THURSDAY March 20 Gen. 42:29-38 1 Cor. 6:12-20 Mark 4:21-34 He also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.’ (Mark 4: 26-34 - NRSV) This parable of the growing seed continues the message of the parable of the sower recorded earlier in chapter 4 of the Gospel according to Saint Mark and is one of the special New Testament parables for which Jesus actually interprets its meaning for us. Seeds (the Word of God) were broadcast by the sower and fell randomly in different soils and conditions (hearts & minds). Some fell on packed ground and never grew at all. Some seeds fell on shallow soil and sprouted, but soon perished because they had an inadequate root system. Some fell in with weeds, grew, but failed to mature into viable plants because they were choked by the weeds. And some fell in rich, fertile soil, germinated, matured, and bore fruit for the harvest. All of this was as a result of the sower taking a single action - the scattering of the seed. Spring is approaching, as it does every year at this time and the gardeners among us are preparing to plant our own choices of seed in the hope that the coming weeks and months will reward our efforts with the fruits of the harvest. The planting of a seed is a profound gesture of hope, a vote of confidence in the orderly and predictable cycle of life. But, if the seeds fail to sprout, or reach maturity after sprouting, it is only natural for our inner gardener to feel a deep sense of loss and frustration at what we perceive to be the wasted effort of planting the seed in the first place. In this follow-up parable to the parable of the sower Jesus seems to have anticipated this same sense of frustration that his disciples might feel when the Gospel message is rejected by some to whom it is freely shared. He may have even seen in their hearts - and ours - the unspoken question, Why bother. His message to them (and each of us as well ) seems to be clear: Sow the seeds of salvation and let me take care of the rest. Why is it that some people even if they have heard Jesus message, or grew up going to church, dont seem to get it? As compassionate Christians, we want everyone to know the joy that comes from having a close and unbreakable relationship with our Savior. But, Jesus assures us that when the seeds are sown: some hear but the evil one snatches salvation, some hear and believe - but fall away without accepting Christ as their savior - not because of the inadequacy of the Sower, but by the hardness of their own hearts. But somewhere out there is someone eager to hear the Gospel, as demonstrated by the way we live as members of the Body of Christ. By sharing the seeds of faith with others, we are offering them an opportunity to accept the Grace of God for all eternity. What greater joy can there possibly be than to witness the power of God in action as His Grace shapes their lives: slowly, progressively, unfailingly - eternally. Father, give me the courage to share my faith and the joy of watching what you do next. Amen!
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 13:00:00 +0000
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