Parables Part 2

Mark 4

You may remember my letter to you from some time ago, concerning the Parable of the Sower. If you recall, I was present when Jesus spoke this parable, almost at the beginning of his ministry. As I wrote then, I believe it set the stage for all of his later parables. Why? Because it described the Word, and how, through Jesus, the Holy Spirit would sow the Word about the Kingdom of God.

Hortus Deliciarum, Der Sämann

Herrad of Landsberg, 1180

Now, many years have gone by and I am an old woman. You probably know that the opponents of Jesus had him crucified by the Romans. Surely, you also know that he was raised from the dead, and then raised again, to heaven, as we have been told, sitting at the right hand of the father. His time of teaching us here on earth lasted only three years. We, of course, thought that was awfully short. We wanted him to stay longer with us. I mean, you just couldn’t get enough of Jesus.

You may be wondering about those of us left behind. How have we done? Have we kept the faith? And most important: in the words of the parable, have we remained in what Jesus called the “good soil?” Yes, and have we borne fruit, as Jesus predicted, “thirty and sixty and a hundredfold”? Have we? Well, read on and see what you think.

We were always a small group, only about 120 when Jesus was drawn up to heaven. And I am sure you know that many of our fellowship were persecuted for their faith. Some were even killed because they would not curse the name of Jesus. Surely by your time, you must be aware of that.

And also, preachers have gone out to faraway places, all across the Roman Empire, to bring the Word of Jesus, yes that very same Word that he spoke of in his Parable of the Sower. You may, in your time, have heard of one of them, a man named Paul. And you should know that he was not the only traveling preacher, there were many others.

They started churches all over Greece and Asia, also Syria and other places. Even Rome. So, in obedience to Jesus, the Word was sown, just as his Parable said, far and wide. And yes, it has borne fruit, though perhaps not as much as we had hoped. You see, many of the new churches are struggling.

You may wonder, too, how I have fared. As you recall, in my earlier letter to you, I confessed how hard it has been for me to stay in the “good soil.” I wish I could report that I’ve never strayed from it over all these years. Yes, I do wish for that.

But it’s not true. No, to be honest, my faith has been up and down. In fact, I must confess that I have spent time in all four of the soils that Jesus described. That’s hard to admit, but it’s true. I won’t belabor it, but in summary, I must share with you that I have spent time on the path: the path where growth of the seed has been rendered impossible before Satan’s birds of temptation have plucked them up. Yes, I have been there, on the path.

To be honest, I must confess a relationship with a man who was not my husband. I am ashamed to say it, but you must understand that it placed me squarely on the path that Jesus mentioned.

And I’ve also found myself in the rocky soil, the soil with little depth. You can’t imagine how discouraging it feels when we learn of the many setbacks and obstacles faced by our small sect. The persecution comes at us from so many sides. And more, the apathy of those who refuse to even listen, serves to make me wonder if we can ever bear the fruit, the fruit of growth that Jesus described. So, yes, I have been in the rocky soil, the soil with little depth.

And finally, yes, I confess that there are many thorns and weeds that have served to choke my faith before it could deepen its roots. Some of those weeds and thorns are the very same preachers who go out to take the word of God’s kingdom across the empire. You should know that not all of them preach as they should. In fact, some of these charismatic preachers do it for money. They distort the Word, raising themselves up for personal gain and fame. Their claim that faith in Jesus will bring prosperity has certainly not proven true for me. But despite that, for a time, I got caught up in their false promises. In the words of Jesus, I was deep in the soil of thorns and weeds.

Am I disappointed? Yes, mostly in my choices but in part, I confess, in Jesus himself. As I wrote, if only Jesus had stayed longer with us, perhaps it would be easier to stay in the good soil.

Almost every day I go back to the Parable of the Sower. As I wrote before, we can find new meaning in the parables of Jesus, each and every time we return to them. I find great comfort in that fact, and that’s why I keep going back to his words, spoken so long ago by the Sea of Galilee.

And so, I want to share a new meaning with you. Yes, I am finding that this parable is speaking to me in a new way, one that gives me a deeper sense of hope.

My new discovery is really in two parts, both based, oddly, not so much on what the parable says, but instead, on what it does not say.

First, even though Jesus didn’t say so, it has come to me that sowing seeds is a seasonal thing. It isn’t done just once and then, never again. In fact, there is a planting season every spring. That’s when the Sower, after working over his soil in preparation, begins the process all over again.

What does that mean? Can there be any hope in the seasonal sowing? Yes, there is. For me, it means that I have been given another opportunity to receive the Word. In fact, over the years since I first heard Jesus, I have come back again and again to his Word, and especially to this parable. Each time, I am enriched by the depth of meaning that comes to me. Each time, I can feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me as I find myself in the “good soil.”

And another thing: as I said, the Sower will “work over” his soil. After remaining fallow all winter, he prepares the garden before planting. He spreads new soil on the path. He removes some of the rocks, and he pulls weeds and thorns. He wants all of the soils to be good. It doesn’t happen all at once, but I can feel it just the same. I hope you can too.

I can feel it as he works with me. Perhaps that’s an advantage of my age, because it has been largely through the experiences of life that I can feel his touch. I look back and see so clearly, the Holy Spirit cultivating my faith.

I felt the touch of his forgiveness for straying outside the borders of my marriage. I feel the hope that springs again and again, each time a new believer joins our small church. And I feel the satisfaction that comes with God’s justice, as the pretenders who preach a gospel of prosperity are finally exposed.

And you know what? I do, at times, find myself in the “good soil.” It’s never because of me, but only a gift from the Holy Spirit. You might not notice the fruit that I bear. Sometimes, it’s just bringing food to a neighbor who is sick. Or welcoming a stranger in our village. It’s helping teach a child about Jesus. All small things, but things, seeds, really, that the Sower is planting through me.

So many times, I gave up on myself. So many times, I condemned myself, believing that I could never stay in the “good soil.” Yet always, the Sower came again, casting his seeds anew, the seeds of his Word, into all of the soils. I finally learned that each new season brought hope for a fresh start, a limitless supply of fresh seed, as his Word spoke to me in a new way. And I found that, almost without my knowing, my soil was being worked over and made more receptive, and I again found myself in the “good soil.”

You see, the Sower always cultivates, and what’s more, he never, ever gives up. Thanks be to God!