifty to eighty percent of each day listening. But only half of us hear what is said. And of what is said, only twenty-five percent is understood. Of what is understood less than twenty-five percent is remembered. Communication specialists declare that people use only twenty-five percent of their listening ability. As a result it is often said, "You are not hearing me," or "You are not listening," or "We are not communicating," or "You hear only what you want to hear." As a result of not hearing, misunderstandings develop, marriages fail, and businesses lose money. All of this proves that hearing each other is no small problem.
Along with every proclaimer, Jesus faced this very same problem. He was speaking to people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A huge crowd came. People came from all over Palestine. The number was so great that Jesus was being pushed into the surf. Someone lent him a boat from which he preached. As he looked at this sea of faces, he probably wondered how many would accept his message. At the time a sower may have been in the act of spreading seed on the hillside. This may have prompted him to tell the parable of the sower, seed, and soils. At the conclusion, he expressed his concern for their hearing when he said, "He who has ears, let him hear."
This problem of hearing was emphasized in the interpretation of the parable. (vv. 18-23) In this explanation, four times we read, "hears the word." Over and over again, the concern is hearing the Word of God. As it was a concern of Jesus and the apostolic church, it is still a problem of every preacher. As with the people of Nazareth, will the message be rejected by today's listeners? (Matthew 13:53-57) Hopefully they will hear the truth and bring forth abundant fruit.
Context
Context of the Church Year
Today's parable is the first of three from Matthew 13:
Pentecost 8 - 13:1-9, 18-23 - Seed and Soil.
Pentecost 9 - 13:24-30, 36-43 - Wheat and Weeds.
Pentecost 10 - 13:44-52 - Treasure and Trash.
The parables are given in-course, for the first verse of the following gospel lesson is the next verse of the preceding Gospel. The three parables lend themselves to a series of sermons.
Context of Matthew 13
Matthew 13 may be called "the parable chapter." It contains seven parables. In addition to the series of parables:
1. An interpretation of two parables: Sower and Weeds.
2. The purpose of parables - 13:10-17.
3. An explanation of Jesus' use of parables - 13:34-35.
4. The people of Nazareth reject Jesus' teachings - 13:53-58.
Context of Parallel Passages (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20; Luke 8:4-8, 11-15)
1. Scene of the parable. Matthew and Mark give details of the setting for the parable. Jesus is speaking on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Because of the immense crowd, he must get in a boat to speak to the multiude standing on the beach. Luke reports only that a "great crowd" was present for the parable.
2. Yield. There is a variance in the amount of harvest. Matthew says, 100, 60, 30. Mark reverses the figures: 30, 60, 100. Luke mentions only 100.
3. Understanding. Matthew explains that people who understand the Word will be like good soil. Mark has Jesus ask his Disciples whether they understand the parable. Apparently they do not and therefore he explains it. Luke makes no mention of "understanding" related to this parable.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Exodus 2:11-22) After killing an Egyptian Moses fled to Midian where he married Zipporah, a daughter of Jethro.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 8:9-17) The Spirit witnesses to the fact that we are children of God. If we live by our sinful nature, we will die. But, if we have the spirit of Christ and live by the Spirit, we will live.
Gospel. (Matthew 13:1-9,18-23) The parable of the soils and its interpretation.
Psalm. (Psalm 69:6-15) In spite of insults and shame, the Psalmist declares his loyalty and prays for safety from his enemies.
Prayer of the Day. We thank God for planting the seed of his Word in our hearts.
Hymn of the Day. "Almighty God, Your Word is Cast" - a prayer that the seed of the Word may abound in righteous fruit.
Putting it all together
The three Lessons and Liturgical Propers do not have a central theme. However, the Psalm is in keeping with Moses' exile in Midian (Lesson 1). The Prayer and Hymn harmonize with the Gospel's parable.
Context of Related Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:4 - "Hear, O Israel."
1 Samuel 3:9 - "Speak, for thy servant hears."
Isaiah 55:10-11 - The Word of God will not return void.
Ezekiel 33:30-33 - "They hear what you say but they will not do it."
Ezekiel 37:3-4 - "O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord."
Amos 7:10-17 - When the Word falls on a beaten path.
Amos 8:11 - A famine of hearing the Word.
Mark 9:7 - "This is my beloved son; listen to him."
Romans 10:14-17 - "So faith comes from what is heard."
Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruit of the Spirit.
Hebrews 4:2; 5:11 - Hearing demands faith and alertness.
Content
Content of the Pericope
In this gospel lesson for Pentecost 8, we have, in a sense, twin parables. The first (vv. 1-9) was given by Jesus to the public. Taken by itself it seems to have an eschatological application. The emphasis is not upon the soils that did not bear fruit but upon the enormous harvest from the fertile soil. This could indicate that Christians are encouraged and inspired by the knowledge that in spite of some soil, God's harvest will be great. The parable leads to hope and confidence of victory in the end.
The second parable (vv. 18-23) is not a parable in the strict sense of the word but an interpretation of the former parable. This is addressed to the disciples. Many New Testament scholars are convinced for various reasons that this section comes from the early church. It is an allegorical interpretation. The sower is the proclaimer of the Word. The seed is the Word of God. The spoils represent four kinds of people: 1. hearers who do not understand; 2. hearers who do not persevere in times of persecution; 3. the worldly hearers; 4. faithful people who are fruitful in good works. The church's version deals with the current problem of hearing the Word aright. In Matthew 11 and 12, the Pharisees and Disciples are contrasted. Jesus' teachings have failed to get the Pharisees to produce fruit. They are represented by the unproductive soils. The early church, by this allegorical interpretation, is trying to explain why the preaching of the Gospel has not been accepted by many Jews and others.
Precis of the Parable
Jesus was on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd from many parts of the country came to hear him. To avoid being pushed in the surf, Jesus borrowed a boat in which he sat as he addressed the multitude standing on the shore. He told them a parable about a man who went out to sow seed. Some of the seed fell on a beaten path and the birds came and ate the seed. Other seed fell on rocky ground which had a thin layer of earth on the rock. The seed quickly sprang up but when the heat of the sun hit it, the plants withered because they had no roots. Some seed fell among thorns which grew up and choked the seed. But some fell on good soil and then there was a harvest of 100, 60, and 30. Jesus concluded, "He who has ears, let him hear."
Then Jesus explains the parable to the disciples. The seed on the beaten path represents those hearers who do not understand the Word. The seed on rocky ground are those who accept the Gospel enthusiastically but in time of trouble drop out. The seed that fell among the thorns refers to the hearers who get too busy with secular affairs and do not have time for the Word. The seed on the good ground stand for those who hear, understand, and bear fruit as much as 100-, 60-, and 30-fold.
Thesis:
13:1-9 - God's Word will enjoy a rich harvest.
13:18-23 - Take heed to hearing the Word of God.
Theme: 13:1-9 - God's truth wins out!
13:18-23 - How do you hear?
Key Words in the Parable
1. "Sower." (v. 3) The sower is any person who broadcasts the seed. A preacher or teacher sows the seed of God's Word. In the parable, there is no problem with the sower. No fault can be found with his sowing the seed. The sower is simply doing his job. He is not responsible for where the seed may fall.
2. "Sow." (v. 3) In Palestine sowing preceded plowing. This accounts for the seed falling on other than broken, prepared ground. The seed was thrown on the surface of the field. Later the soil was scratched with a primitive wooden plow. The sower walked across a field and spread the seed held in a cloth which was fastened around his waist. To prevent the birds eating the seed, the field was plowed as soon as possible after spreading the seed.
3. "Seeds." (v. 4) Three of the four areas where seed was sown did not yield grain. Like the sower, there was nothing wrong with the seed. The seed is the Word of God. It is faultless and has inherent power to grow and produce. The problem is not with the seed but with the soil, the hearers.
4. "Hear." (vv. 8, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23) The word, "hear" occurs more frequently in the parable and its explanation than any other one word. "Hears the word" is a refrain that occurs six times. This leads us to conclude that the main point of the parable, in the light of the interpretation, is proper listening. We hear but we may not hear what is said. To hear is to listen. It calls for understanding, integration, and acceptance of the truth proclaimed.
5. "Kingdom." (v. 18) The seed is the "word of the Kingdom." What is the "Kingdom"? Jesus said that his coming meant that the Kingdom of God was near. Jesus is the King and his people constitute the Kingdom in which God reigns. Jesus is the Word that is sown as seed. To sow the seed means to preach Christ.
6. "Understand." (v. 18) Whether or not the seed produces fruit depends on the hearer's understanding the Word. To understand calls for one to think, reflect, and have insight. Understanding requires faith and the Spirit who gives insight. St. Augustine said, "Do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand." Similarly, what the love of God is none but his loved ones know.
7. "Persecution." (v. 21) This word probably reflects the conditions faced by Christians in the first century. Followers of Christ were subject to persecution by both unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. In every generation Christians experience tribulation: sorrow, suffering, injustice, and death. Christians live in a hostile world and are subject to the tribulations in the world and caused by the world. Without roots, Christians will be unable to stand the scorching sun of adversity.
Contemplation
Insights
1. A variety of soils. Soil is just not soil. The parable points to a variety of soils, some bad, some not so bad, and good soil. Hearers of the Word are like the soils. In any group of listeners, especially in church, there are people who divide into several categories:
A. People who reject the message - the hardened soil of the path. The truth never gets into the person.
B. People who are shallow - the layer of soil above the rock. These receive the Word enthusiastically but they do not keep the faith very long. They keep getting revived or converted time after time. Often they are overly emotional and sentimental.
C. People who are too busy with secular interests - the thorns. They do not take time to be holy.
D. People who receive the Word and obey it - the good soil.
2. Who is to blame? In the parable, three types of people fail to produce. Is this the best a preacher can expect - twenty-five percent of the congregation will respond? It depends on the percentage of each soil. The three soils may comprise only ten percent of the congregation. It is important to observe that the fault of the nonproductive soils is not the sower. The fault, moreover, is not the seed. The problem lies in the recipients - the hearers, the soils. Our problem then is to develop our people to be fertile soil. There is an art to listening, an art that can be learned.
3. All four soils in one person. The parable gives us four different soils according to different kinds of listeners. Which soil is a person? Is it possible that a person can be all four? In a lifetime of listening, there are times when we rejected a message, or took it eagerly for a time, or got too busy to deal with the truth proclaimed, or produced many good works. Each person can be each of these soils at different times and circumstances.
4. A sower's encouragement. To have three categories of listeners do nothing about your preaching is to be tempted to be discouraged and it it the "foolishness of preaching." It discourages preachers in sermon preparation for they may say, "Why waste all that time when the people won't do anything about it?" However, attention needs to be focused on the good soil. Fertile soil usually has a ten percent production rate but God's Word is good soil producing 30-, 60-, and 100-fold! This gives proclaimers reason to be optimistic, encouraged, and hopeful. In spite of the failure of the other soils, there will be a wonderful harvest of good deeds. The parable as Jesus gave it (13:1-9) has an eschatological dimension - the ultimate harvest will be one of victory for God.
5. The power of the seed. When the seed of the Word falls on good soil, the Word proves its power to grow and to produce. The life and power are in the seed. Give the seed a chance by spreading it. When the soil is receptive, the seed produces miracles. In times of crisis, when personal and corporate problems are threatening, let the Word handle it. It is enough for us to spread the Word. Then wait and see the change God's Word can make. We need not take matters in our own hands and solve the problems. Let the Word do it!
Homily Hints
1. Listening Hearts. (13:1-9, 18-23) In every group of hearers, there are different listening hearts. Some hear nothing, others do nothing, but some bear fruit. To which do you belong?
A. The closed heart - the beaten path.
B. The shallow heart - the soil on the rock.
C. The crowded heart - the thorns.
D. The responsive heart - the fertile soil.
2. Are You a Good Listener? (13:1-9) Some are better listeners than others. Some have ears but do not hear. Others hear only what they want to hear. Some hear things that the speaker did not say or mean. To learn what kind of listener you are, ask yourself -
A. Is there a beaten path in your life? - v. 4.
B. Is there a rock in your life? - v. 5.
C. Are thorns in your life? - v. 7.
D. Is there good ground in your life? - v. 8.
3. Nobody to Blame but Yourself. (13:1-9) Why doesn't the seed in all cases produce grain?
A. Is it the fault of the sower?
No, because the sower is God speaking through a person.
B. Is it the fault of the seed?
No, because the seed is the Word of God.
C. Is it the fault of the soil?
Yes, because we are the soil.
4. What Makes a Good Listener? (13:23) Listeners are not born but made. You can become a good listener like good soil which produces.
A. Hear the Word - "hears the word."
B. Understand the Word - "hears and understands."
C. Put the Word into practice - "bears fruit."
5. The Winning Word. (13:1-9) The Word of God will bring a harvest in spite of three other non-productive soils. The good soil is enough and the seed of the Word so powerful, that an abundant harvest will result. What this means to us today -
A. It is a gracious promise for the future.
B. It gives us hope for the future.
C. It encourages us to keep sowing the seed of the Word.
6. Let the Word Do It. (13:1-9) The Kingdom will not come because of human effort. We cannot change hearts nor transform lives. We cannot solve the problems of peace and poverty. Luther advised, "Let the Word do it." How can the Word do it?
A. The Word has infinite power.
B. The Word has power to produce.
C. The Word is pre-eminent.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Hearing the Word aright. The parable of the seed and soil is very closely related to both the listening congregation and the preacher. Do the people hear what is proclaimed? Are they listening? To what extent are they listening? If they hear, are they getting the message or is it distorted by their experiences, prejudices, or ignorance? Getting the message across and accepted has always been a problem for speakers. Jesus had the problem, too. At the close of the parable of Lazarus and Dives, Jesus said, "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead." (Luke 16:3 1) At another time Jesus remarked about the peoples hearing the message. Though John the Baptizer neither ate nor drank, they said he had a demon. Though Jesus ate and drank, they called him a drunkard and glutton. (Matthew 11:18-19) In his hometown where he preached, the people were so angered by his words that they were about to throw him off a cliff to his death. (Luke 4:20-30) The parable of the seed and soil is applicable to every sermon.
2. A participatory event. Preaching is not a spectator sport when one watches others perform. Preaching is not a solo performance. It is a participatory event, a two-way street, involving both pulpit and pew. Preaching is a communication event which involves the sending of messages to and from the pulpit. True communication demands a response on the part of the hearers. Thus, preaching should be dialogical. The congregation has an equally important part in the process. Communication begins with the preacher as a source. The truth is encoded in proper language and is sent through the channel of the preacher's personality. When the message reaches the pews, the people decode the message and respond to it. Preaching as communication becomes a circle, half in the pulpit and half in the pew. Therefore, it takes two to preach, for if only one preaches, the Word falls to the ground uselessly. This makes preaching a conversation. The preacher speaks with the people rather than to them.
3. The hope of preaching. Is there a preacher who never wonders whether his/her preaching does any good? Time after time we preach but we see little to no results. Has all the seed fallen on nonproductive soil? The parable of the seed and soil tells us that there is hope of an eventual harvest. The preacher may not see it because he/she has moved to another church or went to heaven. Some of the seed of God's Word falls on good ground and the harvest is more than abundant. Maybe preachers are too impatient by not waiting for the seed to produce. Our task as preachers is not to necessarily be successful in preaching as to be faithful in broadcasting the seed Sunday after Sunday. We preach with the promise that God's Word will not return void.
Points to Ponder
1. Shall allegory be used? The interpretation of the parable (13:8-23) uses allegory. From the time of Julicher, the allegorization of parables has been discouraged because of possible faulty applications. Can an exception be made in this case? Is this a justifiable use of allegory? Since the church added the allegory, could the church be trusted?
2. Two possibilities. Today's gospel lesson gives us both the parable and its interpretation. According to New Testament scholars, the parable came from Jesus and the interpretation was given by the church at the time of the Evangelists.
Which of these shall be used as a text, or can both be used? One possibility is to use only the parable. (vv. 1-9) In this case we would interpret it eschatologically. We would see the parable assuring us of hope, confidence, courage, and assurance that God's Word when proclaimed will in the end bring a harvest of souls and service.
The other possibility is to use the interpretation. (vv. 18-23) This would call for a homiletical and allegorical interpretation dealing with the art of listening. This can be justified because of the repeated references to "hear." (vv. 9, 18, 20, 22, 23) The person who hears with understanding will bring forth the grain of good works.
Illustrative Materials
1. The Sower. The state capitol building in Lincoln, Nebraska has a tower 400 feet high. On the top of the tower is the figure of a sower which can be seen for miles. The statue is a symbol of the agricultural state.
2. The Art of Listening. One time a politician asked Oliver Wendell Holmes how to get elected to office. He replied, "To be able to listen to others in a sympathetic and understanding manner is, perhaps, the most effective mechanism in the world for getting along with people, and tying up their friendship for good. Too few people practice the 'white magic' of being good listeners."
3. The Hard Path of Listeners. Expressions of parishioners after a worship service:
"You always manage to find something to fill up the time."
"I don't care what they say. I like your sermons."
"If I'd known you were going to be good today, I'd have brought a neighbor."
"Did you know there are 243 panes of glass in the windows?"
"We shouldn't make you preach so often."
4. Seed-bearing Fruit. People responded to Saint Augustine's preaching by applauding, shouting approval, and asking questions. Once Augustine said, "I see my words please you. That is good. I have your applause, now I ask for your good works."
5. Dialogical Preaching. Bette Davis: "Today we watch acting but nobody is involving the audience. As a member of the audience, you shouldn't be watching what's going on, you should be involved."
6. Listen Louder. For twenty-five years Arlene Francis was on the television panel, What's My Line? At first she had difficulty asking the right questions. Her husband advised, "When I watch the show, I get the impression you can't wait to ask a question. You should listen carefully to what all the others say. Learn to listen louder." She took his advice and became very adept at the game.
7. The Seed. After buying a new home, a man began to put in a new lawn. He prepared the soil, put in a sprinkler system, and then waited for the right day to sow the seed. Then he sowed the seed, rolled and watered the lawn. For the next three weeks he daily watered the lawn and chased away the birds and his cat. Except for a few weeds, nothing came up. Then one Saturday morning he discovered in his garage a sack of grass seed. "What in the world did you plant?" asked his wife. With a sigh he replied, "kitty litter."
8. Listen to Hear. In an interview with Joan of Arc the Dauphin of France complained that he did not hear the voices she claimed to hear. Joan replied, "They do come to you, but you do not listen. You have not sat in the field in the evening and considered their message. When the angelus rings, you cross yourself and you are done with it; but if you prayed from your heart and listened to the thrilling bells in the air, after they stopped ringing, you would hear the same voices as I do."
9. Partnership in Preaching. A speaker said to an audience: "You and I have a job to do. My job is to speak, and your job is to listen. I pray that you do not get finished before I do!"
10. Hearing is Listening. When Joseph's brothers came to buy grain, Joseph accused them of being spies. They felt guilty and blamed themselves for their misfortune because they had sold him into slavery. When by themselves they said, "In truth we are guilty concerning our brother ... When he besought us and we would not listen." Reuben said, "Did I not tell you not to sin against the lad? But you would not listen ..." (Genesis 42:18-22)
11. Productive Seeds. One day Benjamin Franklin received a whisk broom from India. He noticed a few seeds fastened to the wisps of the broom. He planted them. When the first crop came up, he distributed the seeds among friends. Their crops flourished. In this way Franklin was responsible for introducing broom corn to the colonies.
12. Potential Seed. John Trebonius reverenced every boy in his classroom, for he realized he did not know a boy's potential. One of his boys was Martin Luther. A Sunday school teacher in Boston presented Christ to a shoe salesman. The young man that listened was Dwight L. Moody.
13. Patience for the Harvest. One night a minister dreamed of seeing a new shop. He went in and saw an angel behind the counter. He asked what the shop sold. The angel answered, "Everything your heart desires." "Then I want peace an earth and an end to sorrow, famine, and disease." "Just a moment," smiled the angel, "You don't seem to understand. We don't sell fruits here, only seeds."
14. A Listener. A counselor in Largo, Florida each year at Christmas time offers a listening ear to people who may want to talk. There is no charge. He may be called between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
