Sermons

JULY 13, 2008, MATTHEW 13:1-9, 13-23,

“WHAT IS YOUR ‘N.P.K.’?”

 IN THE 13^TH CHAPTER OF MATTHEW THERE ARE SEVEN STORIES THAT JESUS TOLD.  THOSE SEVEN STORIES ARE AS DIFFERENT AS THEY CAN BE.  BUT ALL OF THEM ARE WHAT HAVE BECOME KNOWN AS THE KINGDOM PARABLES.

 “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS LIKE A MUSTARD SEED,” JESUS TELLS THE CROWD ON THE SHORE OF LAKE, “LIKE A TREASURE LYING BURIED IN A FIELD, LIKE YEAST, LIKE A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE, LIKE A NET LET DOWN IN THE SEA.”

 HAVING NO PROMINENT POINT TO SPEAK FROM JESUS IS STANDING IN THE BOW OF A BOAT SPEAKING TO THE CROWDS ALONG THE SHORELINE.

 SO MANY HAVE COME TO LISTEN, TO LEARN AND YES AND EVEN TO TOUCH THE MASTER THAT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR HIM IN THEIR MIDST.

 AS THE WAVES GENTLY HIT THE BOAT IT SWAYS BACK AND FORTH ALMOST MESMERIZING THE CROWD AS THE FOLLOW JESUS SWAYING BACK AND FORTH.

 IF THE CROWD CAME FOR A LECTURE THEY WERE SOON TO BE DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE JESUS DIDN’T LECTURE TO THEM. JESUS SPOKE IN A WAY THAT WAS GRABBED THEIR ATTENTION NOT WITH PROFOUND WORDS, BUT WITH WORD PICTURES. 

 HE TOLD THEM A SERIES OF SHORT STORIES, IN WHICH THEY SAW ALMOST LIKE A MOVIE OF A SERIES OF VIGNETTES THAT BEFORE THEM IMAGES OF WHAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE.

 THESE STORIES ARE AMAZING BECAUSE FOR ONE MOMENT THEIR MEANING SEEMS SO CLEAR FOR EACH OF THE STORIES COME FROM THEIR EVERYDAY ACTIVITY.

 THE CROWD’S IMMEDIATE REACTION PROBABLY WAS TO SHAKE THEIR HEADS AND SAY, “I KNOW WHAT HE IS TALKING ABOUT.  I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING IN MY DAILY LIVING.”

 “I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEEDS THAT WHEN I SOW THEM GO ALL OVER THE PLACE.  AS I TOSS THEM ONTO THE FIELD THE WIND CATCHES THEM AND THEY END UP IN PLACES THAT I DIDN’T INTEND THEM TO GO” 

THE STORIES SEEM SO CLEAR TO THEM ONE MOMENT AND THEN THE NEXT IT IS ALMOST AS IF THE MEANING WAS HIDDEN.

 JESUS’ PARABLES CONCEAL HIS MEANING EVEN AS THEY REVEAL IT, AND SOME SAY IT WAS HOW HE STAYED OUT OF JAIL.

BY TELLING PARABLES HE KEPT HIMSELF FROM BEING ACCUSED OF TREASON OR HERESY.  WASN’T HE JUST TALKING ABOUT SEEDS AND THORNS, GOOD SOIL AND BAD?

 YES, BUT NOT REALLY.

 WHEN JESUS TAUGHT IN PARABLES THOSE WHO WERE STRIVING TO LEARN AND GROW SHOOK THEIR HEADS AND REALIZED THAT JESUS WAS TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING MUCH DEEPER THAN WHAT THE STORY APPEARED TO BE AT FIRST THOUGHT.

THOSE WHO WERE THERE TO CATCH JESUS SO THEY COULD IMPRISON HIM, JUST STOOD THERE AND SCRATCHED THEIR HEADS FOR ALL THEY HEARD WERE STORIES ABOUT SEEDS, FISHING AND BURIED TREASURES.

 ONLY A CERTAIN TYPE OF PERSON COULD HEAR WHAT JESUS WAS SAYING – THOSE THAT LISTEN BECAUSE THEY ARE STRIVING TO BE CLOSER TO GOD AND DISCOVER NEW WAYS THAT GOD IS WORKING IN THE WORLD.

 THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND BY THE WAY THE HEBREW DEFINITE ARTICLE THAT COMES BEFORE “SOWER” IS BETTER TRANSLATED AS “THE” RATHER THAN “A”.

 BUT UNLESS YOU WERE LISTENING CAREFULLY THAT DIFFERENCE MIGHT HAVE ESCAPED THOSE LISTENING TO JESUS TELL THAT STORY.

 THAT CHANGE IN THE DEFINITE ARTICLE MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT CHANGES THE SOWER FROM JUST AN UNKNOWN PERSON, TO THE SOWER WITH A CAPITAL “S” AS IN GOD.

 NOW IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT MY SERMON TITLE HAS TO DO WITH MY SERMON, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.  THAT IS EXCEPT THAT WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE LETTERS “N”, “P”, “K” STAND FOR WHEN IT COMES TO FERTILIZER—NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS, POTASSIUM.

 THOSE WOULD MAKE SENSE CONSIDERING THE PARABLE HAS TO DO WITH PLANT SEEDS, RIGHT?

 BUT SOMETHING HAPPENED FROM THE TIME I FIRST DECIDED ALMOST TWO WEEKS AGO TO PREACH ON THIS PASSAGE; I SAW SOMETHING ENTIRELY DIFFERENT COMING FROM THE PASSAGE THAT I HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE. 

 THAT IS THE POWER OF THE DYNAMIC WORD. 

 WE ALL KNOW THE STORY OF THE SOWER.  MAYBE YOU FIND YOURSELF TRYING TO FIGURE OPEN WHAT TYPE OF SOIL THAT YOU ARE.  ARE YOU THE HARD PACKED SOIL THAT IS THE PATH THAT SEPARATES ONE FARM FROM THE OTHER?  ARE YOU SO HARD THAT THE SEED GETS NO CHANCE TO GERMINATE AND SNATCHED UP, AS THE MUSICAL GODSPELL DEPICTS IT, BY A CROW?

 OR ARE YOU LIKE A ROCK THAT THE SEED LANDS UPON AND SPROUTS UP BUT SOON AS THE SUN HITS IT SHRIVELS AND DIES?

 OR DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AS THE SOIL THAT IS FULL OF ALL SORTS OF NASTY THINGS THAT SPROUT UP AND EVENTUALLY CHOKE OUT THE GOOD SEED.

 THEN YOU MIGHT BE, IF YOU ARE LUCKY AND PERFECT, BUT THEN AGAIN WHICH OF US LIKE THAT, THE GOOD SOIL THAT IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND FREE FROM ALL SORTS OF IMPEDIMENTS TO THE WORD OF GOD.

 OH, HOW WE WISH THAT WE WERE LIKE THAT GOOD SOIL, BUT MOST OF US, IF NOT ALL OF US, DON’T FALL INTO THAT GROUP.  SO WE FIND OURSELVES WORRYING ABOUT HOW MANY BIRDS WERE IN THE FIELD,  HOW HARD IS MY HEART,  HOW MANY NASTY THINGS ARE GETTING IN THE WAY OF RECEIVING AND NURTURING THE KINGDOM OF GOD IN MY LIFE? 

MAYBE WE FIND OURSELVES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN NURTURE, THAT IS FERTILIZE OUR LIFE SUCH THAT WE THE MOST FERTILE SOIL THERE IS FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO GROW IN.

 DID YOU EVER NOTICE WHAT THE ODDS ARE IN THE PARABLE?  IT IS 3 T0 1 THAT WE ARE NOT THE FERTILE SOIL.

 THAT ISN’T VERY ENCOURAGING IS IT?

 BUT NOTICE WHAT THE PARABLE IS CALLED.  IT IS NOT THE PARABLE OF THE FERTILE SOIL, BUT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER.

 THE FOCUS OF THE PARABLE ISN’T ON US IT IS ON GOD.

 WHAT IF THE PARABLE ISN’T ABOUT ME, MY SUCCESSES, MY FAILURES, ABOUT BIRDS, ROCKS AND THORNS?

 WHAT IF THE STORY IS ABOUT A SOWER WHO IS SO EXTRAVAGANT WITH HIS SEED THAT HE ISN’T SO CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE IT FALLS?

 HERE WE HAVE A FARMER WHO JUST, IT SEEMS, BLISSFULLY CAST HIS PRECIOUS SEED AND DOESN’T SEEM TO CARE WHERE IT LANDS.

 HE DOESN’T MIND IF THE SEEDS FEEDS THE BIRDS, OR LANDS WHERE IT DOESN’T SEEM TO HAVE A CHANCE IN HELL, PUN INTENDED, TO GROW.

WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT THE FOCUS OF THE PARABLE ISN’T REALLY UPON US, BUT IT IS UPON THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND WHAT THAT KINGDOM IS LIKE RIGHT HERE AND NOW. 

 IT IS NOT PARABLE ABOUT US BUT ABOUT THE GENEROUS SOWER WHO DOESN’T SEEM TO RESTRICT WHERE HIS SEED ENDS UP.

 THE SOWER JUST CASTS THE SEED OF HIS GRACE WITHOUT JUDGMENT.  THE SOWER DOESN’T OBSESS ABOUT WHERE IT LANDS, NOR DOES THE SOWER SEEM VERY PRACTICAL, BUT THE SOWER KEEPS REACHING INTO THE BAG AND CASTING MORE AND MORE SEED.

 AND THE SOWER DOESN’T STOP CASTING THE SEEDS OVER THE WHOLE CREATION.  THE SOWER CASTS OUT SEEDS THAT CARRY WITHIN THEM THE POTENTIAL FOR OUR LIVES TO CHANGE. 

 THE SOWER CASTS THE SEEDS OUT TO WHERE WE ARE AT, NOT WHERE WE OUGHT TO BE.  YES, FOR THEM TO GROW INTO WHAT THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE, MATURE PLANTS THAT PRODUCE FRUIT 30, 60 OR 100 FOLD WE MUST NURTURE THAT SEED, THAT TRUTH FROM GOD.

 BUT GOD DOESN’T LIMIT WHERE THAT TRUTH IS CAST.

 YOU SEE GOD DOESN’T PUT A PRE-CONDITION ON WHO RECEIVES THAT GIFT OF TRUTH AND GRACE.  GOD IS NOT STINGY WITH LOVE.

 REMEMBER THAT JESUS SAT WITH SINNERS AND PROSTITUTES AND DIDN’T HAVE MUCH USE FOR THOSE WHO CLAIMED THAT THEY WERE MORE FERTILE THAN OTHERS.

 THE SOWER DIDN’T GO AND PICK UP ALL THE ROCKS IN THE FIELD, NOR THE SOWER PULL UP ALL THE WEEDS, NOR DID THE SOWER CAREFULLY SPACE THE SEEDS SIX INCHES APART IN NEAT ROWS.

 THE FARMER WITHOUT PREPARATION BEGINS SLINGING SEED NOT CARING WHERE IT LANDS.

 WHICH ONE OF US WOULD FARM THAT WAY?  THE ANSWER IS NONE OF US WOULD BEHAVE IN SUCH A CRAZY WAY.  BUT THEN THE SCRIPTURE ALWAYS AND EVERYWHERE SPEAKS PRIMARILY ABOUT GOD AND ONLY SECONDARILY ABOUT US.

 THE SOWER SHOWS US WHAT DIVINE ABUNDANCE IS ALL ABOUT.  GOD ISN’T PICKY WITH DIVINE LOVE. DIVINE LOVE ISN’T RESERVED FOR THE RELIGIOUS ELITE BUT IS THROWN OUT FOR THE WHOLE OF GOD’S CREATION TO RECEIVE.  NOW WHAT WE DO WITH THAT LOVE IS UP TO US.