The Seeds You Have Sown

https://youtu.be/3tP_1NOr6Zk

Gospel

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

MATTHEW 13:1-9, 18-23

Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor

We might never know the seeds we have sown.

Today we hear Jesus' familiar parable of the sower. A farmer scatters seed, and it falls on different kinds of soil. Some is eaten by birds, some withers on rocky ground, some is choked by thorns, but some falls on good soil and produces an astonishing harvest—one hundred, sixty, thirtyfold.

Jesus tells us this is a picture of the word of the kingdom being scattered throughout the world. It is shared freely, but people receive it differently. Some reject it, while others hear it, understand it, and bear fruit beyond what anyone could expect.

When we hear this, we might imagine sowing the seeds of the kingdom means talking to everyone, including strangers, about Jesus—sharing the good news with people on the street or while we are waiting in line at the grocery store. I know that for me, and likely for many of you, this isn't something we would ever really do. But if we look to the Gospels, we see that it was not the only way Jesus sowed the seeds of the kingdom.

Yes, Jesus proclaimed the kingdom with his words, but he also proclaimed it by the way he lived.

Jesus took risks, eating with the outcasts and those considered sinful in the ancient world. He welcomed everyone, including little children. He shared what he had and loved others. Jesus sowed the seeds of the kingdom not only by speaking about God, but by living a life of generosity, faith, humility, compassion, and welcome.

Sometimes those seeds took root. People's lives were changed, and they went on to share the good news themselves. But other times, nothing seemed to happen. Jesus met opposition. People rejected him. Eventually, those same acts of love and welcome led him to the cross. Even Jesus did not see every seed he sowed flourish, but he never stopped sowing.

I think that this is where this parable speaks to us. It reminds us that we are called to sow the seeds of God's kingdom without always knowing where they will land or what will become of them.

Sometimes someone encounters us and, because of how we live, how we are as a church, or even because of something we have said about our faith, they are changed. They experience kindness when they expected judgment. They find hope when they had almost given up. Or they simply discover that there is a place where they are welcomed and loved as they are...and a seed takes root deep in their hearts, eventually sprouting up.

But far more often, nothing happens. We offer kindness. We welcome people. We share what we have. Then we never see them again and life goes on. From our perspective, nothing seems to have changed.

The point of sowing isn't that we get to see the result. We do not sow so that the pews are suddenly full, the offering plate overflows, or we can point to impressive numbers and call it success. Instead, Jesus calls us simply to sow, to be the people he calls us to be, and to leave the rest to God.

As I reflected on this, I realised we already do a lot here to sow seeds. We have collections for various community organisations, we are holding our upcoming Christmas Market, we have dinners and Murder Mysteries, and we even open our building for choirs, Scouts, piano lessons, and more. Now, on the surface you could say, "Well, a lot of it is just to raise money." But that that’s not the case...what all of this is really doing is showing people that we are what we say we are. That this is a place where people are welcomed, where people matter, and where they can simply come through the doors and know they belong.

I think back to our recent Taste the World Youth Fundraiser. We had already begun the clean-up when a family came in thinking we were still serving. Now, we could have said, "Sorry, we're closed." Instead, we said, "Have a seat." We gave them some food. We didn't ask for a donation. We simply smiled, welcomed them, and let them eat. I haven't seen them since. In fact, I don't even know their names.

I don't know whether anything we did that night stayed with them beyond giving them a meal—and that's okay. The goal was never that they would come to church every Sunday or make a donation. The goal was that, for that evening, they encountered the love of God through us.

And maybe—just maybe—a seed was planted. Maybe it will sprout in a year's time. Maybe ten years from now. Maybe it already has. But this isn't for us to know. That belongs to God. Our calling is not to control the harvest, but simply to keep sowing—to keep offering kindness, welcome, compassion, hope, and love wherever we have the opportunity.

Most of us can probably think of someone who planted a seed in our own lives. A teacher who encouraged us. A friend who stood beside us. A family member whose faith quietly shaped us. Someone who showed us kindness at exactly the right moment.

I wonder if they ever knew the difference they made.

Maybe they never did.

And maybe one day someone will say the same about us.

We may never know the seeds we have sown.

But God does.

Amen.