Sermon for Sexagesima Sunday
What is the Kingdom of God like?
We know that
when Jesus utters these words,
He is telling us something
about the way
God rules His Kingdom.
As we hear
His parable of the sower,
are we being told
something
of the Kingdom of God?
[PAUSE]
It seems that the answer is, "no."
First, we see Jesus
addressing the crowd,
and He begins straightaway,
"A sower went out
to sow His seed..."
He does not begin
with "The Kingdom of God is like..."
Is the parable of the sower
about the Kingdom of God?
If not, then what is Jesus
telling us?
[PAUSE]
It's after talking to the crowds
that the disciples ask about
this parable,
and Jesus tells them
that this is about
the Kingdom of God.
He tells them
that it is for them
to know the mysteries
of the Kingdom of God,
but for the others
they may only know the parable.
Why is that?
Listen to the parable of the sower.
A sower sows seed.
Some goes by the wayside
and gets trodden on and eaten by birds.
Some goes on rock
and withers away through lack of soil.
Some goes into the thorn bush
where it is choked up.
Some goes into good soil
where it thrives.
What is this telling us about
the Kingdom of God?
What is this telling us about
the way that God rules
His kingdom?
[PAUSE]
Turn the focus
on the sower.
He sows seed.
He sows it everywhere.
Everywhere He can,
He casts seed
giving it every opportunity
to grow.
Jesus tells us
that this seed
is the Word of God.
It's Him.
Jesus is being sown
- sown everwhere.
Everyone has the opportunity
to receive the Word of God,
but many receive Him
on their terms
and non God's.
Some just let the Gospel
get trodden underfoot
and taken away by the Devil.
They hear the Word of God
and say, "who cares?"
Some receive the Gospel,
but don't pay it any real attention.
They of Jesus, "oh He's nice!"
and then give Him not a further
sensible thought.
Some receive the Gospel
and try to turn it
into a thing of the word,
tangling it up
with politics, ideologies,
capital, finance,
social justice
and liberation.
They choke the meaning
of the Word of God.
They have their salvation,
and then they lose it.
All of these hear the Gospel
preached in a parable
because they have
only their agendas
and reject the Kingdom of God.
Something else rules them.
But notice
how they still hear
the Gospel preached
because the Heavenly Sower
still wants them
tp hear the Word of God.
The seed is there for them
to receive,
and it is upto them
to let it grow.
[PAUSE]
We are given this opportunity
to receive the Kingdom of God.
If we are given a parable,
do we want to know what it means?
If we do,
if it niggles us,
if it confuses us,
if it makes us want
to come to Jesus and say,
"Please Lord, explain it to us!"
then it has done its job.
It has done its job
because it has given us
the opportunity to become
a member of the Kingdom of God,
by bringing us
to the King Himself.
If we accept His rule
and allow His love
to grow within our lives
then we will bear fruit
and enter into His courts
bringing our sheaves with us
rejoicing.
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