Living in the Spirit
July 11, 2020
Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!’ –Matthew 13:1-9
The first thing we must note from this scripture is that no farmer would just toss good seed around and let it land where it lands and expect to reap a bumper crop. A seed is valuable, not something to waste. One seed planted in good soil and cared for correctly can reproduce itself many times over.
Jesus came into a world composed of a mixed bag of people some rich some poor, some healthy some sick, some old and some young, some wise and some foolish. Yet he readily shared God’s love and vision for a better world with all he encountered. Why? I think it is because Jesus understood that all people are made in the image of God, and thus all people have the potential to be a productive, contributing part of the Kingdom God desires for all. We are now called to see that potential and nurture it in ourselves and all others.
Some time back, I saw a story on the news about a prison that started a program with prisoners serving sentences of life without parole. The prison brought in rescued dogs, probably targeted for euthanasia, and taught the prisoners how to train them to be service dogs. The prisoners were incredibly good at the task, enjoyed being outside in the prison yard in the sunshine. Some of them experienced, for the first time, unconditional love at which dogs are excellent. The prisoners also passed on unconditional love by providing a service dog for a stranger enabling them to participate more fully in life.
Prayer: During these times of trial, help us to look for the image of God in each person we encounter and God, help us to be a source of nurture to them. Amen.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.