Sexagesima – February 23, 2025Psalm 44; Isaiah 55:10-13; 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9St. Luke 8:4-15
In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
A seed is a wonderful thing. On its own, it shows no signs
of life. It is not a stone. It is not a plant. It doesn’t grow or multiply. It
can’t move. By itself, it is not alive. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the
ground and dies, it remains alone.”[1]
An acorn looks like little more than a stone wearing a fancy hat. But within
that acorn is the beginning of a mighty oak tree. The same is true of all
seeds. They contain the power of life itself. When placed in warm, moist
ground, this dormant potential is released, and the seed springs to life,
becoming a plant with leaf, blossom, and fruit. “Unless a grain of wheat
falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces
much grain.”[2]
Our Lord compares the Word of God to a seed. In a certain sense,
on its own, the Word of God is inert. Whether ink on a page or sounds issuing
from the lips of man, it shows no signs of life. It is living and active, but
again, on its own, it can’t do much. When it finds the warm, moist soil of the
heart of man, it springs forth with great life, imbuing the heart with faith,
producing the wondrous works of God. It is instructive and informative and
stimulates acts of piety. It takes water, bread, and wine and makes them the
Holy Sacraments, delivering life and salvation. The Word of God is living and
active, but it must be planted home in the hearts of man.[3]
It may be surprising to you to hear the Word of God talked
about in this way. But it is important because we must understand that the Word
of God is not God’s telos, His end goal. The Word of God is the means by
which God effects His goal – the salvation of man. This is why we call the Word
one of the means of grace. It is the means by which the Holy Spirit delivers
God’s grace into the hearts of man.
This is one of the errors of those churches rightly called “Fundamentalists.” They do not recognize the Word of God as a means of grace but rather as one of the end goals of God. For them, Christ spoke the words of Scripture for the purpose of creating Scripture. Yet the bible itself says that these things were written that you might believe and by believing would have life, that is salvation, in the name of Christ.[4] As a means of grace, the purpose of the Word of God is to be planted in the soil of your soul, both bringing you life and salvation and transforming you into a son or daughter of God.
The heart, or soul, of man is soil in which the Word of God
springs to life. In the parable, our Lord describes four types of soil into
which the seed fell. It is important to note that in this parable, our Lord is
not describing the unbelieving world. All these categories apply to those who
hear the Word of God in one way or another. It does not apply to heathens. It
applies to those who hear the Word. Of these hearers, there are four types.
First, there is the wayside. Although these may hear the
Word with their ears or read a few words on a page, the seed of the Word finds
no purchase in the soil of their hearts. It remains on the surface and is
easily snatched away by Satan and his demons. This is the ‘spiritual but not
religious’ crowd. This is those who press “like” on a pretty picture with a few
words of Scripture on Facebook while scheduling their next tarot reading. They
may even memorize a few verses of Scripture, especially those that fit with
their own musings on the divine or internet assembled philosophy.
Second, there is the rocky soil. These receive the Word with
joy. For a time, they are elated by the Words of Scripture and often dive into
the life of the Church with both feet. They join various groups within the
congregation right away and attend every bible study and event that is offered.
But at the first sign of temptation, they fall away. The first time they have a
late Saturday night and find waking up on Sunday difficult, they miss the
Divine Service. Once becomes twice, twice becomes four times. Soon, the joy
they had is shifted to a new and exciting adventure. Maybe a new job. Maybe a
new hobby. Maybe a great difficulty arises, a health concern or marriage
troubles, and rather than turning to the source of life they have found in the
Word of God, they turn to doctors and therapists, neglecting the soil of their
souls.
Third, our Lord describes the thorny soil. These hear the
Word of God, and it begins to sprout and bring forth good fruit. They receive
the Word of God with sincerity. They believe for a time. But then the cares of
this life, riches, and pleasure steal their attention away from the Word of
God. Finances become more important than faith. The world becomes a business venture
where the measure of a man is not his relationship with God but his success in property,
investments, profits, or collecting things.
To the thorny soil also belongs those who become caught up
in pleasure, who don’t mind taking a month off of church to go on vacation
without finding a church to attend near the lake. Here also belongs those who hear
God’s law but value their own pleasure more highly. “God wants me to be happy,
doesn’t He? So God wants me to divorce my wife and marry my mistress.” Such thoughts
make light not only the Law of God but also His Gospel. Such thoughts turn God’s
grace into something cheap that can so easily be applied that no matter what
you do or how you live, it doesn’t matter because God forgives. So eat, drink,
and be merry. Such an attitude chokes out the Word of God and withers what
fruit had begun within the soul.
Finally, there is the good soil. These hear the Word with a
noble and good heart. They keep and cherish the Word of God, finding in it the
consolation of their souls. These turn to the Word of God in good times and in
bad. These constantly examine the soil of their hearts and make sure that it
continues to be a fertile ground for God’s Word, removing the weeds and stones
that inevitably crop up. These pray that God’s Word would transform what stones
and weeds are to be found that they would remain steadfast in the Word. They
bear fruit in due season and endure the trials and temptations of the world
with patience and endurance, knowing that the telos, the end goal, of
this Word is their salvation.
Having heard descriptions of the various soils, lest you
either despair or become prideful of the condition of your own soul, you must
recognize that these soils do not primarily describe different people. They
describe the condition of every soul at different times of life. You have all
experienced seasons of life in which your soul matched each of the types of
soil. If you haven’t, I can promise you that you will. The heart of man is
fickle. There are the good seasons, when the soil of your heart is rich, warm,
and moist, when the Word of God brings joy and gladness. At these times, your
mind is filled with the things of God, and you turn to Him no matter the
circumstance you find yourself in. Thanks be to God for these seasons. They are
truly blessed times.
But the Old Adam, the sin clinging to our flesh, is very
persuasive. Even the best fields will occasionally sprout thorns or turn up
rocks. They must be constantly tended. If not cared for, they will quickly
become wild and house all manner of thorns and crows, becoming unfit for
fruitful plants. The same is true of your soul. Sin lies at the door and its
desire is for you.[5]
Satan stalks as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.[6]
For this reason, the soil of man must be cultivated and
cared for. This begins with examination. Have you been disobedient, unfaithful,
or slothful? Have you grieved any person by word or deed? Have you stolen,
neglected, or wasted anything?[7]
Consider your life according to the Ten Commandments. Have you been reading the
Word of God? Have you prayed recently? Have you confessed to God your sins and
begged His forgiveness? Are you certain you have been forgiven? Are you confident
that the blood of Christ was shed not just for the whole world but for you?
Have you helped your neighbor in need so that others would recognize your good
efforts or in thanksgiving to the God who has given you more than you need so
that you might help others?
Such examination is not for the purpose of making you feel bad. It is about being honest about the condition of your soul. Perhaps you find yourself among the rocky soil, in danger of providing shallow roots for the Word of God and fleeing from it at the first sign of temptation. It is good for you to recognize that! If you recognize that about yourself, then you know how to go about amending the soil of your soul. Devote yourself to the Word of God and the things of God, begging Him that He will sift you and remove the stones from your heart. Come to Private Confession & Absolution that you might hear the Word of God applied to you and no one else. Allow the servant of God to apply the healing balm of God’s Word directly to the wounds of your soul.
It won’t happen immediately. God sometimes takes His time,
but even that is for your benefit. He allows you to struggle with sin so that
you would remember it is not you who creates or sustains the good soil of faith,
but it is Him, and Him alone. St. Paul struggled his entire life with a thorn
in the flesh, likely a besetting sin.[8]
He prayed that God would remove that thorn and yet God allowed St. Paul to
struggle with it. Such suffering produces “perseverance, perseverance,
character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the
love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given
to us.”[9]
The life of the Christian is hard. Christ has promised that
those who would follow Him will bear the cross of suffering, persecution,
temptation, and sin.[10]
Yet this yoke is easy and the burden is light.[11]
It is light and easy because we do not bear it alone. We bear it with the Word
of God, with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and with the knowledge that freedom
from the burdens of the world is already ours.[12]
If Christ is for us, who can stand against us?[13]
These words have been given to you that you would know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God.[14]
Take these words and plant them deeply in the soil of your heart, that they might
burst forth with life and salvation.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
[1]
St. John 12:24.
[2]
St. John 12:24. This paragraph is a summary of Pius Parsch, The Church’s
Year of Grace, Volume 2 (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1953), 38.
[3]
Hebrews 4:12.
[4]
St. John 20:31.
[5]
Genesis 4:7.
[6]
1 Peter 5:8.
[7]
Small Catechism V.6.
[8]
2 Corinthians 12:7.
[9]
Romans 5:3-5.
[10]
St. Matthew 16:24.
[11]
St. Matthew 11:30.
[12]
St. John 8:36.
[13]
Romans 8:31.
[14]
St. Luke 8:10.
