Image from agnusday.org
Hear the devotional narrated here: https://anchor.fm/eradio-valverde/episodes/An-Extravagant-Gospel-fo-Everyone-egc12j
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." (Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 The Message)
A Wonderful Monday, filled with joy and blessings be yours dear Friend, and to all the people who matter in your life! I pray your prayers have been heard and answered, or at least in the process of being answered, because we pray because God does answer prayer! And speaking of prayer, this morning I got up, showered and checked to see if Pastor Matt was on yet (yes, 8:30; I slept in!). No, so I said to myself, let me hear another one of my favorite preachers, The Rev. Richard Leggett from FUMC-Bastrop. I saw the title was on Prayer and I thought, yes! This should be good! "Daniel: A Man of Prayer" was the title on the screen. Yes, I said again. I click to play and I started to recognize the voice as...mine? So, in a surprise move, Rev. Leggett used one of my old sermons for use at First UMC Bastrop's online service. The link is below. My thanks to my brother for using my sermon. I actually sat through it! ha ha!
"Lacking restraint at spending money or using resources," is one of the many definitions for extravagant. This modern version of this well-known parable I pray brings it fresh and new to you in a way that challenges you to live a life that becomes the extravagant gospel of which this passage shares. This was the Parable of the Sower on the beach as told by Jesus, and keep the definition in mind as you hear what this parable is all about.
God loves the whole world and this parable makes it very clear. This sower who would normally have a set and well-defined plan for planting seed, follows no such plan; He sows everywhere. And like the word of God, it gets shared in so many places and to so many people, and the results have been as diverse as the settings this sower chose in which to spread the seed. God spreads His word and love to surface listeners. It may reach the heart, but not the depths of the heart. It reached the feels-good level of the heart, but not deep enough to stay there. The level that "bears all things, and believes all things" level. The sower also sows among the easily enthused who sometimes lack character, and when troubles come visiting, the easiest thing for this type of person is to move away from God. The next type of person is the one who hears but not deep enough to retain anything when "worry and illusions of getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it." No substance. The final soil is the person who truly hears and receives the Good News, and then produces an incredible harvest that blesses God.
The other cartoon that goes with today's passage has the two same sheep with the snarky one saying that the sower was sloppy and wasteful; to which the other replies, "This sower illustrates the careless extravagance of God's grace," to which the first one asks, "So sloppiness is next to Godliness?" This is the truth of God's love and grace; God does not discriminate, and neither should we. We are called to follow the example of Jesus Who loves and accepts all people, with no regard for anything; all are the same in God's eyes, as they should be in ours. It would make for a better world and society, and some of the headlines of today would not be headlines, they'd be the thoughts of a writer wanting something with which to scare. Jesus asks then, as He asks now, "Are you listening to this? Really listening?" (v. 9). My prayer is that you would say, "Lord, I am listening and I am changing."
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, as I pray I want to pray that I am truly listening and wanting to change my ways. May all who pray this with me hear what God is asking of each of us; that we would share in an unrestrained way the generous grace of God. Bless those who are sick, tired, lonely, worried, and lost; and let us be a part of the solution. This we pray in Christ Jesus' strong name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Spread the love of Jesus and His Good News among all those you know!
Receive my blessings of love and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde
Here is the link for First United Methodist, Bastrop, 7/5/2020 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzxMgEbhSqQ
