When we bought our house in Bradenton some 20 years ago now, the most obvious improvement that was called for was to make a yard.
What we purchased resembled a sand dune with a house in the middle. There were some green things growing there. I had never heard of sand spurs before moving to Florida.
They were evidence to me that the devil gardens. It was not long before those perniciously evil and ubiquitous thorny little buggers found themselves into our rugs, our socks, and even my underwear! Their discovery was initiated by an innocent step, or putting on a shoe, or sitting down, followed normally by a loud yelp and a short but passionate burst of flowery words that in no way glorified the Lord – I’m sorry to say.
It was not long before I decided to take action. I read up on establishing yards in Florida. I put in my own irrigation system, I sprayed Roundup on everything. I fertilized and I spread grass seed. I watered the seed. In these horticultural exercises I discovered that I was blessed with a brown thumb – to anything green and useful and pretty that would grow in Florida, I was the kiss of death.
I killed the citrus, the hibiscus, the flowers. The only result of my horticultural efforts was to cultivate the healthiest and most robust sandspurs in Florida. And there were also some happy birds feasting on the grass seeds.
After a couple of years of struggling to get something to grow, I raised the white flag of defeat, and let whatever wanted to grow there grow, and I claimed I was xeri- scaping. I lost the war of the weeds.
But after 19 years I declared war again and now I claim victory: I hired a landscaper who killed off the evil weeds and laid down a lush carpet of green Zoysia. As soon as it was down I took a victory lap around the yard in my bare feet, dancing vindictively over the dead and rotting roots of those evil things that had caused me such pain and despair over the years.
The gospel lesson this morning has a similar horticultural aspect; getting good things to grow great from small beginnings.
The Lord uses these parables about seeds and growing things to teach his disciples and us about the kingdom of God: The time and place where all is submitted to his will. It is his yard or garden, if you will, in which everything grows and flourishes according to his will and for his purpose.
In these two parables there are three functions or actions common to both: Seed is sown, what is sown grows, what has grown flourishes to some benefit.These parables talk about us: Our lives as spiritual gardens. The seed is first sown. This process was not a very technical one in Jesus’s time. The farmer would just walk through his field, taking handfuls of seed from a bag slung from his shoulder, and cast the seed around.
He broadcast the seed without much concern for where it went; the important thing was to get it out there on the ground where it would do what it would do because it had life in it – if the ground and conditions were favorable.
The seed is the gospel. What Jesus was trying to get across through word and action is that he is the Messiah, he is the Son of God, he is salvation of God for the world. He continually and consistently demonstrates, and proclaims that he is the way the truth and the life. no one comes to the father but by him.
And that seed of the gospel is to be broadcast everywhere to do what it will do. One must note that sowing is essential in farming and it is essential to Jesus. He commands it to the church: go ye into the world…making disciples…..baptizing in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, ….teaching them what I taught you. Broadcasting the seed is the primary mission of the church and the primary mission of the Christian – telling people about Jesus.
The Church and the Christian life are primarily about missions and evangelism. In reality we are all products of that action. Where would you be if someone had not broadcast the seed of the gospel into the field of your life: A parent, friend, spouse, clergy? Shouldn’t we intend to do the same?
Now this seed that is cast, which according to the second parable may be very small, a mustard seed weight of faith – it takes root in our lives, it grows – it matures; slowly. It’s a process, and it continues. That is why there is no such thing as a perfect Christian. We are all in process some are more mature than others, some less. But we are all growing together.
Something might be said about growth of the seedling. To be mature it must grow in two directions. It must grow up, into the light. If you are not growing up into the light you are probably a mushroom. Jesus never talked about mushrooms.
A growing plant turns itself to the sun, to the light. A Christian seedling likewise should turn toward the Son, the light. Looking to Jesus, seeking him, following him, reaching out to him in prayer and worship, meeting Jesus face to face becomes an essential part of our growing process.
Seedlings also need to grow down, set down roots from which it will draw nutrients and become stable, able to withstand strong wind and drenching down pours.
A Christian seedling needs to be firmly rooted in scripture – the truth of God’s word – informing our thinking and our decision making processes, providing his direction and guidance for our lives.
And we also need to be firmly rooted in the church the body of Christ where others in fellowship in Jesus with us can pray for us and with us, and bring support and stability to our lives.
The last process of the seed has to do with its purpose, its end. In the parable of the mustard the emphasis is on great growth from a very small start, whose end is to benefit others – in the parable it is the birds – and to provide shade.
In the first parable, its purpose and end are fulfilled in the harvest. Again, its end is for others. Its end is also symbolic of a death of sorts the dying of self the giving of oneself, the complete relinquishing of self to God’s purposes. It is the same thing Jesus has done, giving himself over completely for God’s purposes for the sake of our salvation, dying on the cross.
In both cases growth and purpose is not for its own benefit. Being what it is, what God intends it to be, grain or mustard tree, it stands as witness, being what it is for the purpose for which it was created, reflecting God’s purpose in its own particular and unique way for God’s glory.
Does our end, our ultimate purpose in life reflect that our lives are not our own but belong to God for his purposes? Are we content in whom God has created us to be, seeking to grow that we bring glory to him in using our own particular gifts and personalities for his purposes?
So, the passage leaves us first with the question: Has the seed of the gospel been sowed in your life? Has the mustard seed of faith taken root in your life?
If not, what must happen for it to take root? Only you have the answer to that question. If it has taken root, are you growing up and turning to Jesus every day, seeking Jesus in prayer and worship, are you growing down, setting roots in the truth of scripture and the fellowship of the church? As you mature, are you using your gifts and personality to bring glory to God?
Are you prepared for the harvest? Do you see your life given solely to God’s purpose and ends? In the end will your life ultimately bring God glory?
I did not have a sower, I had a landscaper and he didn’t use seeds, he used sod and plantings -the consequence of seeds – and the end result is that our yard is completely changed. It is eye catching and a joy. It changed our house; it makes it look prettier, more attractive. Our lives are enriched a bit, and others have taken notice – they want to know who did the work.
It seems that is what God wants to do with us as seedlings in the kingdom, enrich our lives with his life, use us to change the world; make it prettier, have people take notice. And then when people ask us who did the work, we can tell them about the Lord Jesus in our lives and sow some seed ourselves.