Pastor’s Corner – May 16, 2024

Jesus Told a Parable I

Teachers in Jesus’ time commonly used parables to express ideas. The parable is a story-like form of metaphorical communication. Parables invite reflection and conversation through multi-layered and open-ended interpretation. Parables are a perfect form for God’s Spirit to convey wisdom in both timeless and timely ways. Parables often come with a surprising twist, revealing the way Jesus’ lessons are counter-cultural and counter-intuitive. Jesus told parables to help his followers understand the quality and character of life aligned with God’s values.

The parable of the sower is recorded in Matthew 13:1-9, Mark 4:1-9, and Luke 8:4-8. This parable paints a familiar scene for Jesus’ audience—a farmer casting seed in a field. Not all of the seed lands in the field, some seed falls in the nearby path and some seed falls among the rocks and weeds. That is the nature of sowing seed.

I invite you to take a spiritual reading of the parable. Read it through a few times slowly and prayerfully. Listen for the connecting points between the parable and your own life experience. Identify an image, word, or phrase that resonates in your spirit. Sit quietly and ask God to open your heart to a truth that you need in this moment in your life.

My practice of the spiritual reading of the parable of the sower connected me to the image of the generosity of the farmer, who is casting seed far and wide. The farmer knows from experience that a wide and generous broadcasting of seed is necessary to ensure a harvest. A thorough sowing means that some seed falls on the path and among rocks and weeds.

This parable encourages me to emulate the generous farmer. I can imagine the seed as the grace of God. It is not for me to decide who is or is not the recipient of Divine grace, my task is to share grace far and wide. This is a lesson I glean from this parable of Jesus. How about you? How is the living Spirit of Christ connecting with you through this parable? Feel free to reach out if you would like to share your connecting point.

May the parables of Jesus help us grow in faith and discipleship.

Yours in Christ,

Marc