20 July 2016 - that one place

[ Today's Readings ]

Jesus asks us to give his words good soil today. He sows generously. He sows seeds whether we are willing to give them soil or not. But if we want the fruit we need to do our best to receive them. And who doesn't want the fruits of the Holy Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23)? Who doesn't need more love, joy and peace in their lives?

It is possible to put up obstacles to his word. This is not just the word we receive when we first come to faith. This is the word of his love that he continually speaks to us. It is the word that empowers us to change from what we are now to grow and become fruitful.

We need to do more than come into contact with his words. We need more than just seed on the path. If the contact is superficial we may notice them and be impressed but they don't change us. If we don't take them inside of ourselves the world is all to happy to take our attention away from them, to devour them, and to leave emptiness in their absence.

If our own hearts are too hard they won't penetrate the soil. If there is too much which is in the way they won't take root. If we hold the concerns of the world too dear and only listen to God, as it were, through the cracks, it is not enough. It does grow a little, perhaps. But when the sun scorches the ground and trials come it quickly withers for lack of root.

Unrepented sin in our lives can become thorns which choke the seeds and prevent fruit from growing. Nutrients which should go to the seeds are instead wasted on weeds.

Even having said all this we need not despair. The sower wants us to bear fruit. If we let him he will plant his words in us where this is possible.

See, I place my words in your mouth!
This day I set you
over nations and over kingdoms,
To root up and to tear down,
to destroy and to demolish,
to build and to plant.

Jeremiah has several obstacles to these seeds. He thinks he is too young. He thinks he is not good enough at speaking. He has this fear of failure in his heart. He doesn't want to let the seeds into the good soil. They seem dangerous. They feel like a liability. He prefers that they fall on the path where he need not be changed. There are rocks that prevent them from going deep into the soil. But Jeremiah does not have to change the soil himself. Instead he cries out to God and God answers. God finds that one place where there are no rocks, that isn't path, and where the thorns won't choke his words. He places them with laser like precision into Jeremiah's heart. He will do so for us as well if we just cry out to him.

For you are my hope, O Lord;
my trust, O God, from my youth.
On you I depend from birth;
from my mother’s womb you are my strength.