October 28, 2004.

I am back in Sunday School and at Wednesday night BS and prayer. This past Sunday was Evangelism Sunday in the Sunday School year, where the gospel is presented for any newcomers or visitors. Susan Files's small group in Adult 4 had no visitors, but it was a good lesson.

Overseeding with The Sower

Luke 8: The Parable of the Sower
4 While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:
5 "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.
6 "Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.
7 "Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.
8 "Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." ...
11 "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.
12 "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
13 "Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.
14 "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.
15 "But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop."

A couple of Wednesdays ago a home health nurse was filling out an intake form on me; my "psychosocial outlook," (I think it was) blood pressure, appetite--she got to "religion;"

Oh, I said. Baptist. You wanna hear about Jesus? I asked.

No, she replied.

And without much thought--the abruptness of that reply as much told me that she was rocky soil, thorny ground for The Message--I let it go.

In that instant I joined the army of discriminating sowers. I saw the thorns, the rocky soil, the well-trod footpath and said to myself, "Ah, nothing'll grow there."

I've known people who go to malls Sunday afternoons to hand out tracts and witness.

I've marveled at our church's Jr. High students who canvass neighborhoods and share the gospel at every doorstep.

Jesus' Sower sowed--everywhere, willing to allow the seed to take root anywhere. That was his job, sowing.

That was the point of the parable of the Sower that was new to me. The good news is meant to be flung like rye grass seed in October, disregarding hungry birds, the fact that it doesn't look like rain, that the ground is hard and dead-looking.

I won't discourage silent witnessing, doing your job, always having a smile, trying to appear different in a Godly way, or cultivating relationships to one day witness to someone.

But this parable spoke to me, simply and clearly: it's okay to fling that gospel--be a sower!

--Gary Ricker