Saturday, March 4, 2023

Today’s Scripture Reading 
Mark 3:31–4:9

Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” Again he began to teach beside the sea. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the sea and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.” And he said, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” (NRSV)

Reflection

I consistently have to remind myself that this parable is called the “Parable of the Sower,” not the “Parable of the Soil.” Why? Because I spent much of my own early spiritual journey doing whatever I could to make sure my life was the kind of soil that would help God’s work and justice bloom and flourish. And yet I have wondered if in my primary concentration on making sure I was doing enough (that I was “enough”), if I might have missed all kinds of holy movement in my life since I was not looking for it. I find this temptation to be overly self-focused particularly challenging in the time of Lent. Many of us either take up a spiritual discipline or give something up as a way of observing this season. But if we are so focused on doing Lent “right,” might we also miss what God is up to in our lives and in our world?

Again, this is why I am grateful that this parable is not about the soil, but about the Sower. And when we look to the Sower, what do we see? We see a Sower who is frankly acting like a very wasteful farmer, but a Sower who is behaving like a very extravagant and generous God. Furthermore, we see a Sower who throws seeds everywhere she possibly can, regardless of the kind of ground it is. The Sower just throws the seeds around with abandon—a few rocks, some thorns, a path. The Sower does not get all uptight about it—it’s all good. And the Sower’s actions prompt me to wonder what could happen if we spent time in Lent focused on seeing the Sower at work in our lives—throwing the seeds of life, of grace, of love, of kingdom joy, of compassion and mercy, of the call to do justice and to love kindness, just throwing all those seeds with great gusto, with absolute extravagance, with total generosity. What do you think? What might you see?

Prayer

Extravagantly loving God, I am deeply thankful I am enough not because of what I can do or have done, but because of who you are. Cultivate that sense of belovedness in my life, and help me see it in others. Lift my head to look for the myriad of ways you throw the seeds of your love and justice into my life and in the life of your world. Amen.

Written by Shannon Kershner, Pastor

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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