My parents planted vegetables in neat, very straight rows. This works fine for beans and peas, and maybe cabbage. But since carrot-seeds and those of turnips are so tiny, I’d rather broadcast them over a 3 x 5 bed and thin them “later” (which probably won’t happen). This weekend’s scriptures glorify One who provides seed and distributes it lavishly, without distinction.
Isaiah of Babylon reminds the captive Israelites of God’s abundance: the earth is watered, making crops grow, “giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater”. If Goodness is designed into these natural cycles, so in time shall the homesick find a return to their land. Is nothing wasted? “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) These are words which gladden my penny-pinching heart: there seems to be enough to go ’round, however unlikely the recipients may be…
Psalm 65:9ff is usually used at rogation or harvest or Thanksgiving; but its images of the Creator visiting Creation with an overflow of care can well fit here.
Romans 8:1-11 doesn’t mention seed at all. Don’t get hung up on Paul’s dichotomy of Good & Evil, but let the Gospel of “sending [God’s] own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh {?}” shine forth. As with Good Seed, everything of value comes from God, and the initiative is God’s. Reform theology maintains that Faith is human response to the Grace already set forth by a Divine hand.
“A sower went out to sow, ” begins Jesus’ parable in Matthew 13:3b. No neat rows here: a lavish hand broadcast holy morsels all over! The hard-packed path, the gravel raked to the side of the field, the bramble-patch all got seeded, along with the fertile ground. Some seed just didn’t take, since conditions were so poor. But the seed that grew–WOW! Never in all my days did I expect a crop like THAT! Bushels of abundance is what this parable advertises, and Jesus reminds his followers to live expecting such. Casting seed can bring heartache when it falls upon unyielding ground, yet we take a risk and celebrate whatever growth comes.
Gardening is risky. We hope that those little flakes held over from last year will turn into something amazing! “Every turnip green, every kidney bean, every plant grows according to the plot.” May you realize when the seed is nearly grown just what was sown…
God Bless Us, Every One Horace Brown King
My peregrinations around Scripture for the upcoming weekend can be found each
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