Sow the Word

Sow the Word: Parable Insights on Spiritual Growth and Christ-Centered Teaching

Jun 16, 2024 – 4th Sunday after Pentecost | Mark 4:26-34

Parable Insights

Jesus speaks to us today in parables, often about Himself. He frequently states the parables are about the kingdom of God, which is essentially His reign as our heavenly king. The first parable today is particularly challenging because Jesus explicitly states it's about the kingdom of God: "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; He knows not how."

This familiar metaphor portrays Jesus as the Sower, the seed as the Word of God, and us as the soil that bears good fruit. How can it be that Jesus doesn't know something? Isn't He the Son of God, almighty and all-knowing? The phrase "He knows not how" is crucial and seems to contradict what we understand from the rest of Scripture. We must interpret it correctly.

Understanding Jesus' State of Humiliation

Thankfully, the answer should be familiar. Paul tells us in Philippians that Jesus Christ, though in the form of God, emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant. When Jesus was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, He gave up the glory of heaven to dwell among us. He was an ordinary human baby who had to grow up and learn to walk and talk like everyone else.

During His earthly life before the crucifixion, there are instances of Jesus not knowing something. In Luke chapter 8, a woman with a flow of blood touches His cloak and is healed. With many people surrounding Him, Jesus feels the power go out of Him and asks, "Who touched me?" In Mark chapter 13, Jesus speaks of the day of final judgment, saying that no one knows the hour, not even the angels or the Son, but only the Father.

Theologians call this the State of Humiliation. When Jesus took on human flesh, He temporarily stopped exercising His full rights and privileges as God. He humbled Himself, living as one of us, under the Law, obeying the will of His Father in heaven, and trusting perfectly in His Father's ultimate goodness.

The Comfort of Christ's Sacrifice

This detail in our text is profoundly comforting, illustrating the extent of God's effort to lift you out of your sins. There are times, perhaps daily, when you realize you're not enough—not strong, smart, healthy, or holy enough to please God. You sin every day. Knowing this, God arranged for your salvation not by placing it out of reach in the heavens but by sending His Son to become fully human.

Jesus experienced every human weakness except sin. As your true brother, He meets you where you are, shares in your fleshly weakness, obeys the Law on your behalf, takes on your sins, and pays for them on the cross. This is our Lord's humiliation—the voluntary surrender of divine glory to save you, a sinner. This act pleased the Father, who accepted Jesus' sacrifice and credited you with His righteousness. The Father then raised Jesus from the dead in His human flesh and exalted Him above all creation.

The time of humiliation is over; now is the time of resurrection and ascension. We confess that Jesus, who became our brother, now lives and reigns forever as our God, Lord, and King, and He will come to judge the living and the dead.

The Mystery of Spiritual Growth

When we read that the sower scatters the seed and doesn't know how it grows, we are reminded of how Jesus, as a man, sowed the seed of God's Word wherever He went. Before sending His apostles to preach, Jesus himself was sent by the Father to preach.

Last week, Pastor Schreibeis reflected on his time as your preacher, recalling his first and last sermons. What stood out to me was how, between these two milestones, the Lord blessed him and you with 19 years of preaching. Our memories often highlight beginnings and endings. In between, Jesus Christ, the Sower, sowed the Word of God among you through Pastor Schreibeis' ministry.

You are the fruit of the Lord's planting, the believing children of God. Pastor Schreibeis, despite his hard work, still doesn't know how it happened—it's a miracle. It's always a miracle.

Many of you understand the hard work involved in farming or gardening. You don't just plant and walk away; you constantly work. Yet, the growth of plants remains amazing. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth." A pastor can't take credit for faith—it is always the work of God.

Preaching Christ Crucified: A Call to Faith

Today, I come to preach the Word, just as Pastor Schreibeis did 19 years ago and as Paul did to the Corinthians. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I stand before you today with fear and trembling. I have no lofty speech or clever words to persuade you. I am determined to know nothing except Christ and Him crucified. This is the seed I am called to scatter in this congregation. This is the Word of God, the essence of all Scriptures: Jesus Christ, crucified for your transgressions and raised for your salvation. There is no other word that saves us.

If any good comes from my preaching—and I pray that it does—it will not be because of me. It will be the power of the Holy Spirit working through the Word, finding fertile ground in your hearts, so you may know and believe that Jesus is Lord and that in Him is eternal life.

Pray for me, that the Lord blesses my preaching among you. Pray for yourselves, that the Lord creates fertile ground in your hearts for the seed He plants, so you may bear abundant fruit by His grace.

The Power of Explanation in Gospel Teaching

There's one more detail in this Gospel text I want you to notice: the way it ends. Mark says Jesus did not speak to the people without using parables, but he explained everything privately to His disciples. Today, everyone has heard of Jesus and knows something about the Word of God. However, you can't hear the Word of God just anywhere, nor can anyone be your preacher. Jesus Himself created the office of pastor. Though your preacher comes to you in fear and trembling, he is sent by Jesus.

Jesus chose to speak in parables and mysteries to the crowds, explaining Himself only in private to His chosen disciples. Consider the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8, reading Isaiah 53 about the sheep led to slaughter. When Philip asks if he understands what he's reading, the eunuch replies, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" Philip then preaches to him, explaining that the Scripture refers to Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. The eunuch believes, is baptized, and goes on his way rejoicing.

This is how God intends things to happen. Jesus chose the 12 apostles, trained them for three years, and sent them as his pastors. Today, the Church calls, trains, and sends out candidates. The Word of God is a mystery to the unbelieving world, but to believers, the veil is lifted, and even the most difficult words can be taught and explained.

Christ-Centered Teaching in Lutheran Tradition

Today, I chose to focus on the difficult words about Jesus not knowing something to show how the entire teaching of the Church—Christ and Him crucified—can be found in a simple parable about a sower.

In the Lutheran Church, we are blessed with a rich heritage of good confession and faithful theologians. You, the laity, have the Creeds, catechisms, and confessions to help you learn and grow in the faith. This enables you to hear preaching and test it against the teachings of the Church. This is a blessing and a part of God's Word growing and bearing fruit in the world.

I can't preach whatever I want. I must preach Christ crucified and what the Church has always preached. By God's grace, you will recognize if I ever deviate from this. This mutual accountability helps us all—pastors and laity—understand even the harder words of Scripture. This way, we all grow in faith and bear fruit, which is the Lord's work. Jesus is always the sower, His Word is the seed, and God alone gives the growth.

Lord, bless your heritage today. Sow the Word in our hearts and cause us to bear the fruits of faith. Continue to provide for your Church here in Miles City and throughout the world. To you alone be all glory, in heaven and on earth, now and forever. Amen.