The Parable of the Sower and the Storm
Good Morning Friends,
In the Bible tucked between stories of rejection and opposition, on the Sea of Galilee with a storm brewing, Jesus tells a story. If you are listening, you might hear him tell you that if you truly want to live a spiritually productive life then plow the soil of your desires to break them open and so prepare your heart to receive God’s word. If you are listening you might hear him tell you to put down roots of faith and persevere through the trials of life. If you are listening, you might hear him tell you to pull the weeds of worldly wealth and pursue spiritual riches. I could tell you do these things too, believing you will have good soil and the seed of God’s word will produce a bountiful harvest in your life. But honestly my telling you is not enough and maybe it is not so complex but it is not that simple either. Maybe there is something more going on here for reducing spiritual productivity to a list of things to do just does not cut it in a Tempest. So today we take closer look at what Jesus said about how this plays out in The Parable of the Sower and the Storm.
Scripture: 13When a moderate south wind began to blow, they thought they could achieve their purpose; so they weighed anchor and began to sail past Crete, close to the shore. 14But soon a violent wind, called the northeaster, rushed down from Crete.*
15Since the ship was caught and could not be turned with its head to the wind, we gave way to it and were driven. 16By running under the lee of a small island called Cauda* we were scarcely able to get the ship’s boat under control. 17After hoisting it up they took measures* to undergird the ship; then, fearing that they would run on the Syrtis, they lowered the sea-anchor and so were driven. 18We were being pounded by the storm so violently that on the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard, 19and on the third day with their own hands they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. 20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest raged, all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned.
Acts 27:13-20 (NRSV)
And it will hail when the forest comes down, And the city will be utterly laid low. How blessed will you be, you who sow beside all waters, Who let out freely the ox and the donkey.
Isaiah 32:19-20 (NIV)
Ship your grain across the sea; after many days you may receive a return.
Ecclesiastes 11:1 (NIV)13
A Harvest Story
At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Matthew 13:1-9The Message (MSG)
The Meaning of the Harvest Story
“Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn’t take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person’s heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. “The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. “The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. “The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.”
Matthew 13:18-23The Message (MSG)
Message: The question with which this confronts us is one which we all face: Why is it that, even when we are doing what we take to be God’s will for us, we oftentimes still have such great difficulty in accomplishing it? As we look around the church in North America these days we quickly discover that few professing Christians are really living productive spiritual lives. Everywhere we look we find people who have been exposed to the Bible and its teachings, but their lives have not been changed by it. Many have begun well in the Christian life but for one reason or another they have failed to mature in the faith as their growth was stunted. So what’s the lesson to be learned? Why does Jesus tell a story about a farmer in a boat? Really, Jesus was great at taking from his surroundings and weaving them into a story. The thing you plant on a boat is an anchor. The thing a fisherman might scatter is chum. The seed we see in Southwest Florida on the Beach is the Mangrove seed and then occasionally a coconut scattered by nature. So why does Jesus tell a story about a farmer planting seeds when the context is on a beach? Who knows, but maybe part of it is to confuse those who did not deserve to hear him. For the real story was not about farmers or sailors but about the Seed of Jesus himself and his nature. The story is about the coming storm. Friends, everything God wanted to say to the whole world is in the form of a person planted by God here on earth. Maybe the dirt represents us for the sower exposes the many sinful ways we respond to Jesus. Maybe the story is set on water because of our need for honest repentance and a good cleaning. Maybe the story is told because Jesus anticipated that Paul would be shipwrecked on a grain ship. Friends, the only way we can ever hope to be fruit-bearing good soil is by Jesus’ grace and power. Hear and be anchored with deep roots in the Word. Be fishers of men. Sail a straight course. Have the right bearing in life’s storms. We never know what shipwrecks await.
Pray we sail with Jesus to new shores. Pray we feed the right Spirit in us casting bread wherever we go. Pray we understand the harvest story and are generous in our sowing of grace. Pray we realize that the real parable of God is Jesus. Pray we spread the seed extravagantly, recognizing that everyplace and everyone is potentially good soil. Pray we learn how to deal with opposition and temptations. Pray we not worry too much about the results. Pray we realize that some will prepare the soil, some plant the seeds, some will weed, some will water, and others will harvest. Pray we realize that God gives the growth. Pray we realize that we are called to give thanks to God for the bountiful harvests of our lives. Pray we consider carefully how we listen so that our boat not be swamped. Pray we are kind no matter what.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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