What Kind of Dirt?

            This passage from the gospel of Matthew is called the “Parable of the Sower,” but this story is really not about the sower at all.  The sower is doing what the sower is supposed to do:  scattering the seed far and wide.  Oh, yes.  There is no doubt that sowers can read this passage and find hope for their efforts… for it does say that the few seeds that fall into the good soil will yield thirty times or sixty times or even one hundred times the grain that was sown.  But it is not meant to instruct us… as those who sow the seed… to save all of our sowing for the good soil!  We need to scatter the seed far and wide.

This passage is also not about the seed.  For, you see, there is no doubt about the quality of the seed in this parable.  The seed is the Word of God… the good news of the gospel… so it is the best seed.  Whenever the seed falls onto the dirt, it sprouts.  As God said through Isaiah, "… my word …that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty…”  If given the opportunity, that seed will sprout… but it may then die because the dirt is too shallow… or the soil too rocky… or the weeds are too rampant… but it is not the quality of the seed that is in question. 

So, if the problem is not with the sower… and the problem is not with the seed… then we are left with just the dirt.  So, let’s spend some time looking at the different kinds of dirt… the different types of soil… that Jesus talks about here and see whether we can understand what kind of soil we represent and what we might do to improve the quality of that soil.

First, we have the dirt that is on the path… dirt that is so hard that the seed cannot penetrate it.  Jesus says that the dirt on the path represents those who hear the word, but do not understand it.  To them, it has no meaning and they reject it… or, as the Bible says, the evil one snatches it away.    When I think of the dirt along the path, I think of those who have been beaten down by life… trampled underfoot by others… who have been so hurt and disillusioned that they have developed a hard shell around them.  Or, as I have heard some people relate to me, they have a wall that they hide behind… a wall that protects them from the world.  These ones have lost the ability to trust others… and they do not let anyone get close to them.  So, when they hear the news of the boundless grace of God and God’s unconditional love, they cannot comprehend it.    For they have never seen any evidence of that kind of love in their own lives and they are afraid to put their trust in it.  They have been hurt too many times.    So, the seed of God’s word cannot penetrate to their hearts and it is snatched away by others. 

Then, there is another kind of dirt.  The Bible tells us that some of the seed is sown in the shallow dirt on rocky ground.  Jesus says that these are the ones who hear the word and receive it with joy.  And yet, their knowledge is shallow and their faith has no real roots.  When the first sign of difficulty comes, they drop out… or move on to the next fad… tasting, but not developing a deep commitment to life in the church. 

I believe that there are many, many people who fit into this category.    They are seekers… constantly searching for something that will ease their pain… soothe their souls… and provide a haven from life.    People have not stopped searching for God.  Research on spirituality and religion today says that, while membership in mainline churches is dropping, participation in spiritual activities has increased dramatically.    Membership in seeker churches has been growing for several decades, but commitment and faith development have taken a hard hit.    When something goes wrong in these churches, many of their members simply move to another church, rather than struggle through the conflict… growing in their faith and their commitment.  The pluralism in our society encourages this “sampling” approach, so many of these individuals merely skim the surface of faith issues… enjoying the fun and the fellowship of the faith community, but not really investing themselves in it.  They taste and sample the appetizers, but never get to the meat… the part they really need to chew on.  They never truly grow in their faith…never develop roots.

The next type of soil is the dirt that is full of weeds and thorns.    Jesus says that this represents the ones who hear the word, but later become distracted by the cares of this world and the lure of wealth.    Oh, how many of us does this describe?    These are the ones with the best of intentions and a strong desire to do God’s will, but each day they are bombarded by people and events around us that pull them away from God.    And it seems as if each year, there is more and more to pull them away.  Whether it is new family commitments… new work commitments… new extra-curricular activities… new leisure activities… opportunities to travel… to study… to participate in sports… and so on.

If that weren’t enough, there always seem to be new ways to make a little more money … so that we can have a few more toys… so that we can spend our days… or our evenings… doing something new… different.    How seductive it is!    Research shows that our work week in the United States of America has been growing over the past few decades… because we not only put in more hours at the job we have… but many of us work two or three jobs just to have a little more cash… or put a little away more for a rainy day… or take that vacation we have always dreamed about.    Yet, at the same time, the demand on our leisure time has not slackened.  We still have to do the soccer thing… the camp thing… the TV thing… the sports thing… the family thing…and, as a result, we basically have a sleep-deprived nation… for where else can we steal the time we need to do all these things.    There is no room for faith to grow, for it is choked out of existence by all the other demands that the world puts upon us. 

Then, finally, there is the good soil… the best dirt… deep… rich… black… healthy… and weed-free.  The seed that is sown in this rich and fertile soil grows tall and strong, producing lots of fruit.    Jesus said that this represents the ones who hear the word of God and understand it.  These are ones we call the pillars of the church… for they have a deep, mature faith that carries them through the bumps in the road.  These are the ones who actively seek opportunities to study the word of God… to minister to others… to grapple with the inherent conflict in the juxtaposition between faith and society… and, from their witness… in word and deed… new Christians are born.    The seed that falls in this dirt yields good results… thirty times… sixty times… or even one hundred times the amount of the seed that was sown. 

But you have heard these things before… and, perhaps, you have seen yourself as one of these types of soil… and, perhaps, as a result, you have made some adjustments to your own life.    But, the focus of this message today is not on individuals… it is on the church.    If we recognize that these types of soil exist… both in ourselves and in the greater community around this church… then, what can we do, as a church, to improve the quality of the soil that we find here?    I really believe that we can make a difference… but only if we look beyond ourselves to see what God is calling us to do and to be… here in Stephenville, Texas.    It is not enough for us to talk about what is wrong with the dirt… or the many different kinds of soil that exist… we need to talk about our role as Christians and how we help each other… and those around us… to become better dirt… higher quality soil … for the seed of the word of God.    To do that, let us look at the problems… or what John Darby would call the opportunities… and see what resources we have in the church to help each other to sprout… and to grow… as Christians. 

Remember the dirt along the path… that impenetrable hard surface… those who lack trust and do not allow the love of God into their hearts?    I think that for these people … whether they are in our congregation or in our community… we need to demonstrate an outpouring of love and acceptance to soften that shell… to break down those walls… to create a crack in the surface that will allow the wondrous message of God’s love and God’s grace to penetrate and take root.    We need to truly love our neighbor… to reach out to those around us… to those whom society has labeled unacceptable… and accept them… to those whom society has labeled unlovable… and love them.    Most of all, we need to stop being the people who trample others down… and we do that in so many unconscious ways.    Sometimes, we simply do not talk to them when we see them… in church… on the street… in the grocery store.    Sometimes …sadly… we do not even see them… those we do not count as friends… those who are poor… undereducated… underemployed … of different races… who dress differently… who are disabled… who struggle with their marriages… who have chronic diseases… are homebound … or homeless.    Just acknowledging that these individuals exist… and deserve our respect as children of God… is a huge step.    Truly becoming a friend to these who feel marginalized… not as someone who is superior reaching down to help them… but as equals in the sight of God… is a ministry of the church.    How can we do this as a church? 

Remember the shallow dirt on rocky ground… those who seek God, but skim the surface of faith… not investing in their faith community… or growing in their faith… having no roots?    For these, the church needs to provide lots of opportunities for people to build their faith… to test their faith… and to grow as Christians.    One simple way to begin is to create an environment where people can share their questions openly… without ridicule… where people can share their doubts about God… and God’s love… without fear of rejection… or judgment.    Do we truly listen when we hear people question their faith … or do we jump too quickly to the pat answer… the “pray harder”… or  “it takes time”… or “just have faith” solutions.    Do we share our own struggles with our faith… and give other people the space and time they need to question theirs… to build a strong foundation?    Do we offer “basic”  Bible classes for those who have no familiarity with the Bible… and no familiarity with the Christian jargon the we use daily?    Do have people who can serve as mentors… big brothers to those who are new… new visitors… new members… to ease their transition into the church?    How can we do this as a church? 

Remember the dirt that is full of weeds and thorns… the people whose schedules are so full that they have no time for issues of faith… no time for church… no time for mission… no time for Bible study… no time for fellowship with other Christians?    How does our church do to reach out to those who are trapped in the rat race… who are on the treadmill of life… tired… exhausted… but committed to running after all the material possessions… the leisure activities… that life offers… at the sacrifice of self and soul?    One way for the church to minister to these is for us to share of the talents we have with those around us… in church and in our community… so that those who love to cook, for example, provide meals for those who have no time… so that those who love to shop buy for those who are unable to do so… so that those who love youth provide opportunities for youth whose parents are absent… in love… without judgment.    Another way is to schedule church events at “non-traditional” times…or to provide faith-based support services to those who participate in non-church activities.  Still another is to develop faith partners… in order to hold each other accountable for spiritual development… or just daily time with God.    How can we do these things as a church? 

So, don’t go home today to examine your own life and how you, as an individual, need to change in order to become better soil for the seed of the word of God to grow.  Instead, go home and think about how we, as a church, need to change in order to meet the needs of those who want to become better soil for the seed of the word of God to grow.    For, as we look at who we are as a church and what we believe God is calling us to do and to be as a church in Stephenville, Texas, the answer, I believe, lies in our collective concern for others… not in our focus upon ourselves.   That is where our ministry practices lie… right in the path of human need.  Amen.

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Jeremiah 5:19-23