"Turning the lights on" - a sermon on Isaiah 60:1-5;19-22 & Matthew 5:14-16

Introduction

God had promised that the exiles would return to their land. And God is always true to his promises. Now that once again the people of Israel had been restored, they would need to show whose people they were. In all generations God’s people should be able to physically show where their foremost allegiance lies. Where this is not so, you would have to doubt their sincerity. The people around us have to be shown signs concerning the existence and character of God. Our limited vocabularies will not be enough. Sad to say, sometimes people will refuse to believe in the God that is so poorly represented.

Isaiah 60 early text

Through the prophet Isaiah, God says to get on your feet, get moving, and reflect the light and the glory of God through your everyday lives. There may be many instances of darkness across the earth, however God’s people are always charged with the light and glory of God. Such light will be attractive! As other nations should have been able to recognise Israel’s light 26 odd centuries ago, our neighbours (old and new) should be able to recognise the light in us.

We are carriers of the glory of God because we have become recipients of his gift of grace and salvation. We are no longer our own people, but the children of God. As Paul put it, it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me (Galatians 2:20). So if Jesus is truly the “light of the world” (John 8:12), then that light must shine in us and through us.

Verse 4 brings a restatement of God’s graciousness in regathering the people of Israel following exile. Such a wonderful and promise-keeping God should lead to an outpouring of joy and a commitment to let all the nations know ‘Who’ it is that truly brings life (in all its fullness). What a difference it would make if we could truly see and understand what God can do – we would be “radiant”, our hearts would be “thrilled”, our lives full of joy. People would cross seas to be a part of this, and they would buy completely into what we have bought into.

Why do people get into dodgy boats, organised by even dodgier ‘people-smugglers’, to travel through dangerous weather conditions and huge waves? Because they sense that there is something better on the other end of the journey. Australia, for all its perceived internal problems, is a very very attractive proposition for many people from a variety of tragic situations. Many people live through tragedy and a sense of ‘lostness’ day in and day out in our local community. So they need to find the light – which they can only do if the lights are turned on. God says, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1).

Matthew 5 text

This leads us to the words of Jesus concerning light (in Matthew 5:14-6). There needs to be an example, something visible for people to see, remark upon, and be drawn to. The light given to us is designed to encompass and illuminate the whole world. Of course Jesus himself would have this effect, but God has chosen that, except for the three (or maybe the thirty-three) years (when Jesus ministered in person), that ordinary everyday people would fill that role or provide that example. Before Jesus’ time it was meant to be the nation of Israel, and they had mixed results. After Jesus’ time it was to be his Spirit-filled followers, and they have had mixed results (we have had mixed results).

Darkness is simply the absence of light; yet it so easily binds whole communities. When in the face of darkness God created the light, the “light” was deemed to be “good” (Genesis 1:4). So, it makes no sense to cover up a light source, that is, unless you want to stay in the dark or keep others in the dark. In covering up our light we will also likely starve it of oxygen and put it out altogether … perhaps forever! If we tend to hide our light, we would need to think out the reasons for this … and take any required action. If our light isn’t shining, we would need to consider what is blocking its way … and take any required action.

Our light-source is important so that we can see our way, and that others can also see their way no matter how little light they have for themselves. Our light, because of where it takes us … into identifiable “good works”, points toward a source that is above and beyond human capacity. We have been ‘lifted up’ (out of the depths – Ps 147:6) by our experience of Christ’s resurrection into being a city perched by on a hill for all to see.

The Question Is

So, how do we turn the lights on???

·         Positive living – showing a sense of purpose, being hopeful even in difficulties, showing how our deepest aspirations have been fulfilled

·         Encouragement of others

·         Being forgiving and not giving in to bitterness

·         Being open to approach – metaphorically or literally leaving the front porch light on … demonstrating that we are here and available; having a ‘welcome’ sign out; offering a friendly wave and a smile (to initiate contact); lingering a little … maybe in the food-court or at the letterbox; walking around the neighbourhood being conscious (and prayerful) about what is happening; having picnics/BBQs in public parks; shopping locally … supporting small businesses and thanking retail assistants

·         Practical effort – helping others in whatever ways needed (material, emotional, spiritual, practical); Isaiah 58:9b-10 reads: If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry, and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

·         Building community through developing relationships and bringing people together

·         Being peace-makers – being counter-intuitive in the dog-eat-dog, individualistic, selfish, competitive and aggressive environment … (actively) seeking harmony; YET,

·         Being prophetic – naming institutional injustice e.g. profiting from problem gambling, detention of asylum seeking children, animal cruelty etc., and calling for repentance and change in instances of ‘external wrongs/evil’ e.g. abuse, violence, relational betrayal

·         Prayerful attitude – demonstrating trust in a higher source of being beyond ourselves (to be later identified as God – Father, Son, Spirit … in whom we can have a personal relationship).

Isaiah 60 later text

Isaiah 60 concludes with a great eternal vision of God as the only light we will need. No longer will we be confined as humans are confined, needing the sun and moon through which to find our way. Despite the potential we have as light-bearers here and now, we are restricted it seems by our humanness and the pressures of life. While this should never be an excuse, it is the reality. But it won’t always be so! Our days of struggle and mourning will come to an end, and God will be all we need.

Conclusion

Meanwhile of course we remain called as light-bearers – this is God’s light in us … part of God’s magnetic or gravitational pull towards Divine hope. A lack of light where light has been promised or is expected can repel people into deeper darkness. Light is a powerful metaphor, used both to signify the joyful good news of the salvation that God brings, and also to picture the world-transforming quality of the lives and deeds of those who come to that light and live by it (Christopher J H Wright).

"The Other Side" - a sermon on Mark 5:1-20

Introduction

Jesus was taking his disciples to “the other side” of the lake into Gentile territory. After Jesus had stilled the winds and calmed the waves, they all arrived safely at their destination. This “storm” incident had allowed Jesus to challenge his disciples concerning their level of faith, and whether they would let fear get in the way. And when we read into chapter five we see why Jesus needed to prepare his disciples – they were certainly going to be taken out of their comfort zones with what they were about to be confronted with.

Jesus “stepped out of the boat”, and his followers, if they were to be truly his followers, would have to ‘step out of the boat’ as well. We are being led to appreciate, I think, that these disciples were in fact courageous enough to follow Jesus into this ‘foreign’ territory, for they had not ‘abandoned ship’ when the waters had become calm. No doubt the disciples were now going to watch every move Jesus made and listen to every word Jesus spoke; for they were very early in their learning journey, and thus they needed much guidance.

A Desperate Need

At the same time there is another picture being painted in this narrative as well: that of desperation and hopelessness. There are places where people of good faith will just have to go. No wonder Jesus wanted to go here to lead the way! Without a minute to catch their breath, out came one of the most desperate and scary individuals you could possibly imagine. This was a strong violent character who also was self-harming. Those living around him had sought to restrain him, such was the threat they felt.

The message of the text seems to be that this man was completely consumed by evil, and he was living amongst the dead as if awaiting his inevitable fate. His was a living death – all appeared lost – his very humanity destroyed! Imagine being under the weight of enough pressure to drown 2000 pigs! This would be enough to break most people. We don’t know his circumstances and what had led up to this state of affairs – Jesus just sought to deal with the reality before him.

And right here the Jewish-born disciples that were present faced a collection of their worst nightmares (culturally speaking): the ritual uncleanness of a man living among the tombs, together with the presence of thousands of pigs, and then there was the very mention of the “unclean spirits” collective name of “Legion” with its connection to Roman oppression (“legion” being a military term designating a brigade of some 6000 Roman soldiers). Talk about facing all your fears at once (spiritual, cultural and political)!!

A Prevailing Problem

What would Jesus do (“WWJD”)? What did Jesus do? Jesus confronted, face on, the evil that was causing the oppression of this poor man! Jesus called the “unclean spirit” out of the man, which turned out to be a “legion” of “unclean spirits”, and ultimately dealt with them with finality. This is a picture of what Jesus ultimately achieved in his life, death and resurrection – the potential of a complete victory over evil and darkness.

This also seems to fulfil the vision of Psalm 147:6 ...

                                             The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;

                                             he casts the wicked to the ground.

Jesus didn’t attack or criticise the poor man himself, rather Jesus looked behind the particular behaviours to see where the problem actually lay. Jesus, being Jesus, realised straight away that there was a terrible evil lying behind this man’s situation that needed to be dealt with – and Jesus said, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit” (v.8)!

The “unclean spirits” or prevalent evil was badly affecting this man and his behaviour, yet was separate to him and could be despatched. We see the dramatic difference when this evil was lifted – first he found his “right mind” and got into some clothes (v.15), then quickly became a living, active and effective witness to Jesus (v.20). Jesus came to offer people freedom from such oppression, and indeed this man was now free to be his own person again (and in this case, God’s person), and also now free to live in harmonious human community.

What sort of “unclean spirits” or evil might we have to confront on behalf of other people? What oppresses our neighbours today???

·        institutional evil where economic (and other) resources are unequally and unfairly distributed leading to poverty and homelessness

·        external evil through the activities of others in abuse, violence and relational betrayal

·        internal evil through adopting self-destructive behaviours and forming addictions relating to drugs, alcohol, gambling; or even material acquisition and workaholism

·        supernatural demonic evil entering either through deliberate repeated sinfulness or through human vulnerabilities caused by unresolved negative past experiences.

Of course evil makes itself comfortable in society and sometimes in people too! Note how the “unclean spirits” did not want to be cast out of this man (v.7b,10). Therefore the task at hand will often be difficult. Yet such ‘darkness’ still recognised the light of Jesus (v.6-7), correctly interpreted the presence of God, and rightly understood that it was at a disadvantage. So, ‘evil’ looked for survival and thought it would find a good home in the “swine”. Yet, again, the “unclean spirits” had no chance with the full application of Jesus presence set against them!

The Ongoing Mission

Now, why wouldn’t Jesus have allowed this man to go with him (refer verses 18-19)??? The answer actually goes back a few verses. Change, even good change, can be scary, and hard to accept. For instance, sometimes we don’t actually like a friend or a member of our family to grow closer to Jesus (thus change), because it tends to alter the balance of our relationship with them. Strange that!!

Despite this miraculous and magnificent outcome, people were “afraid” (v.15), and then asked (actually ‘begged’) Jesus to “leave their neighbourhood” (v.17). This incident didn’t make Jesus ‘flavour of the month’ as we might have expected, nor even popular in this new region. But the work would have to go on! Who else was going to share the good news of hope around these ten cities of the “Decapolis” region (especially with the cold reception Jesus himself was getting) other than the healed man himself!

And how did this go (refer verse 20)??? With Jesus they were afraid (v.15,17) – with this man they were amazed! Jesus chooses to leave a local behind to do the work in his own personal neighbourhood. Rather than being part of a larger band of roving disciples, this man has his own particular mission field. This home-town boy was well-placed to tell the story of his own dramatic liberation.

Yet as Jesus promised when he commissioned his disciples following his resurrection – “I will be with you always”, and subsequently this was realised in the coming of the divine Holy Spirit upon them. The followers of Jesus will act in Jesus’ name, empowered by Jesus’ very presence, to do the works of God. This will mean bringing a measure of hope to the hurting. Sometimes this will be in the face of difficulty and opposition, but we see in this passage how such realities can be overcome!

"Healing the Broken-hearted" (Psalm 147:1-6)

Psalm 147:1-6

Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
   for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 
² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
   he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 
³ He heals the broken-hearted,
   and binds up their wounds. 
⁴ He determines the number of the stars;
   he gives to all of them their names. 
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
   his understanding is beyond measure. 
⁶ The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
   he casts the wicked to the ground. 

Introduction

The first 6 verses of Psalm 147 very much deal with God’s special abiding care for and restoration of the needy ... within the larger context of God’s great creativity and understanding of the workings of the whole universe. This psalm then moves on to address God’s general provision for all (v.7-11) and then subsequently declares God’s good governance over all creation (v.12-20).

Beginning

Verse 1 is an eloquent expression of praise, engaging the participants in an understanding of the worth of acknowledging God’s graciousness – it is not such a strange thing to be singing praise to God, rather it is simply “fitting” (and thus it should be a natural thing to do). As well as being “fitting”, it is good for us to worship God because it frees us from an undue and unhelpful concentration on ourselves.

Psalm 147 verse 1 provides us with the very simple basis on which we worship God – God lavishes grace on us; this meaning that God is always seeking to connect with us, relate with us, and give us the most important things we need to excel in life. For this reason it is “fitting”, and we might also say healthy, to bring praise to God.

Context

Verse 2 suggests that this psalm dates from the post-exilic period, when the people of Israel were returning to their land and homes following their exile to the north (in Babylon). The Bible generally viewed these exiles at least partly responsible for their fate due to their rebellious activity in allowing oppression and injustice and being so easily influenced by the latest trendy small g ‘god’. Yet there were also political and environmental challenges coming from outside forces like the strong nation of Babylon.

There would come times of repentance, and there would power-shifts in the region, and the people of Israel’s time of exile in foreign hands would come to an end. God, the gracious and merciful God, is certainly prepared to re-gather his people and offer them a future once again. This re-gathering (in verse 2) begins the thoughts of this psalm directly concerning those whose lives are not going well for them.

God Sandwich

This is a great God. The statements of God’s magnificence in determining and naming the stars, and having complete understanding of all His creation (v.4-5) are sandwiched by two other statements concerning God’s concern for the “broken-hearted” and the “downtrodden” (v.3,6). And so here is a direct link between God’s wondrous creativity and God’s gracious mercy. In the midst of the greatness and vastness of creation, God does not miss any incidence of human misery.

God names the stars as God also knows each of our names. We might often scratch our heads about the things happening to us and to others and wonder whatever meaning there could be to this, but God knows and understands everything about what is happening – and in this way can bring exactly the right amount and type of help. God has understanding ... (v.5) ... “beyond measure”! This should reassure us during our times of trouble.

Cast to the Ground? (v.6b)

Whatever else we might say about the last part of verse 6, we can know that where we stick close to God, God will deal with those who oppress us and others. This might not happen according to our preferred timing, but it is God who has the “understanding” and the “abundant power” (refer verse 5) to orchestrate this in the right way at the right time. As God “lifts up” (or raises) the “downtrodden”, as part of the same process ... those who would cause such situations will be brought low. God will vindicate the weak whilst opposing the proud.

Broken-hearted & Downtrodden (v.3,6)

We might wonder how someone would become so “broken-hearted” or “downtrodden”? On the other hand we may well have experienced such feelings ourselves, and come to understand the cause. For the ancient exiles there was isolation – some exiles had been separated from their family and friends; all exiles had been separated from their culture and spiritual centre. So there was a sense of loss of home, or, homelessness. This, and the loneliness that it brings, leads to feelings of broken-heartedness and hopelessness. This is very much the experience of many of our indigenous peoples in Australia since white settlement.

We know, given our levels of depression and suicide in this country, that much has gone wrong in people’s lives. There are people trying to survive without good family structures, or having directly suffered from neglect or abuse of various kinds. Then there is those who have lacked for education and economic resources. Other people begin okay, but later, relationship difficulties or unemployment or illness strikes. Many try to quell the pain with a variety of addictive behaviours.

We might see the “broken-hearted” and “downtrodden” as ‘wounded souls’ who have had their spirits dented, and very much lack for the relationship with God they were designed to have. They may never have had the opportunity of embracing such a relationship. The question for us is: how does God in actual terms “heal the broken-hearted” and “lift up the downtrodden”?? If we believe and even quote this psalm, what are we meaning???

• ·       Jesus offers forgiveness and a new start – this first deals with any sense of guilt, but also with any sense of unworthiness or shame
• ·       God can also touch a person’s life miraculously, taking away heavy burdens and replacing them with a peace only God can give; but often the process takes longer than this, and there are many ups and downs along the way
• ·       Where wounds are bound up (v.3) ... this stops infection coming from the outside and helps the workings of the internal immune system to kick in; from this we can understand that there is often a partnership in healing between the healer (God) and the one whose heart is broken ... where they have to work together for any progress to be made
• ·       Yet for God to be lifting up the “downtrodden” (v.6), this gives a sense of such a person being carried, carried for awhile in the loving compassionate arms of God – it is God’s strength that engages with our weakness and lifts us up
• ·       Jesus brings the opportunity of a new family, a supportive community of like-minded travellers; and it is those who have started down the track of healing and salvation that are well-placed to assist those just at the fork of the road ... the earlier (v.2) concept of God “gathering” the exiles or outcasts seems to be instructive here – healing for the “broken-hearted” occurs as God gathers such sufferers together

So, Paul starts his second letter to the church in Corinth with these words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV).

• ·       Jesus offers hope through giving purpose to life – purpose that is based around helping others (thus taking the wounded person beyond themselves); there is the initial healing that comes through Divine forgiveness, but healing also comes as the gift of forgiveness is worked through in the context of relationships and community.

 Conclusion

We are surrounded by events and struggles that are beyond us, that are too big for us. In the midst of those challenges, it is valuable to know that the God of heaven knows and understands the burdens of life in a fallen world. God cares and is involved and God’s love for us is undiminished by the hardnesses of life.

(From the Preface to the RBC Ministries publication “Hope in Times of Trouble”, 2011).

"Faith versus fear" (Mark 4:35-41 & Daniel 6:16-23)

What makes us frightened? What do we do when we are frightened? To go across to the “other side” was quite a scary proposition for the disciples. They would be encountering people and situations they hadn’t experienced before. So understandably there would have already been raised levels of concern before the disciples even got into the boat.

Then came the wind and the waves. Then, as we read, the boat became “swamped”! Jesus, who knows the end from the beginning, and that all was going to be well, was quite relaxed and sleeping in the stern of the boat. Jesus here represents the same level of peace that he offers to his followers. Though, when Jesus was awoken by his scared disciples, he was instantly aware of their fear.

Not one to let them continue to shake in trepidation, Jesus stilled the wind and calmed the seas. Everything became calm! It was then, in the calm aftermath, that Jesus wanted his disciples to reflect – why had they acted as they did? Where was their faith? Clearly the amount of fear they had shown had put the reality of their faith in doubt! They were following Jesus, but were they actually putting their absolute faith in Jesus? This is a bit like the difference between people who go to church as against those who are the church! Well, perhaps the answer is seen in verse 41 – “who then is this ...” – they were still discovering who Jesus really was.

Perhaps this rings true for us. Sometimes we suffer from fear, even though most of the time we reckon our faith is reasonably strong. This is because we are still discovering who Jesus is, and the totality of what he can achieve. It would be reasonable for us to have reservations about sharing the good news and sharing our lives with our neighbours. It would be understandable to have some sort of fear reaction to becoming involved in ‘cultivating the soils’ in our local community. Perhaps the answer to this possibility, is to embrace getting to know Jesus more, and by doing this, getting to know God more.

We have to acknowledge that the greatest enemy of faith is fear, and that while it is a natural and sometimes helpful reaction, we have to deal with the negative impacts that it brings ... such as ‘flight’, passivity, making bad decisions, or lacking in confidence.

We have a strong example of one person who had become totally and completely convinced of God’s availability and ability to deliver him from harm. Now we know that sometimes people continue to suffer and die for their faith, yet they are able to maintain their integrity and stability throughout their trials because they have been able to fully put their trust in God ... that indeed, no matter the outcome, God will certainly be with them.

Such an example is Daniel. Daniel had already refused the “royal rations” in chapter one, so that no one could ever think or suggest that he had become more aligned with the king’s agenda than with God’s. He removed such a temptation by drawing a line that he would never cross. Daniel would not allow himself to be identified with Nebuchadnezzar’s excesses. The fact that Daniel on his vegetable diet was in better condition than would ever be expected, led him into a position of great respect and influence.

Now Daniel had to resist a command to pray only to the king. This was of course put up by Daniel’s jealous opponents when they could find nothing wrong with the performance of his duties in Babylon through which to bring him down. The punishment for praying to any other (divine or human) over a thirty day period was being thrown into a den of lions. Yet not praying to his God was not something that Daniel could accept. As we read in verse 10 of chapter six:

Although Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he continued to go to his house, which had windows in its upper room open toward Jerusalem, and to get down on his knees three times a day to pray to his God and praise him, just as he had done previously.

So we know what happened from there. Yet on the basis of all God’s faithfulness in the past, Daniel could rest easy, because he knew that God would be with him. Daniel knew that his friends Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had been rescued from the fiery furnace under similar circumstances (when they had refused to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue).

Such was Daniel’s effectiveness, integrity and innocence, that King Darius, despite administering the set penalty, spent a sleepless night agonising over this, and fasted hoping that Daniel might survive. The king had wished Daniel well (refer verse 16), hoping that Daniel’s God might actually prevail. Next morning, the king rushed to the den of lions, and called out hopefully to Daniel. We then hear that Daniel is alive, with the testimony that an angel of God had closed the lions’ mouths all night long.

Daniel’s was a special trust – it was active and practical, it was very public and completely unashamed or unapologetic, and it stood up under pressure. This was because his faith in God was so embedded in his character – it was so central to who he was as a person! Daniel’s long history of prayerful trust had held him in good stead whenever the pressure was turned on.

Now what about those disciples in the boat many centuries later!?! They were certainly a work in progress!!

To be fair, Jesus’ disciples had been plucked from obscurity – doing other jobs and following other passions, some of them very different from being on mission for God, suddenly having to adjust to following an itinerant teacher with a very radical and counter-cultural message, who, despite having some fans, was attracting some very dangerous adversaries. Their very selection, it seems, was based on the effectiveness they would be able to have, not straight away, but rather in 2-3 years time after Jesus had left them. So indeed, and quite naturally, the disciples were ‘works in progress’! Just like us!!

So to ask the question, “Who then is this” (Mark 4:41) is a fair and acceptable question. In fact, it is a question that we should continually ask. Who is God for us? Where is Jesus in this situation? How is God’s Holy Spirit leading us now? What am I being taught? Where is God present in this challenging moment?

Though apparently asleep in the stern of the boat (that was the disciples view of things anyway), Jesus was ready to still the wind and calm the waves and get the disciples safely to their destination. To all of the disciples’ insecurities, Jesus says, “Peace! Be still!”. Of course this particular destination (on the “other side”) would present many further challenges – like gardening in some of those apparently “bad soils” of the earlier parable.

Yet these disciples may now be better prepared for what was to come. Modern day disciples of Jesus like us may even come to appreciate and enjoy their work on the “other side” ... even drawing meaning and satisfaction from some good results along the way.

"Cultivating the Soil" (Mark 4:1-9 & Proverbs 24:27)

What do you make of this parable from Mark's Gospel?

It is generally called the “parable of the sower”, but might be better referred to as the “parable of the (four) soils”. Generally we see this parable as describing various responses to the gospel message – three of these unfortunate, and only the fourth one being advantageous.

This would also include ourselves in a bit of a self-assessment, as we test what sort of “soil” we are, and how effectively God’s Word can be implanted in us. This then brings the obvious challenge about what we can do about the quality of our “soil”. Can we do something that will make us more receptive to the sown seed?

Yet, lest we get too fixated on ourselves on the one hand, or conversely, too judgemental of others, might there also be a challenge here as to the amount of (good) work being put into the “soil” of our neighbourhoods in preparation for the gospel to be heard! For, actually ‘cultivating’ the “soil” of our community may assist a bigger more positive response.

The first point to make, when we look at this parable, concerns the generosity or the breadth of the sowing. Despite the possibilities of uncooperative or underprepared soil, the sowing happens everywhere. This is because you can never tell exactly what the quality or the readiness of the soil might be. It may appear on the surface to be one of the three soils that will not respond well to the sowing, but the reality might be quite different ... you can never quite tell!! Unless each particular soil is given an opportunity you would never know whether a beautiful plant would emerge or not.

God has always sown generously – the blessings of God’s glorious creation has been given to everyone – God’s grace has also been offered and shared universally. So those of us who bear the good news of Jesus must follow in this generous pattern.

Then back to the four “soils”. There were the three “soils” that proved to be difficult for planting, and the “good soil”. We know from Jesus’ explanation later in chapter 4, what the problems were with the first three “soils”.

The first “soil” was actually described as a “path” – this being too hard to receive the seeds. The seeds just lie on the surface barely noticed then get blown away or taken away by passing birds. Jesus says later in verse 15, that “Satan ... comes and takes away [what] is sown”. We might see this in terms of the prevalent attitudes and behaviours that are often preferred in our society – apathetic and ordinary at their most common, evil and destructive at their worst. Some people seem content just the way they are, and can be hard-hearted regarding change. Such attitudes tend to block an understanding of one’s need. We could perhaps be critical of a “soil” like this, but we might wonder what it was that lead to such a piece of ground becoming so unreceptive?!? Might it have been tragic abuse leading to a level of hurt that could never seemingly trust again!?!

The second version of “soil” is called “rocky ground” – where there was no opportunity of a plant taking root. Thus under the first sign of pressure, like the sun coming out, the new plant was scorched ... then it withered and died. There were some early good signs, yet without proper roots, there was a lack of maturity to cope with the troubles that followed. There was nothing wrong with the seed being planted, just the inability to fully receive it and properly nurture it. Here again we see the possibility of bad experiences that have deafened the ear and deadened the spirit. Yet at the same time, we might also detect a cry for help and healing.

The third “soil” was full of thorns – choking the life out of any budding plant. There was a decent level of receptivity to the seed being planted, but there were so many other distractions and alternative interests that were allowed to take over. Again the benevolent sower spread the good seed, but there was something lacking in the soil. [We ourselves usually know what we are giving undue importance to, but others haven’t come to see things in that way yet.] Perhaps this particular ‘thorny soil’ hasn’t yet seen a credible or exciting or enlightening enough vision of the gospel in action, to be able to see it as a more attractive dynamic than anything and everything else.

What do we do about such “soils”? Do we ignore them?? But, as we said earlier, how would we really know for sure which is which! In being choosy, we may actually miss the “good soil”. So it is that the Sower continues to spread the seed broadly!

Now, happily for the Sower, there is “good soil”. We may not be able to clearly discern it from the rest, but we know it is there! When we spread seed generously and widely enough we find it; and we know it is “good soil” because of the great produce and growth that it brings.

Where there is nothing wrong with the seed, what is left for us gardeners to do is to work the soil, to water, and to fertilise as needed. Where there is resistant hardness, or lots of rocks and builder’s rubble, or many noxious and thorny weeds, we take out our gardening fork and work the soil. There is preparation work to be done to maximise the effort of sowing seed! What this means in our particular local situation is what we have to prayerfully and experimentally work out.

In some suburbs or in some particular residential properties, when we start to do some landscaping and garden preparation, we may see only what could be termed “bad soil”. Yet not many would totally give up at this point and cover it all over with concrete. If we ever think that there are only the first three difficult “soils” and no “good soil” to be seen, then we need to work out what we can do about this in terms of creative cultivation.

To ‘cultivate’ the soil would mean ... paying attention to it, preparing the ground, improving and developing the soil, and cherishing its existence (Oxford Dictionary). Church planter Neil Cole says: “Cultivation has to do with the preparation and improvement of the soil for raising healthy crops ... cultivation [in Gospel terms] is doing what the Lord leads us to do relationally and prayerfully in order to prepare people and communities for the reception of the gospel”.

We need to look at anything we might normally consider “bad soil” in a new way – through God’s eyes of love, care and compassion. At Tarneit Skies Village last Thursday, we heard from prison chaplain Rev Bill Beagley about how, rather than worrying about what a prisoner may have done in the past, he sought to have a conversation around how this person felt about his life now.

It could be that the person who appears right at the bottom (and is completely broken) is actually the best of ‘soils’ in which the seed can be planted. We exist within community to bring forth God’s voice of re-creation and reconciliation. And the Bible brings so many wonderful invitations for people to reconnect with God and each other.

There is the story of the two guys who invited a homeless man out to lunch – so impressed was the restaurant owner that he wouldn’t bill any of them. This is cultivating the soil. But how do we cultivate the soil in Wyndham where police have referred more than 780 domestic violence victims to support services during the past (financial) year? And then there is the chronic lack of public housing referred to in this week’s local paper! Such realities as these cause many to be fearful, tense and worried.

This all takes us to Proverbs 24:27, and what it might mean to “prepare your work outside”. Gospel planting begins in the fields, not in the barns. Gospel planting is not about getting people to agree with us, but rather about presenting the good news of previously undiscovered life options and directions.

Gospel planting happens as we walk ‘the land’ with care and wisdom, giving prayerful consideration to people’s needs and aspirations. Indeed, gospel planting involves cultivating (the soil of) our local area in preparation for this good news of Jesus taking root, and the health (both spiritual and otherwise) of this community being maximised.

We keep sowing the seed of the gospel in partnership with God, at the same time as seeking to work the soil toward being in a more receptive mode. If we do our “outside” work well, the rest will take care of itself.