We heard last week about a crazy vineyard owner who, of all things, paid all of his workers the same no matter how long they worked. This week, we hear of a farmer who just sows his seed everywhere. He just scatters the seed and lets it land where it may. I thought farmers planted their seeds carefully, not wasting but trying to use all of their seed. Not this farmer. He just chucks his seed to the wind and it lands all over the place. Once again, by telling us this parable, Jesus teaches us that the Lord doesn't do things the way we think they should be done. He doesn't accomplish things the way we try to accomplish them. He isn't stingy, as we are stingy, with His good gifts. So, once again this week, as we head toward Lent, we are reminded to stop thinking of ourselves and to put all of our hope and faith and trust in Jesus, through whom the Father gives us every good gift. Here is our hope this week, from this parable: that he Lord in His mercy and grace continues to sow His Word, to shower us with His Word, to give us His Word over and over. When we encounter other people who throw away our gifts or lose them or ignore them, we stop giving them gifts. When the Lord gives His Word, He keeps on giving it, whether it is received or not, whether it is snatched away or not, whether it bears good fruit or not. And that's for our good!
It bothers me when people hear the Word of God and then stop hearing it. It bothers me when people are really excited to hear and learn the Gospel and then after awhile they just stop coming. It bothers me when members of a church vanish without a word as to why they don't come anymore. It bothers me when children are confirmed and then you never see them again. It troubles me when I get all excited to teach the Catechism to someone and then they decide they don't want to learn after all. It troubles me that there are far more people in Church than there are in Bible Class. It worries me when for one reason or another, people just disappear. And start going to some other church. And stop going to church at all. And give no time to hearing God's Word because of all the cares of this world. And maybe it bothers me most of all how little I want to study God's Word and learn it myself! Why do these things happen? Where do these people go? And do we realize that we're just one step away from doing the same thing? I think I must worry about it because somehow or another I think it's my fault. Or, if I'm feeling really grumpy, I'll imagine that it's YOUR fault. Maybe they never came back because I said something they didn't like or because they sat in your pew and you chased them off! That's why we need to hear this parable, brothers and sisters in Christ! We need to hear Jesus tell us that in His church, that's just the way things are. The devil snatches the Word away from people. Others hear the word but they don't really have root. It all sounds great to start with but then they just seem to lose interest. Still others get so caught up with the stuff of this life, or their problems, or trying to survive, they just drift away. All of these things happen. And that's just the way it is in the church. Jesus teaches us this so that we won't despair. He teaches us that this is what happens so that when we see it happen, we'll learn repentance and trust in Him and His Word.
The truth is, there is not one of us who doesn't fall into one of those three categories. We hear the word and don't learn it. It goes in one ear and out the other and we let it! That's the devil snatching God's Word away from you! Or you start off hearing the Word, learning it, but you don't continue. You get bored or whatever and Bible Study and Church become optional. And what was growing begins to die. That's the seed with shallow dirt that grows a little but has no root. Or perhaps you get caught up in the problems and things of this life. You're sick all the time and church gets put to the back burner; the kids are having trouble; there's not enough money; there's not enough time; there's just too much going on for God's Word to be important. That's the seed that gets choked by thorns. No one is exempt either. We all need to hear the Word but find reasons not to. You come to church. But do you come regularly or only once in a while? You come regularly, but do you come to Bible Study and learn even more of God's Word? You come to Bible Study but do you read and study the Scriptures every day, on your own? OK, you have your devotions each day, but do you pray without ceasing? Is the Word of God your highest joy and treasure and gift? Do you see? It doesn't matter who we are, we are always in need of more of God's Word and we are always in danger of His Word being snatched away or withered or choked off. There is our repentance, too. To repent of despising God's Word and instead embracing it and holding fast to it because it saves us!
Brothers and sisters in Christ: the answer to this is not that we are seeds that need to somehow scoot ourselves over to the good soil. No, our only hope is what the Lord gives us. And He always gives His Word. When man sinned, the Lord gave His Word of Promise that He would send a Savior. Throughout the whole Old Testament, even when His own people laughed at Him, ignored Him, and rejected Him, the Lord send His Word. Gave His promises. When the Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, He preached and taught over and over even when people—like His own disciples—didn't get it. Our Lord went to the cross for sinners who paid no attention to Him. The Word was killed on Calvary, pierced for our transgressions and then planted in the earth of the tomb. There is our salvation, that the Word, who was made flesh for our sakes, was put into the earth! To rise up the third day. To bear fruit. To ascend into heaven and send the Spirit and the Word through His preachers. Ever since then and even now, the Lord continues to send His Word, continues to declare to us the gifts Jesus won for us and to deliver forgiveness to us. Here is Good News, brothers and sisters in Christ, the Lord doesn't look at us and say, “Well, you don't want my Word, then I won't waste my time giving it to you!” No, He continues to sow His Word. To shower and scatter and give us His Word. The Word that gives us Jesus. The Word that forgives our sins. The Word that promises with the water that we are God's children. The Word that brings us Jesus' body and blood. Over and over and over, the Lord gives us His Word to save us and keep us in His holy faith.
And the Lord gives His Word so that you will bear fruit in noble and good hearts, keeping His Word and bearing fruit in patience. Not YOUR noble and good heart, but a heart made good and noble by being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Create in me a clean, heart, O God! We sing that so that the Lord might forgive our sins and plant His Word in us. And what does it mean to “keep” His Word? Well, hiding behind that little word “keep” is the word from which we get catechize and catechesis and catechism and catechumen. That is, to “keep” the Word means to hear it, say, learn it, memorize it, have our ears and hearts filled with the Lord's Word and promises. And this is done with “patience.” Have you ever read the Bible and not understood what it meant? Have you ever sat through Bible class and wondered what Pastor was talking about? This is the patience that Jesus speaks of. He means that we are simply to keep hearing and learning God's Word whether it seems to make sense or not. It's really easy to get bored with God's Word. To think that it's not exciting, or too hard to understand, or simply too time consuming to learn well. Repent! That's seed that will be snatched or withered or choked! Rather, learn God's Word in patience! Come to Bible Study. Pay close attention to the Scriptures in the Divine Service and the sermon that is preached. Come to Catechesis on Wednesdays. Pray your catechism every day. Hear God's Word in all the ways in which He has to give it to you. Because that is how the Lord saves you! Not by YOUR doing it. But because His Word is the Word that rescues you from the devil, the world and your sinful flesh. It is His Word that forgives your sins and points you to your Baptism and calls you to His Supper. Be a catechumen! Not just when you're a little kid, but your whole life. And through that, in you, the Lord will bear fruit for His glory and the good and benefit of your neighbor.
Another week closer to Lent. Another parable which teaches us about God's grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters in Christ, all eyes off of youself. All eyes on Jesus. It's just the way it is: the devil takes some, the flesh withers more and the world chokes others. But to has been given to understand the mysteries, to you is given the warning. You, flee to Christ and His Word, which He never stops giving to you. Take it or leave it, He'll still keep giving His Word. He'll still keep rescuing you with His Word. He'll still keep forgiving you by His Word. He'll still keep bearing fruit through you by His Word. Because when the Lord sends His Word, it never returns empty, but accomplishes His purpose. The Word made flesh is Jesus and the Word into your ears gives you Jesus. And that means forgiveness of sins and eternal life and the fruit of good works for your neighbor. Amen.