Hoe down for salvation

Sermon for Sexagesima 

We've not long

been listening to 

Our Lord's words

on the wheat and the tares,

so we know that 

there is a relation between 

these parables.

When speaking of

wheat and tares, 

Our Lord tells us

that we cannot root out

the sin within the Church

because the Enemy

has sown sin there,

right at the beginning.

Sin gets dealt with

fully and completely

at the End.

We know that 

it is the Church

into which the seed is sown

and grows.

The Church is the soil

in which the fruit of

the Kingdom of Heaven grows,

and that soil 

needs tending.

God sows His word,

the Good News

of the life and work

of Our Lord Jesus Christ

the truth of salvation,

the glory of His Kingdom.

And wherever the Church is,

that Good News spreads

and grows. 

[PAUSE]

We have also been

hearing Our Lord's words

about the labourers in the Vineyard.

We know that we have to labour

at tending and dressing

the Church in order

for her to produce good fruit.

Here, 

in discussing the Sower

and the seed of His word,

we see what we have to do,

each one of us

to allow the fruit of Church to grow.

The path,

the rocky ground

and the thistles,

all stop the word of Salvation 

from growing.

All must be dealt with.

[PAUSE]

The path,

where there is no soil

for the seed to grow,

where the Church is not present.

It is here that the Church 

must be made present,

through 

just one small, praying community

- even an individual -

committed to growing in holiness first 

and then in number.

The rocky ground,

where the Church is present

but in a way so shallow,

so superficial, that the word of Salvation 

cannot take root.

It is here,

that the hard work,

of breaking up the rocks 

through active Christian practice,

works of mercy,

compassion and kindness, 

can bring the true Church

in which the word can grow.

The thorns and thistles

of distraction from the work

and cares of the world

which seek to crush our spirit

with a million irrelevances.

These must be grabbed up

in our lives 

like the weeds they are.

We cannot grub up the tares in the Church

- tares which look like wheat 

but are not -

but we can grub up 

the weeds 

- thorns, briars and thistles -

which we recognise in ourselves, 

and prevent them from 

growing in the Church.

We focus on what is good, 

not the squabbles and sniping 

that we hear all around us

but by careful self-examination

of anything 

- anything at all -

that is hindering our prayer

or stopping us

from working out our Salvation

through faith working in love.

[PAUSE]

As we prepare for Lent,

we look to ourselves 

to see how we are dealing

with the path where Satan prowls,

the rocky ground which prevents growth,

and the weeds in our own minds 

which seek to distract us

from our work.

Lent is a time 

for tilling the soil

as a Church 

and as individuals.

Lent is a time for a hoe-down.