Loving God of freedom, remind this dear reader of the freedom we have in You to joyfully serve and give; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from Matthew 13: 1 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. 2 In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. 3 Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories. 4 As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. 5 Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn't put down roots, 6 so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. 7 Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. 8 Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams. 9 "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" 18 "Study this story of the farmer planting seed. 19 When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. 20 "The seed cast in the gravel - this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. 21 But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. 22 "The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. 23 "The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams." (The Message)
You never know. Fred Craddock tells the story of a funeral he was called back to do for a dear old woman whose daughter he had written off as too wild. She never sat still in church and would leave most Sundays in the middle of the sermon, come back a little later and just fidget and look around like the hands on the clock were frozen and slowly thawing their way towards closure. He worried how this now young woman would react to the funeral and the death of her mother and as he approached her to ask that, she replied, "I'm okay and I know it's all right." Fred had to ask how she knew, "It was something you said in one of your sermons..."
You may never preach a sermon but you'll live one. And you might think your sermon is not being heard. And for those of you who do preach sermons you know you do wonder about who is hearing and sometimes even the sermon is meant just for you, but we still scatter seed and trust God. Jesus knew of what He spoke. Jesus knows the human heart. Jesus knows my heart and He knows yours. Where is that seed now? Is it growing and getting the exposure to "sun" and "water" and "air?" It is moving towards bearing fruit?
PRAYER: Loving God let my sermon today be heard by all, especially those who need to hear it, and especially me. I pray this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
