Jesus begins, “A sower went out to sow his seed.” The sower is Christ Himself, and the seed is the Word of God. This word is living and active. It kills, and it makes alive. It calls us to repentance, and it forgives our sins in Christ. God’s Word always does something. It prospers in the purpose for which it is sent. It will not return empty. It creates what it commands and gives what it promises.
When the sower went out to sow his seed, he did not plant the seed only in the good soil. He spread it everywhere—on the road, on the rocky area, and among the thorns. In other words, God’s Word goes out to everyone and to all nations. It goes out to the poor and the rich, the old and the young, the Jew and Gentile alike. It goes out even to those who will reject it, misuse it, or despise it. God wants all to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
The message of God’s Word is this: God the Father sent His only-begotten Son to redeem and save us from sin, death, and the devil by means of the cross and resurrection. Jesus is the one and only Savior. He is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through faith in Christ.
This living and active Word came to you in Holy Baptism. In the baptismal water, God buried you with Christ and He raised you up. You also heard the Gospel. It entered your ear and was planted in your heart. St Paul says that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ. The Holy Spirit converted you from unbelief to faith in Christ. Your faith is not your own work or decision; it is God’s gift. The Holy Spirit freely gave you saving faith in Christ. You now rejoice in Jesus as your Savior. To God be all the glory.
Yet, you have three enemies that seek to take your faith in Christ away.
The first enemy is the devil. He wants you to reject God’s Word and to resist the Holy Spirit. He wants to mislead you into false belief, despair, and other great shame and vice. He tempts you to doubt God’s Word and promise. 1 Peter 5:8-9 calls us to resist the devil standing firm in the faith.
By God’s grace, tell Satan that you are a baptized child of God. Tell him that your sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ. Tell him that Christ is your Savior.
The second enemy is the world. The world tempts you to make money your idol god. It tempts you with sexual immorality, the abuse of drugs and alcohol, sinful images on the internet, and the list goes on and on.
By God’s grace, persevere. In times of tribulation and persecution, look to Christ for strength. Just as moisture enables a plant to grow, so also God’s Word enables your faith in Christ to grow. When the Word and the Sacrament are neglected, faith can wither and die.
The third enemy is our own sinful flesh. Some seed fell among the thorns. The seed sprouted and grew, but was choked by the thorns and died. So also, your sinful flesh tempts you with the cares, riches, and pleasures of life. It tempts you with anxiety and pride. It tempts you to skip church. It tempts you to skip your morning and evening prayers. It tempts you to hide your sins rather than confess them.
As children of Adam and Eve, all of us have given into the temptations of the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. None of us has a noble or a good heart by nature. None of us bears fruit with patience on our own. We are often impatient and doubt God’s Word and His many promises.
Therefore, it is our prayer that the Holy Spirit would continually work repentance in our hearts—a sorrow over sin; and that the Holy Spirit would lead us to confess our sin. The Good News is that God forgives our sins on account of Christ. The Gospel declares us righteous for Christ’s sake. It pardons our iniquities. It removes our guilt and it creates in us a clean heart.
Our parable also speaks of good soil. Jesus compares it to those who hear the Word of God, hold it fast, and bear fruit with patience.
Only Jesus is truly good. He heard His Father’s word, held it fast and bore fruit with patience.
Just as the rain comes down from heaven to water the earth, so the Son of God came down from heaven. It is as if the Father said, “Go, my Son, and make atonement for the sin of the whole world, then I will raise you up on the third day.” So, the Son of God was “planted” if you will in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He became made flesh. He was named Jesus for He will save His people from their sins. Jesus was obedient to His Father in every way.
During His ministry, Jesus was tempted by the devil in the wilderness, yet Jesus withstood every temptation with the Word of God. Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive Him. Jesus was rejected by His own people. Their hearts were hardened against Him.
During Jesus’ ministry, His Word always accomplished its purpose. His Word prospered in the thing for which He sent it. When Jesus said to the lame man, “Pick up your bed and walk,” a miracle happened. He stood up and walked. When Jesus said “Lazarus, come forth.” This Word brought life to Lazarus. He came out alive.
While hanging on the cross, Jesus was tempted to come down. But He resisted the world’s temptations and remained there on the cross out of love for you and me.
Jesus once said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” So, Jesus died and was buried.
Just as seed sprouts and grows to produce a wonderful crop, so also Christ rose from the dead and now bears much fruit. The Gospel and the Lord’s Supper are the fruits of the cross.
Jesus is now our Lord of Life who will never die again. In His resurrection, He destroyed the power of death and the devil.
Dearly beloved in the Lord, God’s Word, joined to water in Holy baptism, gave you faith in Christ and it brought you life and salvation. God’s Word entered your ear, and it took root. As you hear the Gospel, your faith in Christ is strengthened.
God makes you into good soil. He removes the rock, the thorns, and the weeds in your life. He forgives your sins. He made you into good soil which bears an abundant crop. Out of your life comes the fruit of the Spirit, namely, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and gentleness for the sake of family, church, and neighbor. You give an offering to the church and to the needy. Christ bears much fruit through you for the sake of the one in need. You take care of others out of love for them and out of thanksgiving for what God in Christ has done for you.
Again, our faith is under constant attack. So, St Paul says in Ephesians 6:11 to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” God gives us His Word, the Gospel, the Lord’s Supper and prayer, so that we may stand against the schemes of the devil. We pray that our faith would not grow cold with unbelief and that we would stay alert and be on guard against the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. We also pray that God would keep us firm in His Word, and that He would strengthen us to endure the sufferings in our life.
The sower scattered the seed everywhere. So also, may God’s Word go out to all people. We pray for family and friends who do not yet believe that they may hear the Gospel and trust in Christ as their Savior. We also pray that God’s Word may go out into our community so that many may be brought from unbelief to faith in Christ.
Some of the fruits of the earth are wheat and grapes. Wheat is made into bread, and grapes are made into wine. God’s Word will be joined to these earthly elements, then there will also be our Lord’s true body and blood. Here our sins are removed. Here we are strengthen against the temptations of the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh.
One day we will die and be buried—planted, as it were, in the earth. Martin Luther called the cemetery “God’s acre.” He said, “The cemetery is a field full of God’s kernels which some day will rise and grow more beautifully than we can imagine.” On the last day, the dead will rise, and body and soul will be reunited. And all believers in Christ will wear, so to speak, a new outfit that is incorruptible and immortal. Our bodies will be transformed. Then we will enjoy eternal life in the new heaven and the new earth.
Until that day, may God’s Word give you strength to persevere in the midst of trial and tribulation. May God’s Word be a lamp to your feet and a light to your path always pointing you to Jesus. May you continually hear God’s Word, hold it fast and bear fruit with patience.
Lord, Your words are waters living;
When my thirsting spirit pleads. Lord, Your words are bread life-giving;
On Your words my spirit feeds. Lord, Your words will be my light
through death’s cold and dreary night; Yes, they are my sword prevailing;
And my cup of joy unfailing! (LSB 589:3)
Amen.
