Posted on 07/26/2013 9:30:56 AM PDT by NYer
We are reading the parable of the Sower in Daily Mass. Someone asked me a question: Since the sower is the Son of Man, Jesus himself, why would the Lord, who knows everything ahead of time, sow seed he knew would not bear fruit?
First, let’s review the text:
“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.” (Matt 13:1-9)
So the question presents, Why then would God waste any seed on rocky or thin soil, or the path?
Perhaps a series of possible “answers” is all we can venture. I place “answers” in quotes since we are in fact touching on some mysteries here of which we can only speculate. So, here are some “answers.”
I. God is extravagant - it is not just seed He scatters liberally, it is everything. There are hundreds of billions of stars in over 100 billion galaxies, most of these seemingly devoid of life as we understand it. Between these 100 billion galaxies are huge amounts of, what seems to be, empty space. On this planet where one species of bird would do, there are thousands of species, tens of thousands of different sorts of insects, a vast array of different sorts of trees, mammals, fish etc. “Extravagant” barely covers it. The word “extravagant” means “to go, or wander beyond.” And God has gone vastly beyond anything we can imagine. But God is love, and love is extravagant. The image of him sowing seeds, almost in a careless way is thus consistent with the usual way of God.
This of course is less an answer to the question before us than a deepening of the question. The answer, if there is one, is caught up in the mystery of love. Love does not say, what is the least I can do? It says “What more can I do.” If a man loves a woman, he does not look for the cheapest gift on her birthday, rather he looks for an extravagant gift. God is Love and God is extravagant.
II. Even if the failed seed represents those who ultimately reject him, God loves that seed anyway. Remember, as Jesus goes on to explain, the seeds that fail to bear fruit, are symbols of those who allow riches, worldly preoccupation, persecution and other things to draw them away from God. But, even knowing this, does not change God’s love for them. He still wills their existence. Scripture says elsewhere, But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:44-45).
Yes, God loves even those who will reject him and will not, knowing ahead of that rejection, say to them, “You cannot exist.” He thus scatters even that seed, knowing ahead of time that it will not bear fruit. Further, he continues to send the sun and rain, even on those who will reject him.
Hence this parable shows forth God’s unfailing love. He sows seeds, even knowing they will not bear the fruit he wants. He wills the existence of all, even those who he knows ahead of time will reject him.
III. That God sows seeds and allows them to fall on bad soil is indicative of God’s justice. The various places the seed falls is indicative of human freedom, more than illustrative of the intent of God. For one may still question, “Why would God “allow” seed to fall on the path, or among thorns, or in rocky soil?” And the only answer here is that God has made us free. Were He to go and take back the seeds that fell in unfruitful places one could argue that God withdrew his grace and that one was lost on account of this, namely that God manipulated the process by withdrawing every possible grace. But God, in justice calls everyone and offers sufficient grace for all to come to faith and salvation. And thus the sowing of the seed everywhere is indicative of God’s justice.
IV. The variety of outcomes teaches us to persevere and look to faithfully sowing, rather than merely to the harvest. Sometimes we can become a bit downcast when it seems our work has born little fruit. And the temptation is to give up. But, as an old saying goes, “God calls us to be faithful, not successful.” In other words, it is up to us to be the means the means whereby the Lord sows the seed of his Word. The Word is in our hands, by God’s grace, but the harvest is not.
This parable teaches us that not every seed we sow will bear fruit. In fact a lot of it will not, for the reasons described by the Lord in a later part of the parable.
The simple mandate remains ad is this: preach the Word, Go unto all the nations and make disciples. St. Paul would later preach to Timothy: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction (2 Tim 4:2). In other words, sometimes the gospel is accepted, sometimes it is rejected. Preach it any way. Sometimes the gospel is popular, sometimes not. Preach it anyway. Sometimes the Gospel is in season, sometimes it is out of season. Preach it anyway. Sow the seeds, don’t give up.
Discharge your duty! St. Paul goes on to sadly remark, For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. (2 Tim 4:3-5). Once again the message is the same: preach anyway, sow the seed of the Word, persevere, do not give up, do not be discouraged. Discharge your duty and be willing to endure hardship, just preach! Some of the seed will yield a rich harvest, some will not, preach anyway.
So, permit these “answers.” God sows seed he knows will bear no fruit because he is extravagant, because he loves and wills the existence even of those he knows will reject him, because of his justice, and to teach us to persevere, whatever the outcome.
Romans 9:13-15
King James Version (KJV)
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
Interesting....isn’t it just the same among earthly children...a favorite, a joker, the bright one, the bad penny, etc.? And even we have our favorites among ourselves...we are made in His image...diff being He is Holy, just, and righteous and we are not...yet. I find it interesting that God even lets us question Him or Satan come before Him...it boggles my mind sometimes. I’d be like I’m God, you’re not, get out. End of.
Where does it say Christ is the sower? One must, need read the answer Christ gave to grasp what is being taught.
I am that prodigal....know that story well. Am currently out in the wasteland but inching ever closer. The way it is with me....I have no humility and gratitude...but he sees something in me, I don’t know what but I have had wonderful fellowship and seen mighty victory....but then you have to come down off the mountain and live in the real world again and that’s where it always gets me.
I posted on that thread about where those two girls drove off the boat ramp and drowned the other night and I was harsh in my assessment at first....anyway someone posted a picture of death from Ingmar Bergman’s movie The Seventh Seal, so I sat and watched it on Youtube and I knew immediately who I liked in the film and who I would have gravitated towards (the good camp of people as opposed to the bad camp...liars, thieves, etc.) but I also would have been kind to them like VonSydow was...anyway the point being that it is that simple really...the good camp of people with good hearts sincerely trying to do the right thing in all instances and the bad camp who don’t give a darn, never have, never will...what makes one end up in the good or the bad...I wonder every day why I ended up in the good....King David is said to be a man after God’s own heart and we know how he messed up big time and how dearly he paid for it. Esau, apparently, did not have a heart after God even to the point of cavalierly throwing away his birthright and thus was hated by God. So that’s my point, I think....God wants to hang out with the good camp as His is right but will always still be kind and try to win the bad camp too.
That said, ******Spoiler*****all the people I liked in the movie and thought were good ended up taken by death and made to dance on the road with him going to the dark valley, but VonSydow’s character had actually tricked death so that the parents with the baby could slip away unnoticed and not fall into death’s clutches. All those people gave their lives in exchange for that couple and their baby (I am not sure all knowingly or not) and is that not the ultimate good camp....those who will lay down their lives for others?
Okay, enough for me for today.
Good points. You are noticing the extreme sovereignty that the One in whose mind all of this is taking place. He has nothing to fear from such approaches since it is just an impression that He "lets" us created beings do these things. The message of the Book, however, is that He is driving, managing these things into existence.
This is transcendent sovereignty. He really is God and He really does run everything. He even puts it into the heart of a man to sin against Him. Notice, the greatest sin of all, the execution of His Son, was done by His "predetermined PLAN and foreknowledge". How is it that He imposes the requirement, sees to it we cannot meet it, steps up to meet it Himself, then determines who will benefit? Because He is as Paul says, "He is Potter..."
Jesus said, “I am with you always, TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE.’......
Dude,
Don’t I know it and thank God for it!
Thanks.
I’m making a guess here, but God is showing his self assurance when he makes people who will reject him. Think of it, if you had infinite power and resources, would you yourself make things that would curse your name and seek to destroy you? I wouldn’t. And I’m sure anyone reading this would not do so, too. But God did, which shows how much bigger He is than most if not all of us.
I know there is something profound in this, dutchboy, but I am missing it as I am so tired. But I want to revisit tomorrow when I’ve had sleep and food.
It always seemed like such a lot of trouble and bother to me for a bunch of messed up humans.
And I certainly do not have the heart to go up against this and lose....I do have a healthy amount of the fear of the Lord. Enough to not want to end up outside the good camp at the end of it all.
No way, I could not be bothered ever....I’d just keep my sovereignty and stay by myself for never, ever, and ever.
So He really is Something Else, huh? Even more than I knew before. I believe you guys taught me something here today.
Which is why I never had kids. :)
And I would advise you not to put words or twist God’s words around to suit you.
Please read the following article that refutes your claim God hated Esau before he was born and explains the context of what the whole Jacob/Esau issue is about.
I believe you want to believe this because it gives you a pretext to dismiss God’s Word entirely. You can do so but if you go around reading books so selectively that all you want is a passage or two that “proves” something to you that you can ignore the entire Bible, and deliberately ignoring everything else that puts those quotes in the proper context, you’re free to do so, but know you are being intellectually dishonest.
http://bjorkbloggen.wordpress.com/2011/07/06/god-did-not-hate-esau-before-he-was-born-romans-913/
Jer 18:5-12 Then the word of the LORD came to me: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the LORD. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it. Now, therefore, say to the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: 'Thus says the LORD, Behold, I am shaping disaster against you and devising a plan against you. Return, every one from his evil way, and amend your ways and your deeds.' "But they say, 'That is in vain! We will follow our own plans, and will every one act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.'
Our vacation Bible School ended today and the priest did an excellent job of bringing this down to their level. Even talked about blackberry bushes with thorns, which all kids in Oregon know about.
“Many are called, but few are chosen.”
God calls everyone to come to HIS church, but not everyone hears that call — no roots on that seed.
The mirror-intent of the Law escaped the view of the Jews. The words of your own post seem to escape your view. You have relied upon one or two passages taken out of context to create an experience which now satisfies your flesh. One article against Paul and thousands of years of hermeneutical clarity is me being intellectually dishonest. God covered Pharaoh’s eyes, He can certainly cover yours.
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