Saturday, February 27, 2010

Read Mark 4:1-20

Often we think of God’s grace as something God chooses to give to us at particular times and in particular circumstances. We have a need for assurance, or for healing, or for financial relief and so we pray for God to apply His grace right here, right now. If what we want happens, we give God the glory. But that is not the image Jesus gives in this parable. The farmer in this parable throws out seed, His gracious Word, willy-nilly, seeming to be careless of the results. The question in this parable is not whether God is raining down grace that could produce fruit in our lives. He is. The question is whether we can receive it, and whether we can retain it. Is our soil prepared for God’s gracious Word to take root and grow strong or is it full of rocks and weeds? There is an implicit threat in Jesus’ story, especially for us in the Church. The Word of God can be planted in our hearts, and it still comes to nothing. We can accept Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior and still not produce fruit, still wither, still be choked off. During Lent we ask ourselves, “What is keeping our faith shallow?” “What weeds have we allowed to grow up?” “Are we prepared to let the Word grow in us despite persecution, despite the cares of the world, despite the lure of wealth, despite the desire for fame, power, or popularity?” The good news is that God has not stopped sowing seed. He is tossing it to the wind. God’s grace is being poured out right now. Jesus, the Word made flesh, continues to press on the surface of our heart. Will He take deep root this time? How is the soil?

Prayer: God, break up the hard soil of our hearts. Let your Word sink in, take root, and produce fruit for the sake of your Kingdom.

Amen.

Scott Kisker