Isaiah 55:10-13/2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9/St Luke 8:4-15
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The path, the rock, and then the thorns. There is an intentional sequence to the parable.
First the path because the first thing we need is recollection and caution. We need to pay attention to the Word of God, to listen closely, not as for mere information, but read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. In other words, do not forget it. The Israelites of old would keep bits of Scripture attached to their wrists that when they wiped their brows of sweat they lifted the Word of the Lord to their heads and were continuously reminded of it. By comparison, how quickly have we jettisoned our Small Catechisms as soon as confirmation was finished?
The seed sown along the path is quickly trampled and devoured by the birds of the air; that is, it the Word is snatched away from the heart by the agents of Satan, the prince of the power of the air! For his one desire, his only objective is to steal the Word from those who hear it, lest it bear fruit, and they believe it and are saved! As Dr Luther remarked, “Where Christ builds a church, the devil sets up a chapel.” So we must be careful, reverent, and deliberate hearers.
Next comes the rock where there was no moisture. Here we need fortitude. For implanted Word, which alone germinates faith, needs the daily watering of Holy Baptism and the nourishment of Absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar. Faith has no strength in itself. Without diligent use of the Word and Sacraments is will wither and die.
This is Psalm 1 in reverse. The blessed man is like a tree planted by streams of water. He yields fruit in season. The Word has put down roots deep into his heart so that when the scorching heat of trial and struggle comes, faith does not shrivel up and die. It is not enough to once have believed.
Finally come the thorns. We have had the attacks of the devil, the temptations of the flesh, and now the cares and anxieties of the world. And what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who heard, but while going through life’s journey, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life and do not bear fruit to maturity. Even St Pal was prone to the allurements of this world. That is why he wrote, as we heard last week, that he disciplined his body, lest after he preached to others he himself would fall away. Or this week, at the end of a long list of persecutions and punishments, St Paul adds, and, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Writing on the Pastoral Office, Bishop Bo Giertz said, “The pastor must be at the same time unafraid and unpretentious, bold on the Lord’s behalf and humble on his own, prepared to turn the other cheek when he is subjected to personal wrongs, and having a holy persistence when it comes to holding fast to his Lord’s word. Thus there lies a stern seriousness in Chrysostom’s saying: ‘It is a miracle if a pastor is saved.’” (A Hammer for God, p254). This is true not only for the pastor, but for the hearer as well. Our bodies, our physical lives, as well as our desire for honor, prestige, and love among men are all a threat to our faith.
By now we are confronted with a bit of a problem. The Word, we are told through the prophet Isaiah, does not return to the Lord empty, but always propers in that for which it was sent. We believe and confess that the Word of the Lord is as a hammer, crushing the rocky hearts of men; that the Word if living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. Yet here the Word has failed three times and in three different instances.
Indeed the Word is all of these things, and more! “But the Word does not work irresistibly. One can despise the Word and cast it aside.” Otherwise it would cease to be the Gospel. “But even then [the Word] is at work. It hardens and brings judgment” (Preaching from the Whole Bible, p35).
The force and power of the Word of the Lord is gift; His power is made perfect in weakness. Gifts can be opened and returned to the sender. Gifts can be opened and despised. Gifts can be opened and rejoiced in, but then forgotten. Such is the way God chooses to bring us salvation in Jesus: a Word that shares in the weakness of the Cross; a rejectable, even despisable Word! For this Word is the Word of the Cross - of the Man who loved us unto death and through death unto resurrection!
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. This parable is not about why some believe and others don’t. It is not a litmus test to see which soil you are. This parable is a warning to those who are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
Immediately after our Lord expounds on the parable, He declares, Take care then how you hear. He has in mind on-going catechesis. In view here is the Third Commandment. Dr Luther writes in the Large Catechism: “It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are drunk like swine.) But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other entertainment and only come to preaching because of habit. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning!” (I:96) Kyrie Eleison.
“On the other hand,” continues Luther, “the Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit. It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For the Word is not lazy or dead, but effective and living” (I:101).
The Word is effective and living! Because behind it is the Sower, the Word made flesh, who ins the very Seed. In Himself He fell into the earth and died. This parable is an illustration of God’s grace in Christ! He was driven into the desolate place by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. There He relied alone on the sufficiency of the Word, showing Himself to be a faithful catechumen, a true hearer, who had proper contempt for the allurements and luxuries of this world. Upon the Cross He endured the thorns for us. He is our King who has taken our place, who has endured our punishment to spare us His own wrath. He has bore all things with patience. He is the enemy of Satan, the flesh, and the world. His only weapon is weakness and forgiveness, which comes by way of the Word. When it is heard and so believed by the work of the Holy Spirit, it brings for the fruit of God’s own indestructible life inside us!
This is why our Lord sows so recklessly. The fruit He seeks is already bought and paid for. He sows where no reasonable sower would sow: on the trodden path, in rocky and thorny ground. And as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit in steadfast endurance.
This is the mystery and power of the Seed that is the Word, it transforms the ground, making it beautiful and good. For Christ knows those whose are His. And He joins them to Himself, one with Him by faith and Baptism, elect by grace, not by merit. For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. Thus the preacher is sent to recklessly sow, proclaiming the Word that creates faith to all who have ears.
That self-same Word nourishes and sustains faith, making it steadfast, standing the test of temptation and trial, and producing good works. God grant that His Word be taught among us in its truth and purity and we as children of God lead holy lives in accordance with it.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
The path, the rock, and then the thorns. There is an intentional sequence to the parable.
First the path because the first thing we need is recollection and caution. We need to pay attention to the Word of God, to listen closely, not as for mere information, but read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it. In other words, do not forget it. The Israelites of old would keep bits of Scripture attached to their wrists that when they wiped their brows of sweat they lifted the Word of the Lord to their heads and were continuously reminded of it. By comparison, how quickly have we jettisoned our Small Catechisms as soon as confirmation was finished?
The seed sown along the path is quickly trampled and devoured by the birds of the air; that is, it the Word is snatched away from the heart by the agents of Satan, the prince of the power of the air! For his one desire, his only objective is to steal the Word from those who hear it, lest it bear fruit, and they believe it and are saved! As Dr Luther remarked, “Where Christ builds a church, the devil sets up a chapel.” So we must be careful, reverent, and deliberate hearers.
Next comes the rock where there was no moisture. Here we need fortitude. For implanted Word, which alone germinates faith, needs the daily watering of Holy Baptism and the nourishment of Absolution and the Sacrament of the Altar. Faith has no strength in itself. Without diligent use of the Word and Sacraments is will wither and die.
This is Psalm 1 in reverse. The blessed man is like a tree planted by streams of water. He yields fruit in season. The Word has put down roots deep into his heart so that when the scorching heat of trial and struggle comes, faith does not shrivel up and die. It is not enough to once have believed.
Finally come the thorns. We have had the attacks of the devil, the temptations of the flesh, and now the cares and anxieties of the world. And what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who heard, but while going through life’s journey, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life and do not bear fruit to maturity. Even St Pal was prone to the allurements of this world. That is why he wrote, as we heard last week, that he disciplined his body, lest after he preached to others he himself would fall away. Or this week, at the end of a long list of persecutions and punishments, St Paul adds, and, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Writing on the Pastoral Office, Bishop Bo Giertz said, “The pastor must be at the same time unafraid and unpretentious, bold on the Lord’s behalf and humble on his own, prepared to turn the other cheek when he is subjected to personal wrongs, and having a holy persistence when it comes to holding fast to his Lord’s word. Thus there lies a stern seriousness in Chrysostom’s saying: ‘It is a miracle if a pastor is saved.’” (A Hammer for God, p254). This is true not only for the pastor, but for the hearer as well. Our bodies, our physical lives, as well as our desire for honor, prestige, and love among men are all a threat to our faith.
By now we are confronted with a bit of a problem. The Word, we are told through the prophet Isaiah, does not return to the Lord empty, but always propers in that for which it was sent. We believe and confess that the Word of the Lord is as a hammer, crushing the rocky hearts of men; that the Word if living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. Yet here the Word has failed three times and in three different instances.
Indeed the Word is all of these things, and more! “But the Word does not work irresistibly. One can despise the Word and cast it aside.” Otherwise it would cease to be the Gospel. “But even then [the Word] is at work. It hardens and brings judgment” (Preaching from the Whole Bible, p35).
The force and power of the Word of the Lord is gift; His power is made perfect in weakness. Gifts can be opened and returned to the sender. Gifts can be opened and despised. Gifts can be opened and rejoiced in, but then forgotten. Such is the way God chooses to bring us salvation in Jesus: a Word that shares in the weakness of the Cross; a rejectable, even despisable Word! For this Word is the Word of the Cross - of the Man who loved us unto death and through death unto resurrection!
He who has ears to hear, let him hear. This parable is not about why some believe and others don’t. It is not a litmus test to see which soil you are. This parable is a warning to those who are given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God.
Immediately after our Lord expounds on the parable, He declares, Take care then how you hear. He has in mind on-going catechesis. In view here is the Third Commandment. Dr Luther writes in the Large Catechism: “It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are drunk like swine.) But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other entertainment and only come to preaching because of habit. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning!” (I:96) Kyrie Eleison.
“On the other hand,” continues Luther, “the Word is so effective that whenever it is seriously contemplated, heard, and used, it is bound never to be without fruit. It always awakens new understanding, pleasure, and devoutness and produces a pure heart and pure thoughts. For the Word is not lazy or dead, but effective and living” (I:101).
The Word is effective and living! Because behind it is the Sower, the Word made flesh, who ins the very Seed. In Himself He fell into the earth and died. This parable is an illustration of God’s grace in Christ! He was driven into the desolate place by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan. There He relied alone on the sufficiency of the Word, showing Himself to be a faithful catechumen, a true hearer, who had proper contempt for the allurements and luxuries of this world. Upon the Cross He endured the thorns for us. He is our King who has taken our place, who has endured our punishment to spare us His own wrath. He has bore all things with patience. He is the enemy of Satan, the flesh, and the world. His only weapon is weakness and forgiveness, which comes by way of the Word. When it is heard and so believed by the work of the Holy Spirit, it brings for the fruit of God’s own indestructible life inside us!
This is why our Lord sows so recklessly. The fruit He seeks is already bought and paid for. He sows where no reasonable sower would sow: on the trodden path, in rocky and thorny ground. And as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, having heard the Word with a noble and good heart, hold it fast and bear fruit in steadfast endurance.
This is the mystery and power of the Seed that is the Word, it transforms the ground, making it beautiful and good. For Christ knows those whose are His. And He joins them to Himself, one with Him by faith and Baptism, elect by grace, not by merit. For faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ. Thus the preacher is sent to recklessly sow, proclaiming the Word that creates faith to all who have ears.
That self-same Word nourishes and sustains faith, making it steadfast, standing the test of temptation and trial, and producing good works. God grant that His Word be taught among us in its truth and purity and we as children of God lead holy lives in accordance with it.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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