“CHRIST’S HONEST AND GOOD HEART KEPT THE WORD AND BRINGS FORTH FRUIT”
Saint Luke 8: 4-15
Sexagesima: 19 February Anno Domini 2017
Father Jay Watson SSP
Parables are stories. These mini-dramas were told by The Lord and they are true even though they are metaphors and symbolic. Christ illustrated truth about The Kingdom—about Himself—by way of using examples that resonated in the daily lives of His audience. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
This is one text, Saint Luke’s Gospel, that doesn’t need a whole lot of unpacking and exegesis by scholars, because Jesus Himself explains exactly what his agricultural figures of speech meant…and what they still mean. “And His disciples asked Him, saying, what might this parable be?” The “12” were not reading the Bible, they were hearing the Bible, The Word of God from God, and they wanted to know: “what does this mean?”
The Word enfleshed explained what His words spoken meant, by more of His words.
The seed is The Word of God. Seed looks dead but when planted and watered in cultivated soil…earth…dirt…the ground of ashes and dust…produces life. And that life is green and growing and abundant and produces fruit. The seed doesn’t plant itself. The sower, the gardener plants the seed. So even when you are telling others about The Lord, inviting them to church and catechesis, you are simply the voice and hands of Christ. The Lord is using you as His earthly microphone or megaphone to both broadcast and narrowcast His seed, His word onto all types of ground. You are not The Lord you are the servant. You are not the farmer you are the field worker. That is good. All the pressure is lifted from you like a heavy yoke taken off the ox. You simply, and joyously are about your Father’s business, your vocation of being Christ’s brother and sister, Christ’s friend. In the company of the racing and roaring Lion triumphant, you simply clutch onto His mane of righteousness and delight in being carried by The Lion of Judah where and when it pleases Him and The Holy Ghost.
Repent of your sins of always trying to second guess the Savior and of criticizing and demeaning your neighbors. You’re not in charge. Wanting to be in charge is the original sin of both Satan and Adam…pride and ego! Stop relying on “soil analysis” beforehand. You do not decide on where or how to throw out the word. Jesus desires His Name…His person and work…to be carried to the ends of the earth. Do not concern yourselves with outward appearances…that is the way of glory…of falsehood and despair.
Fight the devil yes, to be sure, YOU MUST…it’s what Christians do. If you do not fight the devil, the world, and your own “old Adam” sinful heart and actions…you are not the “little Christ” that The Redeemer desires you to be. Repent and be absolved, or, in the words of both John the Baptist and Jesus, repent and believe!
Instead of fixating and obsessing with the ingredients, the menu, eat and be refreshed by the meal. To be sure, the food’s ingredients must be 100% pure and wholesome, but that will not be because you have made them/it more creative or appealing, or inviting. Jesus The Word will always be a scandal and a stumbling block to unbelief and the enemies of God. What of it? You are martyrs and you stand with Stephen, John, Peter, and all the rest. You need not worry about being successful only about being faithful. And, at the end of the day when you realize all the times you’ve not been faithful, all the times you’ve denied your Lord or neglected to come into the field to be about your calling, take heart, because it’s not about you or your heart. It’s not about you and your feelings or your discipline or your sweat.
The meaning of this text for Sexagesima? Grace is from Christ alone without works; without merit of one’s own. Jesus’ words are the seed. Jesus Himself is The Seed in the flesh. He is seed in His humanity; born of the Virgin and descendent of Judah, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, and Adam. Seed from the fallen woman Eve and seed from the Virgin Mary. Jesus fell on the wayside, the Via Dolorosa, on the way to Calvary. Jesus had His saving work constantly attacked by the devil birds of Satan. Judas for a while believed and then fell away. Peter did believe, and died believing, but for a short time let the temptations and trials of fear and doubt take the word from him. But in the end, it is NO end but only the beginning of life everlasting. Jesus The Seed, born from The Virgin womb, was planted in the earth of Joseph’s virgin tomb. and Jesus sprouted forth on Easter morning the Lilly of The Valley, the “first fruits, where there is no more any lasting shadow of death. Jesus’ own good heart punctured through with a Roman spear now fills to overflowing the font and the chalice with Himself and His good gifts and merit. Jesus kept the Words of His Father, and your Father. The Law has been fulfilled. Come forward and be the fruit that He has made you, by again, eating and drinking the very Fruit of the Tree of Life.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of The Holy Ghost
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