“Fertile Ground” Text: Luke 8:1-15
Elpis Christian Church
June 14, 2009
Well, I’ve been thinking a lot about gardens lately. Across the road here our “Seeds of Faith” Food Outreach project in well underway. We’ve even made our first contribution to alleviating hunger. Last week a few of us noticed that the “first fruits” of that garden have gone to some rather bold rabbits and deer in the area. So much for trusting that the nearby houses and church traffic would keep them at bay. In a way – I don’t mind that they were the first to eat from the garden. After all, I suppose we can’t complain too much about tithing to some of God’s favorite critters. On the other hand – we don’t have to overdue things either. So - thanks to Clinton, Oscar, and Curtis, there’s a nice new fence up too. In the future – the wildlife will just have to go the food bank like everybody else.
The other reason I’ve been thinking about gardening is that, having completed my initial sermon series on Spiritual Formation, I now want to go a little deeper on what resources we have at our disposal for that. And I can think of no better place to turn than what Christ himself calls the “word of God.” You know, it’s tempting to think that phrase – the “word of God” – was invented by twentieth century evangelical Christianity. But in my reading of the scriptures – and I’ve consulted a number of translations – Jesus himself is quite comfortable with the term. And that got me thinking. What is this “seed” he refers to in today’s scripture passage? And what are the aspects of daily life we must nurture if we want the seed to produce a crop one day worth harvesting? Put it another way – how are we to “tend the garden” so that God can grow something really wonderful and productive in our lives and in the lives of everyone we meet? Let me suggest a few things.
1. We have to be realistic about the risks we are taking if we want to have a faith garden at all.
2. Having recognized those risks, we have to take prudent measures to protect our investment.
3. And after protecting, and nurturing, and carefully tending to the seed, we have to harvest it – not just for ourselves – but others too. In other words, to paraphrase a popular slogan, a garden of faith is “a terrible thing to waste.”
First – what are the RISKS of this gardening life we are talking about?
Well, not to be overly dramatic about it – I think we risk it all. What do I mean by that? I mean that if we are serious about our discipleship, serious about studying and applying God’s word to our lives – not just the printed ones but the ongoing influence of the Spirit as well – we had better be ready for some predators to show up. We laugh about rabbits and deer sneaking into our little garden across the way, under cloak of darkness, and eating up all the cucumbers. But Jesus makes no bones about it. To those first faithful who followed him, including incidentally the women who, Luke clearly states, “had been cured of evil spirits and diseases,” the Lord has this to say. “The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they not believe and be saved.”
I think we miss something important when we put too many limitations on our definition of what Jesus may mean by that. If we get too hung up on how we define the “devil” or what it might mean to lose this “salvation” he speaks of – we are going to go down a slippery path. Why not leave it at this: Whatever it is that God plants in our hearts have to be protected – just like the cucumber we planted across the street.
Now on the surface, that seems obvious. But the fact is – I think we often forget to protect and nurture what God has done in our lives. We get busy, or lazy, or tired, or for other reasons, just don’t take care to be sure that the fragile seed can take root in our lives – before someone or something comes and tries to snatch it away. I don’t care whether you can easily visualize a real “devil” doing that – or if you need to think of evil in some more abstract way – I just want you to take seriously the threat. I, for one, am quite sure the Devil is real and dangerous. I’ve felt his presence too often. But – as I say, for the sake of argument, go ahead and replace that idea with other threats: depression, cynicism, fear, worry, idolatry, greed, anger, racism, and apathy – go ahead name any of these if you prefer. The point is: they and others are what will try and steal away the gospel from our hearts just as soon as the rabbits and deer in will steal our cucumbers if we let them. So be on guard – and put a fence around your faith. It’s only prudent. Guard your prayer life, your worship time, your church time, your family time, your time with God. Or one day – you’ll find the seed of faith – never really had a chance to grow at all.
That’s what I mean by “being realistic” about the risks – the dangers – that are out there.
So how do we protect the seed?
Well, look at the detail Jesus offers in his little parable. What does he mention specifically we must guard against?
The seed falling along the path – snatched up; the seed falling on rock – withered for lack of moisture; that sowed among thorns – choked. I think these are not just colorful illustrations. I think they are the very specific ways that Jesus is showing his first disciples how they must order their lives.
You know, it’s interesting to note that Jesus used this parable during what is known as the “year of popularity” in his ministry. Luke is the only one who records it – and that’s interesting too, because I think Luke is particularly sensitive to the needs of the common people who came to Jesus for help. Doctors are like that – at least the good ones. They have a good sense of what the patient needs – not just by what he or she presents on examination – but by what is there unspoken or unseen as well.
And Luke seems to want us to understand that Jesus was all about reaching the people with the medicine they desperately needed in their lives. So – here they are – during this time in Jesus’ ministry when he was popular and the people were thronging to hear and see him and be healed by them. The small bands of disciples are witnessing all this. And the Lord explains, in no uncertain terms, what might prevent the people from being reached – what might literally be “the death of them.”
Lack of a protected environment; lack of moisture; lack of room to grow – that’s what they must address. Only then can God “grow” their fledgling faith into something beautiful.
We’ve already touched on the protected environment piece – so let’s look briefly look at the others.
First Jesus reminds the disciples that it’s not enough to be joyful about our faith. It has to be deeply rooted in our lives. It’s not enough to just come together once a week or so and smile and sing and say “ain’t God great?” We have to know God’s ongoing presence in our lives is essential to our survival. Our bold declaration is that the life of faith is essential – not optional. And Jesus warns that if the “word” isn’t rooted in our lives deeply – during what he calls “a time of testing” – we will just fall away. We will just decide that it was all just wishful thinking.
Just so, he also warns that when we are “choked by life’s worries; riches and pleasures” faith can’t mature. B y the way – did you note that worry and riches and pleasures are linked there? Just something to think about.
So here we are – reminded that the dangers of losing our faith are very real in this world; that those dangers are lack of a protected and nurturing environment. And that both testing and worry are key dangers.
But – what about when we do protect our tiny seeds of faith? What about when we do guard our time with God carefully? What about when we are vigilant about making sure our worries are kept in check and we turn to God for strength and resources during all the times of “testing” we might endure in life? What then? Then – Jesus says – get ready for a wonderful harvest. You can be sure that the seed will produce ten, thirty, a hundred fold. God will see to it that we have a very, very good harvest.
Isn’t that great news? That in the face of all the very real threats to our faith, in the face of all that I mentioned before – the “other names” I often attribute to the devil - depression, cynicism, fear, worry, idolatry, greed, anger, racism, apathy – in the face of all this and more, God is faithful. And with his guiding and loving presence, our harvest of faith will not only survive but thrive.
And then when it does – we have the responsibility to share it with the hungry – we have the responsibility to take the life we have found in the faith and offer it to others. And the faith grows, and grows, and grows. I would love to see that happen here at Elpis.
As I said when I started –
I’ve been thinking a lot about gardens lately: not just the “Seeds of Faith” Food Outreach Garden project but all the “seeds of faith” we can and must nurture in our lives. I’ve been dreaming about the way we can protect and nurture and grow our spiritual lives so that we can have more than enough to share with the people in our community who are starving for some good news and a little grace. I think – I know – that with God’s help – we have the potential of a really good harvest ahead. So join me – in doing some gardening: across the street – and in our ministry here at Elpis.
The risks and the dangers are real. Don’t ever doubt that. But so is the potential for doing something really amazing. And with God’s help we can feed a lot more than a bunch of rabbits and deer. We can feed the world something than can never, ever, be taken away.
AMEN.
Comments