Pentecost 6 A: Enough!
Dear Partner in Preaching,
Whether we know it or not, most of us have been deeply shaped by Joachim Jeremias when it comes to reading this parable. You remember Jeremias, the German New Testament scholar who was so gifted at isolating the different literary forms and genres employed by the Evangelists to help guide our interpretations of their work? Well, whether you remember him or not, you’ve probably been influenced by him and, particularly, by his seminal work, The Parables of Jesus. 🙂
When it comes to this parable, Jeremias points out the distinct difference in tone and content between the parable “proper” about the “sower who went out to sow” (Mt. 13:1-9) and the interpretation Jesus provides the disciples about the different kinds of soil that received the sowers’ seed (Mt. 13:18-23). And that, in a nutshell, was precisely Jeremias’ point: there is a major shift in focus from the sower to the soil in these two parts of our reading.
The parable itself describes a sower who is ridiculously generous with the amount of seed he scatters, throwing it not only on the good soil but on soil that even non-farmers like most of us can recognize weren’t good bets: thorny soil, dry soil, and even a beaten path. I mean, what are the chances the seed is going to take root in that? Which makes this sower not simply generous but wasteful. Seed was not cheap in the ancient world, and everyone who listened to Jesus’ parable would have recognized the sheer wastefulness, recklessness, even stupidity, of such an approach to farming.
Yet when we get to Jesus’ interpretation, the generosity/wastefulness of the sower and the amazing abundance of seed isn’t even mentioned. Instead, the focus has shifted entirely to the soil, drawing an analogy between the different qualities of soil and different kinds of believers. The implication seems relatively clear: we should pray and strive, to borrow the words of Handt Hanson’s lovely and simple hymn, to “Let my heart be good soil.”
Interestingly, Jeremias believed the parable itself was probably original to Jesus and emphasized this amazing and abundant grace as characteristic of the Kingdom of God, whereas the interpretation was a different literary form and most likely a creation of the Evangelists to apply this parable to their own situation where believers were struggling to hang on to their faith. The parable, then, was proclamation of unending grace, whereas the interpretation was encouragement to persevere. Ever since, many of us have felt the need to “pick a side” and preach either the first half or the second.
But I wonder: might we recognize a) that our folks need encouragement – after all, “let my heart be good soil” is a pretty consistently relevant prayer – but also b) that finally if there wasn’t a sower who sowed generously, abundantly, even wastefully it really wouldn’t matter what kind of soil our hearts are?
And this is what strikes me just this week. We live at a time and place where we often feel like there is just never enough: not enough money, or clean water, or fresh air, or fuel, or security, or happiness, or prestige or… well, you name it. Sometimes this feeling comes from the ads we watch (or are subjected to) via television, radio, and the internet, ads that strive to create in us a sense of lack and inadequacy that the particular product being advertised can fill. And sometimes this feeling comes from politicians who, whether hailing from the left, right, or middle, follow a similar strategy by naming what is wrong, what is lacking, what we should fear, and then offering themselves as the solution to our problems. While this strategy is effective for both advertisers and politicians, it has the effect of creating in us a profound sense of scarcity and inadequacy, eventually making us believe not only that we do not have enough but ultimately are not enough.
Which is why this story of a sower – and by extension God – who scatters seed on all kinds of soil means so much to me and might mean so much to our people. God does not hold back. God is not worried about whether there will be enough seed or grace or love. God may want our hearts to be good soil but nevertheless hurls a ridiculous amount of seed even on dry, thorny, or beaten soil. Goodness, but you get the feeling this God would probably scatter seed-love-mercy-grace on a parking lot! Why, because there is enough! And, ultimately, because God believes we are enough. Enough to save ourselves? No. Enough to deserve love, dignity and respect? Absolutely.
God loves us just as we are and so regards us as worthy of being showered with grace. Loving us as we are is not, of course, the same as being content with where we are. In fact, precisely because God loves us God wants us to discover the abundant life of trust in God and love of and service to our neighbor. Precisely because God loves us, God wants us to stand against the fear and scarcity that drive prejudice, racism, greed, and violence. Precisely because God loves us, God wants to strive for the equality and dignity of all people. Precisely because God loves us, God wants us to share what we have generously so all will have enough food and shelter. Precisely because God loves us, that is, God wants us to grow into the people God knows we can be.
But the fundamental and unifying element in all of God’s hopes for us is that they all spring from God’s unconditional, even reckless, love for and acceptance of us right here, right now, just as we are. There is enough. You are enough. God will never give up on us. God’s love is unending. Period.
Or, maybe better: You are enough. God will never give up on us. God’s love is unending. Let anyone with ears listen!
Thank you for your proclamation of God’s more-than-sufficient grace and love, Dear Partner. Your folks are grateful for and blessed by your ministry.
Yours in Christ,
David
“you get the feeling this God would probably scatter seed-love-mercy-grace on a parking lot! Why, because there is enough! And, ultimately, because God believes we are enough. Enough to save ourselves? No. Enough to deserve love, dignity and respect? Absolutely.”
I cannot help but ask, again, WHAT we are being saved from? What do you mean that we cannot “save ourselves?” Does the crucifixion of Jesus “save” us from God’s wrath??? In effect, is the Atonement God’s way of saving us from God’s Self (i.e. eternal damnation)???
I am convinced, by scripture and reason, that Jesus did NOT die because the authorities were worried about his stories concerning God’s love and dignity for sinners. Rather, Jesus was hunted, arrested, interrogated, tortured and finally executed for both his statements and deeds against the prevailing political/religious authorities of Rome/Palestine.
Of course, there is more than ample scripture references that have Jesus speaking about the divisions of sheep and goats (based upon what they did or didn’t do to “the least of these”) and the eternal consequences of those actions (again, eternal fire of hell). These divisions even split up families and communities as we are told in Matthew’s gospel.
All to say, David, is that proclaiming God’s love and dignity for everyone is not enough for this world. Somewhere along the line in every generation, people need to show up and speak out against the powers of this world who could care less about the needs of those who are oppressed and suffer and whether God loves them or not.
I am reminded, this year of observing the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, that we follow a host of historical figures (Jesus and Martin Luther to name the obvious) who spoke boldly and clearly against their political/religious adversaries. They intentionally broke “laws” established by said authorities. I would say it’s one thing to talk about God’s love, but quite another to put ones skin on the line for it (i.e. love as justice)!
Maybe I am cutting hairs here, but I find it unhelpful (and frankly problematic) to keep using the loaded term “saving” when speaking of Jesus, God, etc. The Atonement Theory is abusive and horrible. It has no relevance in the 21st century except for those who continue to hang on to it’s medieval worldview.
As I read this blog, I subconsciously insert the word (go it alone) rather than save us… Not splitting hairs at all, but making a solid point. Yet, I wait every week for David Lose to write. Always, always, always something for me to think about, mull over and ultimately inspire my preaching. And as I have said before, I so appreciate the thank you!
As you may (or may not?) know, David has on occasion in this blog (and in his books) critiqued substitutionary atonement.
I’m sure my soteriology is flawed as I am not seminary educated and work as a bi-vocational, part-time preacher. I’ve never read David’s words as advocating a transactional salvation or substitutional atonement.
My viewpoint regarding being “saved” is that it regards rescue from the attitudes and prevailing self-serving, self-indulgent, and ultimately self-destructive modus operandi of humans and human society. We can be saved from the flawed and disconnected world by our relationship with God in Christ. Jesus was not our proxy on the cross, but the proxy of God – just as he had been in his ministry. In Jesus’ execution we responded in the worst way to God’s message of love and forgiveness. In Jesus’ resurrection, God responded to our hate by “doubling down” on His message of unending love. No matter how we reject Him, God returns to us. When we recognize that constant grace and accept it we are saved from our isolation from God and enter into a relationship with him through Christ. I supposed I could have it all wrong, but that’s my context for the word ‘saved.’
Well said, brother! also, seminary training is quite overrated, take it from one who spent four years at it and then had to learn how to be a pastor on the job 🙂
If that is the case, you might as well make God one of us, in which case we would have to try and save ourselves. Which is precisely why we do need saving.
Might it be that the poor soil is tainted by stubborn sin — but receives the seeds of grace and faith anyway? Yeah, I know. We don’t like to use the word “sin” anymore. But isn’t that the way the Lord comes to us, loves us, and accepts us? As people who are both stubbornly sinful and sin against God and one another? I find hope in that.
So ‘sin’ is how we translate ‘hamartia.’ Means ‘missing the mark.’ Fits into getting caught by a lot of stuff that pulls me into a smaller world that focuses away from compassion, forgiveness, responsibility. Makes me think that explaining is better than taking responsibility, and that ‘mimetic desire’ is my right. So we stubbornly miss the mark, and get trapped (skandalon – the trip stick in a trap). Greek helps.
I think you are so right, we don’t like to user the word sin anymore.
Our lessons from Isaiah also speaks of God’s bounteous persistence. It truly is amazing how many seeds are produced from a plant that was grown from only one seed.You be that giving seed of God’s Grace, it will not return to you empty either.
David, I love the image of God scattering seed on the parking lot! I suspect that there are a few folks in my church who feel that their heart is as dry and hard as a parking lot sometimes. I confess that mine is sometimes. And yet, God tosses grace my way despite my readiness to receive it. Yes, indeed!
I would add that, because of that kind of Grace, we are invited to “act like the farmer” when offering grace to others!
Thanks for your weekly insights and gifts!
Jeff
I appreciate your use of Vincent Van Gogh’s Sower at the top of the blog. Van Gogh did something in the neighborhood of 30 Sower studies after seeing Millet’s original. The thing that Van Gogh includes which I believe is so important is the sun (Son) shining on the work of the sower. Despite Van Gogh’s later antipathy toward his father’s religion, he nevertheless remained deeply faithful. I love the idea that the sunshine of Christ’s grace shines upon the diligent sower, blessing the sower and the seed. Each of us is called to be a sower, and every act of loving kindness, each time we listen with empathy, each time we feed a hungry mouth, every time we have time…all these point not only to the abundance of seed, but to the possibility that the kingdom of God sprouting and growing in another human being…and we get to participate!
Thank you David for your insight. You are able to look more deeply into the readings each week. God bless you. You are a blessing to so many.
Thank you for your wisdom and insight. It has helped me on more than one occasion.
David, Many thanks for continuing to scatter seed in the parking lots of my life, some actually by God’s grace, have permeated my hard heart, softened my stubborn mind and compelled my reluctant hands and feet, in fact, as I reflect back over the years it’s persistent loving folks like yourself from Concordia Prep in Bronxville, to Seminary in St Louis, who have by gentle hand or harder kick in the butt helped make a difference. Don’t give up now.