The spiritual dangers are all around us, so let us not grow weary of the Word that has already taken root and borne fruit in our lives.
Preaching on a parable of our Lord is often a challenging task. The difficulty is embedded in the fact that you are to give a sermon on what amounts to a sermon by our Lord. So, care must be taken to adhere to the referents of the images used, as well as to the overall purpose and goal of the parable. Too often, interpretations of parables can drift far afield from the original purpose or dwell on details that never move the parable into the lives of the hearers today.
The great news is that with the Parable of the Sower, we are given the proper interpretation by Jesus Himself. This eases the preacher’s task and enables you to focus on bringing the parable’s overall goal into the present context of your people. In this parable, our Lord is answering the question of why His ministry, embodied in both His words and deeds, is not as wildly successful as His disciples might have thought. Why are so many people in Israel rejecting His work and not responding with faith? Indeed, a good opening to a sermon on this text might focus on these very questions. Why does the Church often seem so small and weak? Why does the work of preaching and teaching the Good News seem to regularly fall on deaf ears? Take time to explore how the work of the Church remains strange and confusing in our age.
In response to this, Jesus tells a parable. It is a parable about a unique and generous sower. This sower does not seem to care where he sows the seed. He casts it about without any regard for where it lands. The sower, of course, is our Lord, and the seed He sows is the Word of the Kingdom. That Word is cast far and wide. It settles in the ears of anyone who will hear. In many ways, it could be called the parable of the soils, for it is the different soils which receive the sown seed that become the focus.
Take time to work through the different soils mentioned. Find correlations in modern examples of the different types of people. Surely, everyone sitting in the pews has had experience with several, if not all, of the realities expressed in this text.
The truth that unfolds in this parable is how the appropriate response can only happen if God enables the hearer to understand and believe the Word: “He who has ears, let him hear.” In applying this parable today, we can see several possibilities. You may take them in turn or, perhaps, choose one or two to focus on in your sermon.
The growth of the Church is neither predictable nor entirely within our control.
As hearers of this parable, we ought not to expect the ministry of Jesus to be automatically successful. The growth of the Church is neither predictable nor entirely within our control. The faithful preaching and teaching of Christ will not always bring droves of believers. In this way, the parable gives us a healthy dose of reality in comparison with our schemes and aspirations. For you, the preacher, and for your congregation, there will be many to whom you minister and there will be no faith and no discipleship created. We are in all things dependent on our God.
Yet, there is cause in this parable for celebration. We are reminded that when the gift of faith receives the Word, there will be an abundant yield of spiritual fruit. We are also reminded here that the Word of the Kingdom of God still possesses the power to create good works in the lives of disciples. Again, it would be helpful here to give examples from your own congregation, times when you have been shocked by the love and care of God’s people; moments when the fruit of the harvest has been easy to see. This ought to be met with joy and an exhortation towards confidence.
Along with this, there is a call for discernment among the people of God. For though the people to whom you preach are the good soil, they live in and among a world marked by hard paths, rocky, shallow soil, and weed-infested thorns which seek to choke out the Word. You may call for diligence and warn about the deceptions believers face day in and day out. The spiritual dangers are all around us, so let us not grow weary of the Word that has already taken root and borne fruit in our lives. Rather, we return to that wellspring over and over again.
He who has ears, let him hear. God bless your preaching.
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out 1517’s resources on Matthew 13:1-9 (18-23).
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Matthew 13:1-9 (18-23).
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
The Pastor’s Workshop-Check out all the great preaching resources from our friends at the Pastor’s Workshop!
