Sexagesima

Sexagesima
2/27/11
Luke 8:4-15
Bror Erickson


[4] And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: [5] "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. [6] And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. [7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. [8] And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
[9] And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, [10] he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. [11] Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. [12] The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. [14] And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. [15] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. Luke 8:4-15 (ESV)


As for that in the good soil, there are those who hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
And bear fruit with patience.

This text gives occasion for much reflection in life. My temptation today is to read it as a message to pastors, and there is a message there for pastors. Perhaps even a comforting message. We so often beat ourselves up, because we lack patience. We want to know why it is we see so little fruit from all the seed we sow, preaching the word Sunday after Sunday. We begin to wonder if there isn’t something different we can be doing. Sometimes, and I think this is often true of all Christians and not just pastors, we confues what we like with fruit, but what we like isn’t necessarily the fruit of the gospel. One can be assured of this if neither the law not the gospel is being preached.
But this is not just the concern of a pastor. Most of us have seen these scenarios played out with our friends and family. Family that hear the gospel, but it never seems to take root. Friends or family that for awhile seem to experience intense religious revival, maybe after going to camp, or something. But it seems short lived. Or perhaps there is that family that you enjoyed talking to at church, but as the kids got older and started playing soccer, or football, the parents stopped attending church.
But then there are the faithful, racked and tortured by the cares of this world, tempted by its pleasures but faithfully holding to the word of God, trusting it in good times and bad, and bearing fruit with patience.
Bearing fruit with patience. Patience is I do believe the key. After all, seeds don’t bear fruit in a matter of days, but weeks and months, sometimes years. But with the word of God, the seed will accomplish it’s purposes we have that promise in Old Testament text, Isaiah 55. We can trust it, and believe it. But it’s purposes are not always the same as ours, and there is the rub. God has more in store for you and I than we could ever believe possible, indeed more than we could imagine. And he has worked out salvation through the death and resurrection of his son, through whom he forgives our sins and makes us holy through his baptism, and then sustaining us in this faith with his body and blood that create in us honest and good hearts that bear fruit with patience.
Honest and good hearts that bear fruit with patience. God’s word is powerful in its abilty to change a heart and bear fruit. But rarely is it anything that is observable overnight, very rarely. If you are like me, you are suspicious of changes you see overnight, it is usually an indication of a root lacking. But with patience fruit is born of the honest and good hearts created in and by the word of God through the forgiveness of sins.
Well that is the only way to create an honest and good heart, a clean heart and good conscience. It does not work to try to change yourself without the gospel, without the forgiveness of sins. The law can only condemn, the can only kill the heart, it cannot make it live with joy. It cannot reconcile us to the God who created life, and gave us the law. Forgiveness, salvation, redemption in Jesus Christ gives us the honest and good hearts we need to bear fruit with patience. But patience will be needed, because as long as we live in this world we are sinners. We will be given to our temptations. And they will require of us daily repentance, and patience.
Oh we would like it if there were a quick fix to our problems in this world. So often it is only when the world is crashing down on a sinner that they “try” God. But those times are normally as short lived as the faith that sustains them through it. We try it as drugs and alcohol ruin our lives, adultery blows up in our faces, divorce tears apart our families, cancer takes our lives by siege. We want to pray, ask forgiveness and watch the problems disappear. And it rarely happens, and often goes worse for the life of faith where it does. But these are earthly problems, and they die with this world. When this world fades away like a worn garment, when this world fades like the flowers of the field, God’s word remains, and he has saved us from so much more than drunkenness, and drug abuse, so much more than a loveless marriage, and divorce, so much more than cancer. These things can only take this life, but leave our souls undamaged because as long as God’s word remains, it speaks to our souls saying, your sins are forgiven you are mine, today I give you an honest and good heart full of love.
And from that fruit is born with patience, and daily repentance holding firm to the word of God. As day by day in the forgiveness of sins we learn to love more fully even as God so loved us that he gave us his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Yes in daily repentance and the forgiveness of sins fruit is born. The importance of daily devotion and prayer cannot be understated. For sure we will be sinners to the end of this age. We will find ourselves never living up to the standards of God’s law. We will find ourselves loving ourselves more than God, more than our neighbors. But we will also see change. Perhaps we learn to love our spouses all the more as we promised in the wedding vows, sacrificing ourselves for their well being, and surprised by the happiness their happiness brings. Perhaps, we find it easier overtime to avoid the temptations of drunkenness and drug abuse, perhaps we even overcome cancer and other life threatening diseases. But in the end we conquer so much more through the word of him who has overcome this world, and we take heart, with an honest and good heart holding firm to His word that remains long after the grass withers and the flower fades, who tells us, your sins are forgiven, in this world you will have tribulation, but take heart, I have overcome the world.
Now the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.