According To Luke: Eternal Life

Luke 10:25-28   (NRSV)

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.”

From here to the end of Luke's Gospel the message gets more difficult.

For the rest of the Gospel, Luke is going to explain to us, through stories and parables what is required to follow Jesus

Last week --- as Peter identified Jesus as God's Messiah

Jesus began explaining what to the disciples what is expected of them if they want to be disciples of the Messiah

Last week we talked about four things:

1.    We have to ---Take up cross DAILY

Our cross is that difficult thing that we have chosen to do because we are God's people.

We choose a hard place, a difficult relationship, a thankless job. 

We serve on a ministry team, feed the hungry, help a neighbor. 

We do the things we DON'T HAVE TO, because we feel that is God's agenda for our lives.

2.    We have to ---Die to our own agenda

True fulfillment is found not when we indulge in our own ambitions or interests, but when we freely give up our life.

3.    Jesus asks us: What reward is there if you have everything, but you don't have God?

Jesus is reminding us that there are dimensions of life that are essential to happiness and fulfillment that are not satisfied with financial security and material wealth.

4.    Jesus tells us that --- Being a disciple is not just about professing certain words or creeds --- it is all about publicly living the Way of Jesus

We must not only say we follow Jesus --- our lives must demonstrate it.

In our lesson this morning, Jesus continues this theme, but with one significant difference, where before he was having a private conversation with his disciples, this time we are told that "a lawyer stood up to test Jesus."

And the lawyer asks an interesting question.

Once again Luke has deviated from Matthew and Mark, because in both of those parallel passages, the lawyer asks Jesus which is the greatest commandment.

But here in Luke the lawyer asks: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?"

In first century Judea, there were not secular and religious lawyers.

This lawyer would have been an expert in the Hebrew Scriptures

All kinds of lofty claims had just been made by and about Jesus

And this lawyer seems to want to know if Jesus can answer a rather simple question.

What must I do to inherit eternal life?

Inheritance was the reward promised to those who belonged to the covenant people.

God had promised to make them a great people, to bless them, and to give them a land

Genesis 12:1-3  (The Message)

God told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you.

I’ll make you a great nation
        and bless you.
    I’ll make you famous;
        you’ll be a blessing.
    I’ll bless those who bless you;
        those who curse you I’ll curse.
    All the families of the Earth
        will be blessed through you.”

But this promised inheritance and not yet come to pass --- it seemed to be forever pushed into the future --- and by the time of Jesus it had become associated with the blessings of "the age to come", or God's kingdom.

In this passage, this morning, it is to be understood as life in God's kingdom, but the lawyer is testing Jesus to see how he might answer.

As is so often the case, Jesus responds to the question with one of his own.

In some ways he was challenging the honor of this lawyer.

Jesus seems to be saying:

"Isn't the answer written in the scriptures? 

And aren't you supposed to be an expert in the law? 

So tell me --- How do you read it?

How do you understand what must be done to receive the inheritance of eternal life?"

The way that Jesus asked the lawyer this question reveals to us that Jesus understood that this was not a simple question, with a simple answer.

It was a question open to interpretation ---- HOW DO YOU READ IT?

What is your interpretation?

And it had been debated for generations.

How did this lawyer understand what the scriptures said about eternal life?

The lawyer obviously knew his scripture because he quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.

As I have shared with you before. 

These passages become the core --- the center of Jewish life.

In Judaism this becomes known as the Shema --- which is to be repeated twice daily.

Clearly the lawyer was very familiar with these passages.

The lawyer answers Jesus:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

These four phrases, along with the command to love your neighbor are critical to Jewish thought.

But what do they mean?

As I have said --- the rest of the Gospel According to Luke is the attempt to explain to followers of Jesus what is expected.

Thursday at the men's Bible Study we studied a passage from Luke chapter 14

It is really about the same question that the lawyer was asking.

Luke 14:25-33  (The Message)

One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, “Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple.

“Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’

“Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.

Do you see the relationship between this passage and our story today?

If you want to be a disciple and thus receive the inheritance of eternal life --- what is required of you?

What do you have to do?

God's claim is over our WHOLE life

God's claim reaches every area of our experience

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind;

·         our innermost being --- heart

·         our daily lives that which makes us unique individuals --- soul

·         our energy, strength, resolve and resources --- might

·         our understanding and intellectual capacities --- mind

No part of ourselves can be withheld from God

God wants to know if we are all in or not.

“Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple.

Like I said --- Luke's Gospel gets more difficult and challenging from this point forward.

But that is not how most of us talk about ETERNAL LIFE.

When we hear the word eternal life we think about what is going to happen to us when we die.

But that really wasn't the focus for Jesus --- Jesus was more concerned about how we live NOW.

But why --- Why are we so obsessed with HEAVEN?

Many of us rushed out to see the movie --- or read the book that it was based on this past spring called: HEAVEN IS REAL

We are intrigued by the tale that is told --- of a little boy who has a near death experience and encounters Jesus.

It fills us with the assurance that when we die we will be reunited with our loved ones.

And there is nothing wrong with anticipating that

In my own cynical way, I believe that the church has been enamored with the concept of heaven and its opposite --- hell --- because the church sees itself as the gatekeeper to both heaven and hell.

If you fail to follow our rules we can excommunicate you and keep you from being reunited with your loved ones

But if you do follow our rules --- then you will be rewarded with streets of gold and heavenly mansions.

But when Jesus talked about Heaven or Eternal Life or the Kingdom of God which really are all synonymous he talked about it being a present reality. 

The Kingdom was something that is to dwell within us

But I will be honest --- it is easier --- safer --- and maybe even more satisfying to believe that Heaven or the Kingdom is something external and future --- it removes any responsibility from us.

Jesus wants to free us from those things that keep us from fully experiencing Heaven now.

And what do we have to do to inherit eternal life?

love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Next time we will look at HOW --- How in the world are we supposed to love our neighbor.

Because when we love God completely --- when we are ALL IN --- when we love our neighbor as ourselves THEN we will live.

According To Luke: Who Are You?

Luke 9:18-27    (NRSV)

Once when Jesus was praying alone, with only the disciples near him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Messiah of God.”

He sternly ordered and commanded them not to tell anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves? Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”

We have reached a critical turning point in the Gospel of Jesus according to Luke.  Everything has been building to this point.

          WHO IS JESUS?

Last week, Herod asked the question:

Now Herod the ruler heard about all that had taken place, and he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen. Herod said, “John I beheaded; but who is this about whom I hear such things?”

Who is this Jesus? 

It is the question that Luke has been asking us over and over for the first half of the book. 

And throughout the Gospel Luke has given us hints.

But now Jesus brings the question to the forefront.

“Who do the crowds say that I am?”

Jesus has gone to a private place with his disciples.  And we are told that he was praying in that quiet place.

Jesus, in Luke's Gospel, is always found in prayer when he comes to a critical moment in his life and ministry.

A couple weeks from now, we will look more closely at how Jesus understood prayer.

But in a nutshell, prayer is that link --- that connection --- that intimate link with God.

So Jesus is praying --- and he turns to his disciples --- his closest friends and he asks them.

“Who do the crowds say that I am?”

Let's just stop right here for a moment.

I find this fascinating.

I love Jesus style.

Jesus doesn't sit down his disciples and lecture them on who he is. 

He starts with his relationship with them.

          “Who do the crowds say that I am?”

"So, my friends, what are the people saying about me?"

Jesus wants to listen to what they have to say.

Luke tells us:

They answered, “John the Baptist; but others, Elijah; and still others, that one of the ancient prophets has arisen.”

The crowds have some understanding, based on what they have seen and heard but it is limited --- like Herod.

Is Jesus, John the Baptist brought back from he dead?

Or maybe he is Elijah?

Or then again, maybe some other prophet --- Moses perhaps?

Jesus doesn't rebuke them for the people's failure to fully understand who he is -- instead:

Jesus said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Is there a scarier question that could come from Jesus?

How would you answer that question?

Seriously --- How would you answer?

Take a moment and ponder that question

          WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?

Nice Guy

Revolutionary

Mystical healer

God

Son of God

Savior

WHO IS JESUS TO YOU?

Anybody remember how Peter answered?

 “The Messiah of God.”

And we all say --- Of course --- Jesus is God's Messiah!

BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

In the context of first century Judea, it could mean many things.

Of course, in the biblical context (the Hebrew Bible), Messiah meant God's anointed ruler.

And that could mean many things.

·         A ruler like David who would reestablish Israel as a great nation

·         A priestly ruler who would restore temple worship to its proper form

·         A prophet who will usher in the end of times

Which one was Jesus?

How does Jesus answer Peter's "confession"?

He doesn't!

He tells Peter not to tell anybody and then begins what will for the most part consume Luke for the rest of his telling of the Gospel.

          What Discipleship is all about!

But I find it fascinating that Jesus doesn't correct, or just come out and tell who he is.

Jesus seems to want us to wrestle with it.

But he does, as we are going to find out, explain to us what being a disciple is all about.

But before we look at the five sayings on Discipleship that follow Peter's confession, I want to spend a little more time on WHO JESUS IS

Does anybody remember that great movie RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

The plot of the movie revolves around two teams of archeologists who are racing to find the Ark of the Covenant during the Second World War

One group wants to capture the Ark for Hitler

The other group, headed by an archeologist who doesn't seem to always play by the rules (Harrison Ford) is searching to get it for the free world.

When we read the Hebrew Bible we know that the Ark is they symbol of God being with us.  The Ark was the presence of God!

After all kinds of crazy action sequences, the movie comes to a climax when the ark is opened up and literally all Hell breaks loose!

I think the movie makers got it wrong --- my hunch is that if the Ark were ever to be found that when it would open NOTHING would happen.

The Ark was a symbol of God's presence with us and God's covenant.  Jesus is the new ark and the new covenant. 

Jesus is God's power and presence with us!

I find it telling, that as soon as Peter announces who he believes Jesus to be, Jesus then goes on and begins --- very succinctly to explain what following Jesus --- what discipleship is all about.

He does it with five sayings that draw together a variety of images to convey the radical demands of following Jesus.

The central image of the first is the cross.

“If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me"

To follow Jesus means to be ready to lay down one's life just as Jesus did.

Luke makes one slight modification from Mark in that he adds the word DAILY

In other words, he seems to be saying that discipleship requires a continuing daily yielding of one's life in order to follow Jesus.

Our cross is that difficult thing that we have chosen to do because we are God's people.

We choose a hard place, a difficult relationship, a thankless job. 

We serve on a ministry team, feed the hungry, help a neighbor. 

We do the things we DON'T HAVE TO, because we feel that is God's agenda for our lives.

The second saying echo's the exhortations given to soldiers about to enter battle.  The first to die will be those who turn to run.

"For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it."

This saying might have had special meaning to those who were facing persecution --- but even for us --- Jesus is pointing out the paradox of life. 

True fulfillment is found not when we indulge in our own ambitions or interests, but when we freely give up our life.

The third saying moves from the battlefield to the marketplace.

"What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?"

Our desire to succeed, to acquire stuff, to prosper is powerful.

We are easily seduced into believing that our 401k is our security and salvation.

That fulfillment is found by means of financial prosperity.

Jesus is cutting the ground out from us when we are preoccupied with material wealth.

What have we gained --- Jesus asks --- if we own the whole world, but have lost ourselves in the process?

Jesus is reminding us that there are dimensions of life that are essential to happiness and fulfillment that are not satisfied with financial security and material wealth.

The fourth saying links our public profession of the lordship of Jesus to his acknowledgement of our discipleship at the end of time.

"Those who are ashamed of me and of my words, of them the Son of Man will be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Jesus seems to be telling us that we cannot be "private" disciples.  Our discipleship must be seen and lived out in the world. 

We must not only say we follow Jesus --- our lives must demonstrate it.

The final saying really is about the kingdom and not discipleship

"But truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God."

This follows the forth saying about Jesus returning, reminding us that the Kingdom is close by.

Discipleship and Lordship are always inter-related.

These five sayings, following Peter's confession help us to understand what it means to confess Jesus as Lord.

This theme will continue through the rest of Luke's Gospel.

But clearly, Jesus is teaching us that discipleship requires a total commitment of life,

          a willingness to take up the cross

          a giving of one's life in obedience to Jesus' direction

          forsaking the pursuit of wealth

          and living out our discipleship publicly

So, let me ask you again ---

          WHO DO YOU SAY JESUS IS?

And does your life match your words?

According To Luke: It's Up To You

Luke 9:12-17    (NRSV)

The day was drawing to a close, and the twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They said, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.” For there were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, “Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled. What was left over was gathered up, twelve baskets of broken pieces.

The story of the feeding of the 5,000 is the only one of Jesus' miracles that is recorded in all four Gospels.

An interesting note: Mark and Matthew have a second feeding story --- the feeding of the 4,000

And Luke seems to have set his version of the story very differently from the other Gospels.

·         Luke changes the location of the story and locates the story in Bethsaida

As we hear the story --- if we listen carefully --- we can hear echoes of some other Biblical feeding stories

·         The feeding of the Israelites in the wilderness

·         Elisha's feeding of a hundred people with 20 loaves

·         and of course the Eucharist (Holy Communion --- The Lord's Supper)

I think that this is one of the most important, and most revealing passages in the Bible about Jesus.

And the funny thing about this passage is that we have spent the last 2,000 years trying to find ways to explain away Jesus’ message to us.

But it is a great story.

Right before this story Jesus sends the disciples out and they begin to perform amazing deeds.

Then Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money—not even an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there, and leave from there. Wherever they do not welcome you, as you are leaving that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” They departed and went through the villages, bringing the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

Then we are told that King Herod is frustrated by all that Jesus has been doing wondering if John hadn't somehow come back from the dead

And that gets us to our story.

Jesus seems to be a little burned out by all that is going on and he invites his disciples to leave with him and head off privately to Bethsaida.

They try to get away for a little while, to give Jesus a breather --- but then Luke tells us:

When the crowds found out about it, they followed him; and he welcomed them, and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who needed to be cured.

Jesus spent the day teaching them, because we are told that it was getting late and the people were getting hungry

          The disciples were hearing the grumbling of the people and said to Jesus:

“Send the crowd away, so that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside, to lodge and get provisions; for we are here in a deserted place.” 

The disciples became concerned and had only one solution

          Send them away

It seems to me, that there are a couple of solutions to the problem.

·         Let the people fend for themselves

·         Let Jesus take care of them

But Jesus has other ideas

“You give them something to eat.”

And I love the Disciples answer, because it is often the answer I hear from so many people.

Jesus, I would love to help BUT . . .

“We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we are to go and buy food for all these people.”

How many times have we responded to the invitation that way?

·         I would love to help with the feeding ministry but . . .

·         I would love to teach at VBS but . . .

·         I would love to sing in the choir (tsunami) but . . .

·         I would love to help at Children of Abraham but . . .

·         I would love to go on a mission trip but . . .

And we can all add many other things can’t we.

But Jesus answer is insightful:

What do you have?

Jesus asks them ----- How much do you have ---- what can you do.

And of course, the miracle of the story is ---- it is enough!

“Make them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” They did so and made them all sit down. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke them, and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. And all ate and were filled.

When we use what God has given us to transform the world through Jesus --- it is always enough.

Jesus is inviting us to join him in the transformation of the world.

Think of the ways we see this happening in the world around us

·         Every Sunday we bring in $100’s of dollars of food that feed hungry parents and children in our communities

·         Children of Abraham gathers together medical equipment that is headed for the garbage pile and instead sends it to needy hospitals around the world so that lives can be saved

There is another way we sometimes try to deal with problems that Jesus is illustrating.

We think we can --- or should do it all ourselves

I know that this is my problem sometimes ---

          I don't want to put you out so I try to fix it

Gail Osgerby heard at the Finance/Trustee meeting last week that we want to upgrade the TV's in the sanctuary so that we have one that the Choir (and I) can see.

Gail volunteered to go and search out the best deal --- so Wednesday he and Carol did just that.

They found a great deal down at Wal-Mart, and offered to buy them, but I said,

"NO, I have to go that way on Thursday, and I have the credit card from the church, so just let me do it."

What was I thinking?  Somebody volunteered to solve the problem and I would not let them.

Well, my afternoon got screwed up Thursday, and while I was down that way, I did not have time to stop, so I made Nancy go with me Thursday evening to buy the TV's.

And guess what --- THEY WERE SOLD OUT

Friday, I told Gail what I should have said in the first place ---

it would be wonderful if you would just take care of this --- I will get the heck outta the way!

Jesus doesn't want us to solve all the problems of the world INDIVIDUALLY --- Jesus wants us to work together.

Remember he said to the disciples --- not A disciple

          You guys give them something to eat

As I ponder this passage --- and reflect on what Jesus is inviting us to do --- it causes me to harken back to one of my heroes

John F. Kennedy died when I was only 3 years old, so my memory of him is created by the images and histories that have been left behind.

I have watched --- and listened to JFK's inaugural speech many times in my life.  It is one of those speeches ---- Much like Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech that have impacted my life.

The night before the inauguration heavy snow blanketed Washington DC

The snow was so heavy there were thoughts of actually cancelling the inaugural ceremony.

If you remember --- the election in 1960 had been close and hard fought between Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon.

          Kennedy won 49.7%

          Nixon won 49.6%

          A difference of a little over 110,000 votes

Kennedy was anxious to get started on his political agenda and try and build the support he needed to make it happen

Kennedy started the day by attended Mass at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown before joining President Eisenhower to travel to the Capitol.

Robert Frost read one of his poems at the ceremony. 

          It was called The Gift Outright

The land was ours before we were the land's.
She was our land more than a hundred years
Before we were her people. She was ours
In Massachusetts, in Virginia,
But we were England's, still colonials,
Possessing what we still were unpossessed by,
Possessed by what we now no more possessed.
Something we were withholding made us weak
Until we found out that it was ourselves
We were withholding from our land of living,
And forthwith found salvation in surrender.
Such as we were we gave ourselves outright
(The deed of gift was many deeds of war)
To the land vaguely realizing westward,
But still unstoried, artless, unenhanced,
Such as she was, such as she would become.   

Then, in a rather short speech, Kennedy laid out his dream for the future, not only for the United States but also for the world. 

It was a dream that sought to end poverty

To seek peaceful solutions to the problems in the world

So let us begin anew—remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.

Let both sides explore what problems unite us instead of belaboring those problems which divide us.

Let both sides, for the first time, formulate serious and precise proposals for the inspection and control of arms—and bring the absolute power to destroy other nations under the absolute control of all nations.

Let both sides seek to invoke the wonders of science instead of its terrors. Together let us explore the stars, conquer the deserts, eradicate disease, tap the ocean depths, and encourage the arts and commerce.

Let both sides unite to heed in all corners of the earth the command of Isaiah—to "undo the heavy burdens ... and to let the oppressed go free."

And then he challenged us:

All this will not be finished in the first 100 days. Nor will it be finished in the first 1,000 days, nor in the life of this Administration, nor even perhaps in our lifetime on this planet. But let us begin.

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of our course.

And what may be the most famous words from an inaugural address outside of Abraham Lincoln’s malice toward none, second inaugural, Kennedy said to us:

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.

Can you imagine a candidate saying something like that today?

Today our candidates wouldn’t dare suggest that we should sacrifice

          Today our candidates seem to be calling out for:

                    Less sacrifice

                   Less expectation

                   Leave me alone!

What kind of world do you want to live in?

What is the world that Jesus calling us to?

What does the Kingdom look like?

Is the Kingdom of God a place in which we ask ourselves when we do something or vote for someone:

          What is in it for me?

Or is the Kingdom a place where you and I are invited to join with Jesus and our brothers and sisters throughout the world --- giving them something to eat?

I dream of the world that Jesus envisioned

The world Jesus invites us to be a part of.

--- a world in which we share

--- a world in which we give the hungry something to eat

--- a world in which we cloth the naked

--- and care for the imprisoned

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
   and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
   and to walk humbly with your God?

(Micah 6:8)

According To Luke: What Are You Sowing?

Luke 8:4-18  (NRSV)

When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!”

Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that

‘looking they may not perceive,
    and listening they may not understand.’

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

“No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.”

Once again we have a familiar parable from the Gospels, but when we look at it closely, we see that Luke's version has some subtle differences.

One of the greatest gifts that God has given to us is the ability to listen.

Listening is not only the key to surviving relationships; learning to listen well is the key to success and happiness.

I have no doubt, but that every year marriages fail because two people --- even though they are lovers --- do not know how to communicate with each other.

According to a survey a couple of years ago excluding time asleep, the average couple now spends just three hours and 45 minutes together in the week, of which 51 minutes is spent in silence in front of the TV and 37 minutes carrying out chores.

Another study said that over an hour long dinner, most couples only actually talk about 3 minutes.

A University of Nebraska research project suggests that the loneliest group of people in our society are not the unmarried, or the recently bereaved --- but teenagers.

Jesus says: LISTEN --- "A sower went out to sow".  We know we are not very good at listening to each other, but do we hear Jesus?

Learning to listen to our friends, families and partners is essential to a good relationship --- but so too is listening to God.

Our scripture this morning ends with a simple admonition --- (Luke 8:18)

"pay attention to how you listen"

or as the NIV has it:

" consider carefully how you listen"

I can easily "see" in my mind's eye the Sower out in the field.

 “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up (v. 5).

Notice that the Sower is just tossing seed, not digging holes and then covering the seeds with dirt. When some seeds hit the path and are gobbled up by birds, he just keeps sowing.

"Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture." (v. 6).

The Sower does not seem to care where the seed goes, throwing it on completely inhospitable rocky ground.

Not surprisingly, these seeds scorch and die.

But the Sower keeps moving along, and Jesus says that

"Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it.  Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" (vv. 7-8).

Finally, a few of the seeds hit good soil and voila -- they bring forth grain in enormous quantities!

What strikes you immediately about the Sower?

He seems a bit careless, doesn't he?

The late Donald Juel, former professor of New Testament at Princeton wrote:

"The farmer in our story is not overly cautious, He throws seed everywhere, apparently confident there will be a harvest in spite of the losses."

The Sower simply keeps sowing his seed, trusting that growth will come.

Too me, it sounds a lot like Jesus.

Jesus "is not cautious about where he preaches and on whom he invests his time," insists Juel.

Jesus simply keeps sowing the word of the kingdom of God, even though it lands on religious people who wonder if he is possessed, on disciples who struggle to understand him and on at least one young rich man who cannot part with his possessions in order to follow Jesus.

The Sower keeps sowing and Jesus keeps spreading the word.

Unlike the farmer in this story:

A farmer, ragged and barefooted, was standing on the steps of his raggedy shack. A stranger stopped for a drink of water and he asked: "How is your cotton coming along?"

Farmer: "Ain't got any."

Stranger: "Did you plant any?"

Farmer: "Nope, afraid of boll weevils."

Stranger: "Well, how is your corn?"

Farmer: "Didn't plant any, afraid there would be no rain."

Stranger: "Well, how are your potatoes?"

Farmer: "Ain't got any, scared of the potato bugs."

Stranger: "Really, what did you plant?"

Farmer: "Nothing, I just played it safe."

Jesus seems more like Atticus Finch --- you remember him don't you.  The Hero of Harper Lee's must read novel To Kill A Mockingbird.

In the opening pages of the book, Scout, Atticus' daughter offers this assessment of Atticus.  her dad by her and her brother Jem.  She says that she and her brother Jem "found our father satisfactory."

Satisfactory?

Atticus was so much more than satisfactory.

When I think of him a number of words come to mind: wise, patient, forgiving and brave.

Last year Time Magazine did a piece of the most influential fictional characters and this is what they wrote:

Atticus "is the man who will do what's right when the world is saying he's wrong."

In case you don't know the story.  Atticus is a white lawyer who defends a black man in a racist Southern town.

As a character in the novel says to Scout and Jem,

"There are some men in this world who were born to do our unpleasant jobs for us. Your father's one of them."

Atticus stands up for justice when it would be much easier to let the standards of the community prevail, and yet somehow he isn't alienated from his neighbors.

Time wrote that Atticus: "loves his backward, racist, fearful community even as his heart breaks over its shortcomings."

Wise, patient, forgiving and brave.

A man born to do our unpleasant jobs for us, and who loves us completely -- even as his heart breaks over our shortcomings.

That sounds to me like Jesus!

The Parable of the Sower teaches us that Jesus throws good seed everywhere, knowing that most of it is going to be destroyed.

And as followers of Jesus, we should be doing ministry and mission in the very same way.

Perhaps "the same careless abandon should characterize the church's ministry," suggests Donald Juel; "speaking gracious words without carefully calculating the potential for success."

This means welcoming others as Jesus has welcomed us, and preaching a message of unconditional love and unlimited grace. After all, Jesus calls us to be faithful to him and to the kingdom of God, not to be successful in a worldly sense.

But there's more to this parable.

Jesus then goes on to explain the meaning of the story to his disciples, and the focus suddenly shifts from the Sower to the Soil.

When we focus on this part of the parable it is clear that the message is that we should all be good soil -- people who hear the word of the kingdom of God and understand it.

Don't be like the path which is susceptible to the evil one who "comes and takes away the word from their hearts" (v. 12).

Don't be the rocky ground in which a plant "has no root, but endures only for a while" (v. 13).

And don't be like the thorny soil, in which "the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature." (v. 14).

There is a problem here.

Soil is completely passive,

It just sits and waits to receive the seed.

Soil does not choose to be good or even choose to be bad --- it just is what it is.

So what does Jesus tell us to do about this?

          LISTEN!

Listen to the story of the Sower, and learn that Jesus is incredibly generous in the way that he shares the word of the kingdom with all the people of the world.

Listen and learn that God's Word is incredibly fruitful, and that a great harvest is guaranteed.

Listen and learn that the coming of the kingdom of God isn't something that we can control.

Instead, says, Donald Juel, "everything depends on what God will do."

The Sower reminds us once again that Jesus is in charge, spreading the word of God's kingdom.

Our job is to trust what Jesus is doing, and share his message with joy and generosity.