SOTAS - 16TH July 2017

GOOD EARTH
Our gospel today is the familiar story of the parable of the sower. It is one of the few (the only???)
parables which Jesus spells out for the disciples, as well as explaining to them his reasons for using
parables. Jesus wants people to have to search for the meaning – he is not giving his hearers a rule-
book (however much they would like one, cf. the rich young man who had kept all the laws). In our
day, we would say it is to leave space for the work of the Holy Spirit. If we have ‘ears to hear’, it is
because our hearts and minds have been prepared to receive the teaching.
I don’t know about you, but I am not always sure, even though Jesus explains it, whether he is
describing himself or the disciples (or the Holy Spirit!) as the sower; or whether the crowds hearing his
message or the disciples are the different kinds of ground.
Personally, I cannot hear this parable without asking myself: ‘Am I too caught up in the cares of the
world? Has temptation to worldliness snatched away the message from my heart?’. I do identify the
different kinds of earth with my own life.
The question is not necessarily, ‘Have I listened to God’s word?’ – as I know I have – but, ‘Has that
word borne fruit?’. In verse 23, Jesus describes ‘someone who produces a crop, yielding a hundred,
sixty or thirty times what was sown’.
So today I thought we would look at some ‘good earth’, ‘good soil’, to find out what we have to do to
bear fruit.
Let’s take a look at it: what do you notice?
 it isn’t lumpy or hard
 it holds moisture
 it has no weeds
 it smells good
 it is a rich colour
 no pollution
In the parable, hard soil means a hard heart, the word of God falls on deaf ears. Has that happened
to you? At times we are tempted to shut out the word of God because we do not wish to be
challenged, or to forgive a hurt, or to accept consolation – it is too difficult (or too easy!).
Or perhaps, in our journey along the path of life, we have accepted God’s word, but not known how
to turn our knowledge into trust: ‘Faith isn’t faith ‘til it’s all you’re holding on to’. Like the stony
soil, we don’t retain enough moisture to feed our faith. We need to draw on the Water of Life, on the
words of Jesus, to sustain us in life’s trials.
Soil full of weeds represents not just greed for wealth, but material security, putting our trust in a
comfortable life, or even health (‘as long as I have enough to live on ... as long as you have your
health ...’). What about when those things are no longer there? I know I am in that category – eager
to check out any troubling symptoms, reassured when I check my bank statement.
I feel sympathy for the refugees I see on TV, who have left almost all their property, their jobs, their
past and have lost their health through poor diet and deprivation, but I wouldn’t want to be them. I
thank the Lord I am not yet in danger of becoming a refugee and try to support charities that help.
As the hymn says: ‘Christian, love me more than these’ (in ‘Jesus calls us o’er the tumult’).
‘Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world's golden store, from each idol that would keep us,
saying, "Christian, love me more”.’
So, that good soil: what do we see? It is soft and crumbly, for growth to take place, roots to go
down deep. It is rich brown, rich in nutrients, to feed the roots.
Like soil, we need feeding with the word of God, through reading our Bibles, taking home our service
sheets and looking up the readings again, praying the prayers.
It is fragrant. The book of Revelation describes prayers like incense, a sweet fragrance permeating
the Holy City, pleasing to God. Imagine our Heavenly Father breathing in our prayers ... So prayer is
part of becoming ‘good earth’.
It has no harmful pollution in it – it is kept pure. We should change our behaviour, even our
thoughts, and our entertainments, from TV to social media, to screen out harmful attitudes and
behaviours.

So, this is how to bear fruit, to be that good soil, to produce a crop a hundred, or sixty or thirty times
greater than what was sown. And what is that crop?
The apostle James says:
‘ ... the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate,
submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a
harvest of righteousness.’ (ch 3.17-18)

The apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians says:

‘ ... the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control. Against such things there is no law.’ (ch 5. 23),
and in the passage set for today (copies at rear of Church) from his letter to the Romans:
‘ ... the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death’.
So we are free in the Holy Spirit to become that wholesome and receptive ‘good soil’ – thanks be to
God.

PRAYERS

Give each person a seed and invite them to hold it in the palm of one hand. Do the following actions,
pausing after each one, to pray for different groups of people:
 Hold your hand out flat and place the other one on top of it – pray for people who feel alone or
are in danger.
 Make your hand into a balled fist – pray for those who are in rocky places; struggling at home
or at school.
 Make a claw with your other hand and hold it over the seed – pray for those who have had their
joy stolen away, and feel sad or frightened.
 Cup your hands together, as if holding something precious – pray for yourselves, that you
would know God’s love flourishing in your hearts. Amen.