True Generosity

Mark 4: 1- 9
10 July 2011

The parable of the sower – a well known and often told story found in three of the four gospels. There is much to say about this story Jesus told to those who were with Him that day. But before I say anything about it, let me read it to you, as Mark understood it.

“Again [Jesus] began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’”

I will continue on the rest of the story next week, because Jesus actually gave an interpretation to what He said. But this week, I want to focus on one aspect of the parable, and that is, the sower.

I don’t know how many farmers you know that purposely send seed on rocky paths, rocky grounds and unprepared fields? I don’t really know any. Of course, you’re bound to have some seed that falls in the wrong place, but most of it goes where it is intended to go. It seems that in this story, there is an equal amount of seed that is spread everywhere, even if it is known that the seed will not produce anything.

I was walking in a field a few weeks ago and I can attest that the seed was planted in the right place. The corn was growing inside the boundary of the field and there was none growing on the rocky path and none on the edges where grass was growing. Mind you, back in Jesus’ days, there were no mechanical equipment to seed fields. Still, even through broadcasting the seed by hands. One would be careful to sow where the seed will grow best.

So why would the sower be so indiscriminate in his sowing? Could it be that he didn’t care where the seed would fall because he believed that the seed has as much chance to grow in the path as in the prepared field?

Of course, when Jesus told this parable, His hearers knew He was either talking about Himself as the sower, or He was talking about God as the sower. Although the sower holds the smallest part in this story, His role is nonetheless an important one. It speaks of His generosity and indiscriminate sowing. No matter how the seed will respond to the soil condition, the seed is spread. No matter what the soil looks like, the seed is spread.

This reminds me of what Jesus said at another time: God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5: 45). God treats everyone the same on this side of heaven. His love, His care, His Word and His providence is available to anyone and everyone. He does not look at someone and say, “I’m not so sure that you like me, so I won’t be kind to you today.” Neither does he look upon some people and says, “I don’t like the look of you so you better not expect anything from me, ever.” He doesn’t say either, “I can’t trust you because you’ve hurt me before, so I’m just going to ignore you.” No, God keeps giving and giving without counting. He gives indiscriminately. Whether we are a terrorist or a church goer, whether we are a Christians, a Muslim a Hindu, whether we are a clean living person or a hardened criminal, God offers His same love, His same offer of salvation and transformation. I know that for us humans, this is hard to understand, let alone believe. But God is God.

The other thing in this parable that concerns the sower, is that the original people who read or heard the Gospel according to Mark knew that the sower was not only God and Jesus. They knew that the sower also meant them. For they too were now entrusted with God’s message of Good News. They realised that it was also their duty to scatter the seed indiscriminately. Mark wants you to know that you are a sower too.

This week, this is what we will be doing at our church. We will sow the seed of God’s upside down kingdom to the children God will entrust us with. I trust that you will partner with those who will be here with the children by praying for them and that you will also pray for the children themselves and their families.

This morning, you will also sow seeds of a different kind as you search for God’s will for this congregation. In a few moments, you will be introduced to a candidate for the position of Associate Pastor of Children and Youth. As you listen to him do so prayerfully to see if this is indeed the person you believe God has sent to nurture the children, youth and their families that God entrusts us with.

May God bless our sower and may he stir us to continue the spreading of His Good News wherever we are.