November 9, 2008
Rev. Kip Gilts

            There are four couples who met in college and still vacation together, nearly thirty years after graduation.  Tammy and I are one of those couples.  Last year, we decided to be frugal and stay at our friend’s mom’s house.  Free lodging and home cooked food in Las Vegas.  Now I have to confess that I was not all that excited about going to Las Vegas.  I have been there before and that was enough.  Tammy, on the other hand, was in an internet frenzy for weeks.  She investigated all the shows and scenic spots, mapped out our itinerary and even found some places for me to hike in nature.  One of the must sees of the vacation was “The Blue Man Group”.  “So much for frugal,” I growled, but I have to admit, I was impressed.

After the show we milled around in the lobby and one of my friends asked, “What do you think it means?”  I hadn’t even thought about it, I was just enjoying the music, the comedy, and the energy.  We got into a discussion about the exponential growth of information technology and the continued hunger in the human heart for relationships.  All of it started by the simple question, “What do you think it means?”

I am certain that there were such instances in Galilee when an itinerant preacher from Nazareth started telling stories.  Today we continue our series on stories in the windows and we come to the window dedicated to the telling of stories.  It is the fifth window from the southeast and is entitled, “The Sower”.  The window depicts a story recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  We will read the one contained in Luke 8:4-8.  Hear now the word of the Lord:

⁴When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ⁵“A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. ⁷Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

This is the word of God for the people of God.  In this passage Jesus drew a line between the curious and the serious.  Let us pray.

This was a turning point for Jesus’ ministry.  He was gaining in popularity, packing them in, and all of a sudden he begins to tell stories.  People seem to like stories, but some are confused. I can imagine the disciples looking at one another and asking, “What do you think it means?”

Jesus began speaking in parables to conceal and to reveal the kingdom truths.  To those who just wanted a good story, the curious, these parables concealed the truth.  Anyone looking at the stained glass window on the east side of this sanctuary can see the story: some seeds, some birds, some soils, and some grain.  But take a closer look, be one of the serious listeners, and you may see something that you never expected to find in this window – you may find yourself.

The window was given by the Reverend and Mrs. James Carlin.  Reverend Carlin pastored this church from 1936-1942.  It was he who preached at the first formal worship service in this beautiful sanctuary in 1951.  Reverend Carlin served as a Methodist pastor for 56 years, died at the age of 93, and was buried in the Lakeview Cemetery in 2002.  I wonder how many times he preached on the parable of the sower?  It’s all there in the window.  Can you see it?  Seeds, a path, rocky soil, thorns, fertile soil, and an abundant harvest.  The whole story is right there.  What do you think it means? 

The answer seemed to be the dividing line between the curious and the serious.  William Arndt wrote about this critical turning point in Jesus’ ministry, “What appeared as genuine devotion was in reality nothing but the froth and foam of idle curiosity or sentimental nationalism or of an intense desire to find material help in the struggle for existence.”  These stories separated the serious from the curious.  The serious asked Jesus about this parable and Jesus explained it.  That’s why it is important for us this morning to take a closer look at the window.  What do you think it means?

Jesus began to interpret the parable by revealing that the seed was none other than the word of God.  By the way, there are a couple of important things to note about the word of God.  First of all, the word of God is powerful, extraordinarily powerful.  Remember the first chapter of the Bible.  When God spoke words, stuff happened: light, earth, sun, moon, stars, vegetation, fish, fowl, animals.  Later when the prophets came along and God told them it would not rain, it did not rain.  When God said kingdoms would fall for their faithlessness, they fell.  God’s word is powerful.  The second thing to note is that the word of God is personal.  Jesus is the full and final word of God.  Could it be that when he speaks of the Word of God, he is speaking autobiographically? It makes sense, but even if he is referring more to his message, its meaning is not much different.  Can you see the seeds?

Some of the seeds fell on the path.  Virtus Gideon wrote, “The parable of the sower pictures a Jewish farmer in the process of sowing grain.  The only equipment was a grain bag and a strong arm which with to cast seeds.”  Of course, some seed is going to fall along the road, it will get stepped on, cracking its hull and opening up treasures for the birds.  Jesus identified these as people who hear the word of God, but that’s all.  It goes in one ear and out the other, or as I have had a few people say to me, “Your lips keep moving, but all I hear is blah, blah, blah.” 

Now before I go any further in this message I have to say that each of us can be found in this window.  The question I have for you is, “Which one are you?” 

There are some who for one reason or another are in church quite often.  They are exposed to the word of God, it is unleashed in their presence, but they never really hear it.  They see lips moving, but all they hear is blah, blah, blah.  Someone is missing in their lives, but they don’t seem to notice.  Jesus went on to say that the enemy, the devil himself swoops down and steals it away before it has a chance of taking root.  Listen all you want, but as long as you don’t act on the word of God, it is not taking root.

The second spot for the forecast seed is rocky soil.  Anyone who has ever been to Israel can understand this part of the story.  There are white limestone rocks all over the place.  As you drive along the country roads you notice that farmers still build rock fences around their land, not for any reason other than to stack the tons of rock found on every acre of land.  If these rocks are not removed, the crops cannot set their roots deep and the first summer wind and scorching sun will wipe it out before it ever has a chance to mature.  These are revealed in verse thirteen as those who hear the word of God and are actually pretty excited about it, until they discover that with believing comes some responsibility.  The Jewish term is Mitzvah, which is often translated law or commandment, but what it really means is expectation.  They fall away when the first time of testing came upon them.

I witnessed this in a different sort several weeks ago. I was at the Aggies-Kansas State football game.  I wound up sitting by myself at the game and there behind me was a darling couple.  They were college students or recent grads.  The girl was all decked out in her Kansas State purple and white gear.  I could hear from her pre-game conversation that she was actually from Kansas was familiar with their roster of players.  Her boyfriend was dressed in his Aggie maroon and white and was breathing threats of humiliation.  “All in good fun,” I thought to myself.  I was wrong.  

Kansas State scored early and often in the first half.  After the first score she bumped her shoulder into her boyfriend’s and said, “Did you see that?”  He started to say things to her that I would never say to my worst enemy.  I do not believe that I have ever heard so many foul words in such short sentences, spoken to another human being.  “That hurt,” she said in a way that makes a father’s heart listen more intently.

“I don’t care,” expressing himself with more expletives.  I wanted to change my maroon shirt.  I was ashamed to be supporting the same team as this guy.  After a short time of mutual pouting he said, “I know that I’m competitive, but that’s who I am.”  Not even an apology.  I wanted to slide up one row, sit between them, look at the girl, and say, “If you are not married to this guy, you might want to leave him right now.  If you are married, go before halftime and get some counseling.” 

“That’s who I am,” is not an excuse for bad behavior.  The first wave of testing that came this young man’s way caused civility to leave his being, not a good sign.  I know that there are expectations that come with donning the maroon and white, and this guy violated them.

There are expectations that come with bearing the name Christian.  Every member of this church has been asked, “According to the grace given to you will you remain a faithful member of Christ’s holy church and serve as Christ’s representative in the world?”  Are you okay with these expectations?

Let’s go to the next soil.  It looked good at first, but there were thorns in the soil, probably in seed form at the time of the sowing.  They grew up and choked the wheat before it had a chance to produce any fruit.  Jesus said in verse fourteen that these are those who are “choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of the world.”

What do you think this means? Joel Green, a New Testament professor at Asbury Theological Seminary wrote, “These are those who have a drive for security apart from God and from the needs of one’s neighbor.”   William Arndt wrote, “They are choked by the anxieties haunting the person who cannot accumulate enough.”

When I read this quote I thought of poor Edmund in C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. In chapter four Edmund is introduced to Turkish Delight.  “Each piece was sweet and light to the very center and Edmund had never tasted anything more delicious…the more he ate the more he wanted to eat.”  He is willing to betray his own family to acquire more.  It is easy, very easy, to find ourselves in Edmund’s shoes.  More is a lure that catches most men and women. Beware of the thorns around you.

That is not the end of the story.  In fact, I love how this window tells the story.  The three previous soils are not easily seen at first glance, but who can miss the huge bundle of grain.  Some even interpret this parable as an eschatological story proclaiming the certainty that the word of God would bring a bountiful harvest.  The crowds did start to fall off after the miracles of fish and loaves stopped and the teachings turned to parables that seemed full of expectations.  It is easy to spot the pathway, the rocky soil, and the thorns in the gospel accounts, but oh the harvest.  Today there are estimated to be two billion Christians in the world.  Over 72 million Bibles were distributed globally last year.  There are 410,000 Christian missionaries throughout the world.  In 2006, according to Gordon-Cromwell Theological Seminary, 171,000 Christians died for their faith.  Those who believe continue to bear so much fruit that the failures of the faithless pale in comparison.

Jesus called out in verse eight, “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen!”   Look at the window one more time.  What do you think it means?  Hearing leads to believing and believing leads to behaving.  So where are you in this window?  Amen.