Day 19: May 23Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9 In these verses Jesus is asking his listeners to identify with a farmer who goes out to seed a field. Farmers in Jesus’ day knew that seeding a whole field meant walking with an easy rhythm, scattering the seed from a sack as they walked. Smart farmers knew their job was to cover the whole field and not worry overmuch about whether a few of the seeds fell into the path, onto the rocky outcroppings, or in the areas where the weeds might grow. Making sure the whole field was covered was much more important than worrying about small areas of less fertile soil. As we consider our work as contemporary Christians, I find the parable comforting. It is our job to spread the word of Christ’s love for a hurting world without prejudging the persons with whom the message of this love is being shared. It is not our job to decide who is worthy or who is ready, or which persons are like hard soil or rocky ground. It is our job to sow the seed. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” are the words with which Peterson’s version of the parable ends. The crop, again in Peterson’s words, produces “a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.” That’s what happens when we are faithful, and spread the word as we are commanded. Our Virginia Conference “All Things New” plan for revitalizing and creating new faith communities will help us do good preparation and seed planting so that God will then bring in the harvest in a wonderful way. Prayer: Loving God, help us to be faithful and to sow the seed of your invitation to know the living Christ, so that those who learn to know and love Christ might be revitalized, renewed, and completed. Help us to know that our plans are always simply the preparation and the sowing, but the harvest is yours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. Susan S. Garrett |