This parable should be an encouragement to those who teach, preach, and lead others.  Now before you tune me out saying, ‘I am not a teacher or a preacher,’ listen to the following statement,

"You are the only sermon
some people will ever hear preached."

What kind of sermon does your life preach?

I have heard ministers preach sermons of fire and damnation, that even with the grace of God you and I are not going to heaven.  I have heard ministers preach OK sermons, sermons that give you and me permission to do what we want.  I have heard ministers preach from the Bible as though it is a book of suggestions, and not the Word of God.

Sadly, I have see people preach similar sermons with their lives. Sermons of total disapproval, of total permissiveness and of total disregard for God.

This is not the kind of sowing Jesus is calling you and I to do, when he said,

"Listen! A sower went out to sow."

The sower in our gospel story went out and sowed seeds.  The seeds fell on four different kinds of grounds and had four different kinds of results.  The seeds however were the same.  The sower sowed good seeds. The proof of this is that the seeds, which did fall on good fertile soil, took root and yielded 30, 60, and 100 fold.

The fact: that some were eaten by the birds;

That some grew quickly, but died just as quickly;

That some grew among thorns and were choked by those thorns and;

That only some grew and yielded 30, 60, 100 fold does not negate the fact that the seeds the sower sowed were good.

What should also be noted is that the sower was faithful in his task. The results, did not stop him from sowing.

"Listen!  A sower went out to sow."

Jesus is calling you and I to be sowers of God’s Word, as He was.  He sowed God’s Word, by being the Word of God.  As the gospel writer John said,

"The Word became flesh and dwelt among us."

The people’s response to him varied as the seeds which the sower sowed.  Yet that did not determine his faithfulness.  He never got discouraged.  He continued to sow, even until his death, resurrection and ascension.

You and I, therefore shouldn’t be discouraged if you do not always see results as you faithfully sow the Word.  Like many people, every year my father has a small garden where he grows a variety of vegetables.  Inevitably each year it seems that some of the plants are more productive and healthier than others.  You would think that if two plants are side by side to each other, receiving the same nourishment and treatment, that their output would be the same. This is not always the case, but that doesn’t stop him from caring for all the plants.

So don’t be discouraged, be faithful.  You and I are responsible for the sowing, NOT the growing.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow."

The following story which was sent to me by email speaks loudly about a mother of three children ages 14, 12 and 3 and how she sowed The Word of God one day. S he was taking a sociology class, her last class before graduation from college.  The class was given an assignment.  She was to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions.

This women was a very friendly person.  Smiling and saying hello to people was something she did naturally.

Soon after she was assigned the project, her husband and youngest son went out to McDonald’s on a crisp March morning.  While standing in line waiting to be served, she noticed that people around her were moving away from her, as a matter of fact even her husband did.

Starting to feel a sense of panic she turned to see why people were moving away from her.  As she turned she was greeted with a horrible ‘dirty body’ smell.  Standing behind her were two poor homeless people.  As she looked at them the smaller of the two smiled at her.

She said later that as she looked in his beautiful sky blue eyes they were filled with God’s light.  He broke his smile only to say, "Good day" as he counted the few coins he had been clutching.  The second man was mentally deficient and it was clear to her that the blue eyed man was his salvation.

When he got to the counter he ordered one cup of coffee because that was all they could afford.  If they wanted to sit in McDonald’s and warm-up, they had to buy something.

The mother said at that moment she was compelled to reach out and embrace the little man with blue eyes.  That is when she noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on her.

She smiled and asked the lady behind the counter to give her two more breakfast meals.  She then walked to the table where the two men sat.  She put the tray on the table and laid her hand on the gentlemen’s cold hands.

The blue eyed man looked up and said, "Thank you."

As she patted his hand she said, "I did not do this for you.  God is here working through me to give you hope."

When she returned to our husband and child, her husband said,
" that is why God gave you to me.  To give me hope."

As they held each others hands they knew that only because of the grace of God that they had been given were they able to give.

"Listen, a sower went out to sow."

Because of the grace of God that you have been given, what are you called to give, what are you called to sow?

Perhaps its hope to someone who has lost hope.

Perhaps its encouragement to someone who is down trodden.

Perhaps its forgiveness to someone who doesn’t deserve your forgiveness.

Perhaps its love to someone who isn’t very lovable.

Perhaps its reassurance to someone who is having doubts.

Whatever it is, continue to sow the love and Word of God.  Continue to BE the love and Word of God.

You and I are responsible for the sowing, not the growing of God’s love in another’s heart.

You and I are to look for ways to sow the Word of God within our family, within our work place, within our neighborhood, within our circle of friends.

Whatever it is OR whoever it is, Go and Sow the seeds of God’s grace!

Amen

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