“Jesus’ gift is unwrapped”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Thursday, November 2, 2023
Matthew 13:18-23 (Forward, p. 4) CEV p. 999
Sometimes Jesus’ parables remind me of those childproof medicine bottles that simultaneously require pressure and manual dexterity to get the lid off or those plastic or bubble-wrapped packages that almost require a hacksaw to unwrap or open. There is something ‘great’ and worthwhile inside, but you’re not going to get it without a fair amount of work. Jesus has just told a very interesting story about a farmer who has gone forth to sow his seed and who found that it had varying rates of success, depending of course, on the kind of soil it ‘found.’ But what, the casual observer might say, was Jesus getting at?
That is exactly what the disciples wanted to know, and fortunately, for them and for us, Jesus was quite happy to tell them. The soil stands for the human heart and the varying kinds of soil stand for the different responses the human heart might make to the seed, which is the word of God.
Some human hearts are hardened, impervious. This may be due to a wide number of factors. It may be sinful choices or a sinful lifestyle that the person is reluctant to give up, for instance. Or perhaps it is some negative, hurtful experiences or some harmful, negative teachings that sour the person on God or the word of God. As it is, then, for whatever reason, the person is unable to hear or receive that word. The word is unable to find a place in that person’s heart and so is easily ‘spirited’ away.
Some human hearts are shallow, lacking any depth. There is a hard, impervious layer of rock close to the surface which allows the thin skiff of soil overlying it to be quite warm, and quite hospitable to newly sown seed. But then, alas, there is little room for their roots and so the seed quickly withers when the hot sun comes up. Such, too, are many people. They have a warm, ready, happy acceptance at first, but there are no roots. Their faith withers when any difficulties or trouble comes their way. As soon as the message ‘gets them in trouble’ or makes ‘impossible’ or difficult damages of them, they give it up.
Still other human hearts are cluttered, overly busy with a bunch of other things, other priorities. They are like the weeds that most of us know only too well, the weeds that have seeds or tendrils just lurking there in the soil, dormant for now, but just ‘waiting’ and eager at the first chance to grow up and take over. And yes, taking over is exactly what weeds like to do, and in the process, choking out the good growth. And isn’t that what can happen so easily in our lives? The ‘other things’, even things that are seemingly good in themselves, can take over and leave little or no room for God to work there.
But finally, there is the good soil, soft, deep and uncluttered, the human heart that is fully receptive to receiving and growing God’s word. Indeed, that kind of human heart will produce fruit, results in that person’s life, which is exactly what God wants and looks for.
So, what are we to take from this parable? Is it simply to be taken as a lesson from life, a lesson as to ‘how things will be’? Is this all there is to be here? No, I think that we can unwrap this present a bit more.
I think that there are two lessons here, two lessons for us. First is that our sowing of God’s word will inevitably have differing reasons. Not everyone will immediately welcome it or allow it to take root. That is a fact of life. However, that being said, there will also be people who do welcome it and who do allow it to bring forth fruit, some of it quite abundantly. So, this tells us two things: firstly, not to take the rejection personally, take it to heart; and secondly, to be expectant and hopeful that some good will indeed come from it.
The other lesson is one that hasn’t generally been picked up on, namely that in the ancient Middle East the sowing—generally by broadcasting the seed—preceded the plowing. In other words, one would never know just how the soil would ‘perform’ after the plowing had taken place. In other words, the once unreceptive soils could become quite different. And, so it is with the human heart: a bit of plowing, that is, a change of circumstances or a hardship or difficulty, might make a world of difference in how the person sees God or His word. And is this not the case even today? So, here we have God’s message, His gift to us, unwrapped in a truly helpful way. Thanks be to God.
Forward notes: “The one who hears the word and understands it…bears fruit and yields, on one case a hundredfold, in another sixty” (verse 23a).
“Van Gogh produced more than 30 drawings and paintings of a sower. In one of the more famous renditions from 1888, the sower is several yards away, broadcasting seed in the glare of the spectacular midday sun. Two years later, he painted another sower, but in this iteration, the subject is off-centre,, the point of view so claustrophobically close you can see individual seeds drop from his hand. Near the centre of this tensely balanced picture is a leafless, severely pruned tree.
“On December 23, 1888, Van Gogh suffered his first epileptic seizure and subsequent hospitalization. The painter was ‘pruned’ by this debilitating attack of illness, and it shows in the latter picture. Gone is the straightforward composition, the radiant sun’ here is someone ravaged by life. Perhaps those who misunderstood, have no root, or are burdened with worldly cares are being pruned; perhaps, like this latter sower, they are in shadow not, but the spring will bring a harvest of winter wheat.”
Moving Forward: “What new growth awaits you?”