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“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God but the ones along the path are those who, having heard, then comes the devil and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they, not believing, may not be saved. But the ones upon the rock –these, having then heard the word, receive it with joy and these do not have a root; they believe for a time and in time of trial withdraw. But the ones having fallen into the thorns, these are the ones who, having heard and carried on, are completely choked under life’s cares and riches and pleasures, and are not productive. But the ones in the worthy ground, these are whoever, having heard the word, retains it in a worthy and good heart, and bears fruit in steadfastness” (Luke’s biography of Jesus, “The Sermon on the Plain”, chapter 8: 11) |
Most Jersey churchgoers will have heard Jesus’ Parable of the Sower many times. He spoke this parable to huge crowds. Shortly after, he explained it to his then disciples. In bold above is the first part of his explanation.
What do you think of it? “The seed is the word of God.” Clearly, “having heard”, I can do one of four things with this “word”.
First, I can be so path-hard that I ignore it completely.
Second, I can rejoice in its beauty and clarity and allow it inside me. But later, when things don’t go the way that I think they should go, I give up on it.
Third, I can indeed take it inside me but then live my own life. My own life is full of “cares and riches and pleasures”. Those dominate me. Those engulf the seed, the word of God, within me. The seed is gone.
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Fourth, “having heard the word”, I may retain it inside me, follow it and do it with “a worthy and good heart”. If so, it sems that I shall bear fruit “in steadfastness”. This “steadfastness” bit is a tad worrying. Does it mean that I shall have to endure something or, even, somethings? It looks like it - because of what Jesus immediately added. Here it is -
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“But no one, having lit a candle, hides it in crockery or puts it under a bed, rather that person puts it upon a stand, so that the ones coming in may see the light. Because nothing is hidden which will not become known, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come into light.”
There’s the rub. By taking the seed, the word of God, inside me - and doing it - I will have lit a candle. (The other three soil-types will not have done so.) And that candle I shall not wish to hide inside a jug or under my bed. I won’t wish to hide it because of what it means to me – because of all that it means to me.
Fair enough. But what about the bit above when Jesus said that this would be so “because nothing is hidden which will not become known, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come into light.”? Of course, this is pretty true in general. Many people try to hide from view what is going on inside themselves - but the truth does come out. That which is truly within me – for instance the seed and word of light which I welcome inside me and decide actually to live by, to do – then that light cannot be hidden.
“See then in what way you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away."
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Jesus continued with this strange command, “See then in what way you hear…” I can’t see what I hear. But I can see the way in which I hear. Do I hear in order to do? Or do I just hear in order to know but not do?
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Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Above are Jesus’ closing words on this subject. For me, they are both wonderful and frightening at the same time. Jesus said, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
In the past I had no idea that I could be such a close relative of Jesus – if and when I do as well as hear the seed, the word of God.
The converse is also true. If I hear and don’t do, the seed is not within me. I’m then like the path-seed. The seed has been taken away from me. I’m not in the family of the LORD Jesus Christ.
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