Many churches throughout the world use a Bible reading schedule called a "lectionary." It's just a fancy word meaning "selected readings." Posts like this reflect on the readings for an upcoming Sunday or other Church holiday, as found in the historic one-year lectionary.
Our Gospel passage from Luke 8:4-15 speaks of the sower, the seed, and the soils. I would like to focus briefly on just the seed. Jesus says, in verse 11, that the seed is God’s Word. What do we know of this word of God? It is powerful, it is effective, and it bears lasting fruit.
All God’s Word is good. We read in Isaiah 55 about how God’s Word accomplishes its purpose. In this parable, likewise, God’s Word works. It is powerful. Where it falls on the path, it serves as food. Where it falls in other places it germinates and grows. God’s Word speaks powerfully, nourishing even those who would despise or misuse it. Where the Word of God is used, even in an unbelieving society, it will still restrain evil and encourage good. Even when the devil tries to steal God’s Word, it ends up used for some sort of good.
God’s Word is effective. Even in the difficult settings, where we have no depth of soil or where we surround it with weeds and thorns, God’s Word sprouts and grows. Yes, we and our world can choke it out, but it grows nonetheless. When we bring God’s Word to our world and try to pull out the rocks and thorns, we are working for the good of the world. Even rocks are eventually broken up, even thorn bushes eventually die, where God’s Word is growing.
God’s Word, above all, is fruitful. When God plants it in the good soil, where God’s Word is honored and watered, it produces a tremendous increase - fruit to eternal life. God i sthe planter of His Word, but he uses our hands and mouths. We faithfully bring His Word to our world and allow Him to do His work.
Lord, use your word in our world. Speak through us.
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