Years ago, I planted a small 6 foot by 6-foot garden at an apartment complex where my family and I lived. The caretakers for the grounds told me that the soil was impeded by a complete layer of clay about 8 inches under the topsoil. If I did not remove the clay from my garden plot, my tomatoes, zucchini, and morning glories would have no chance of growing.
So, upon taking the caretaker's advice about the clay,
I proceeded to dig up the topsoil and grass. As they had told me, the clay
layer was fully blocking access to the soil beneath it. All day long, I chipped
and dug and removed wheelbarrow-full, by wheelbarrow-full of clay out of my
small plot of land. At the end of that day, I was soaked with sweat, but I knew
I was making progress to break through to good soil.
After all the topsoil and clay that had been removed;
it was necessary for me to refill the 6x6 plot back in with many bags of
gardening soil. The soil was filled in, my starter seeds were planted and the
time of waiting and weeding began.
Every morning I watered the plants, wound the morning
glories around the fence as they grew and watched for signs of growth and blooms that promised a reward of harvest.
Over the weeks of preparation, many people told me my
garden would never grow. "Why are you bothering with all this work for
a few vegetables?", my neighbors would exclaim.
It was a great deal of labor that little garden - but the morning I found blossoms on the tomato
and zucchini plants – I celebrated! The harvest was not huge from the few
plants there – but against all odds, they produced fruit. In all the doubt of
my neighbors – that turned to them coming by to wonder at the veggies growing;
this little garden became a place of unexpected grace and hope.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As I hear the parable of the sower from Matthew 13 – I
see the determined generosity – and some might say excess – of the
wide-reaching planting of the sower. Unlike my gardening experience, there was
no tilling, or placing of “good soil” after all the clay had been removed. The
sower liberally and openly tosses seed wherever they go: the path, rocky
ground, thorny ground, and good soil. For all the seed sown in these
unexpected places – I am sure the sower heard the same refrain I did when
planting in a field of clay… “Why bother?”
This parable of Jesus has many lessons for us – but
just for today, let us consider the idea of the generosity of God – and how it
is a grace to be called as partners in the labor of God’s kingdom.
In this parable – the sower sews widely on the path,
rocky ground, thorny ground, and good soil. In this action, I see and hear the
generous nature of God. The sower tosses seed, a valuable asset, to all places.
The sower does not limit their sewing to one space and sews everywhere. The
role of the sower is to sow seed. And so, this sower tosses seed – tossed hope
of new life, the possibility of growth in all environments, wherever they go.
Even during criticism, “Why bother?” the sower sews. This is the work of
the sower – to toss seed everywhere. In this action of the sower – I see the
wildly generous nature of God.
In the critique, “Why bother”, I hear the call
of God – to us, to people – to come alongside the overwhelming generous and
sometimes illogical work of nurturing space for unexpected grace and hope.
When you hear me say – God calls us to the work of
grace and hope; do not hear a message of “work” or “glory”. What I speak of is
the call of discipleship. What I speak of is the call of following Jesus into
the unexpected, clay layered, thorny, hot, and challenging work of grace.
Grace calls us to action.
Grace moves us to change.
Grace helps us to see and hear things in new ways.
Deep, rich amazing grace is disruptive to the “status quo”?
God is always about the work of bringing new life – of
sewing seed of hope widely. This generous nature of God makes me wonder…
· Will
I bother to join God in this generous and challenging work of sharing the good
news to all people in all places.
· Can
my imagination be filled with a vision of unpredictable gardens – in places I
least expect to find them?
· Will
I listen – with the ears God has given me – to the message of sewing seeds of
grace and hope.
There is a quote attributed to Martin Luther, “
Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant
my apple tree.”
Here the author of grace – not works; expresses the
call of a Christian to the work of sewing seeds of hope. A call to action. A
call to looking despair who says,
“Why Bother”, squarely in the eye – and plant an apple tree anyway.
Why should we bother to plant trees and gardens in
places that might not seem best?
God gives all of god’s self to give us new life. God
is lavish in caring for their children. God desires for all seeds sown to take
root and grow. God tills the rocky and clay filled soil of the human heart –
and brings us to new life…
So, as children of God – we are called to this
generous work of hope and grace too.
In this work of grace, we will face the “Why bother’s”
and worse – but the work is worth it. For the hope of new life. For the idea
that “all are welcome” in the kingdom of God. For the reality of unpredictable
gardens actually bearing fruit – it is more that worth the work that God
calls us to take up.
I remember that summer of the unpredictable garden and
how I enjoyed those vegetables and flowers on my front path. It was exciting to
see that growth was possible, with the right combination of care, nurture,
persistence, and the generosity of God were focused on in that tiny vegetable
patch. Not only did that patch grow vegetables – it grew a space for people to see
hope come to life. God’s generosity showed up, in the middle of a community
that lived in a constant state of, “Why bother?” God knew that I – and
my neighbors needed to see new life with our own eyes; and called us into the
work of hope, where we lived.
We all have clay barriers, weeds, rocks, and paths
parched by the sun. We have neighbors and perhaps even in ourselves the idea
that new life or something good cannot grow. The voice of dissonance, Why
Bother, is not always coming from the "neighborhood", but from our
own thoughts, actions, and lips.
But the sower sows seed far and wide – it feed the
birds – it is carried to fields far flung. The seed of God’s grace even makes
it to the tough soil of the human heart – where God grows the most
unpredictable – but beautiful - garden of all.
The sower is generous – and calls us into the work of
grace and unpredictable gardens. Jesus “bothers” with and for us - so what is the Spirit calling us to do in
response to the grace with have so generously received?
God’s grace calls us to action.
God’s grace moves us to change.
God’s grace helps us to see and hear things in new
ways.
God’s deep, rich amazing grace is disruptive to the
“status quo”.
Can we hear the call of God’s disruptive grace?
Will we be bothered by grace into action?
Will we follow Jesus – not as an idea – but as the grace-work
of our daily lives?
Children of God – imagine what could grow… if “we
bother” to hear Jesus and join in the generous work of God’s grace.
Prayer:
"God my loving creator, work out the plot of my
life.
Dig past the weeds, use your spade of love to break
past the hard clay that blocks growth.
Reach to the deep, rich soil of my tilled heart and
plant the seeds you see me fit to produce to a harvest of faith, hope and
love."
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9Let anyone with ears listen!”
18“Hear then the parable of the sower. 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Comments