With Wild Abandon (Mark 4:1 – 20)

Listen.

Jesus is about to tell a parable.

Jesus is about to tell a riddle.

You'll need to listen

You'll need to listen because it's not often that he explains.

It's not often that he defines.

It's not often that he makes it simple, so:

Listen!

A sower went out to sow.  That is what sowers do. They sow.

And as he sowed with wild abandon

(Tossing seeds left and right, right and left):

Some seeds fell on the edge of the path, where the people would walk.

Years of heavy feet and heavier carts had crushed the earth

Hardened the earth, leaving it impenetrable.

The seeds that fell on the path could not embed themselves in the soil

Could not pull the earth up over their heads

And so, were carried off by hungry birds.

Other seeds fell on patches of rock – the sower was, after all, sowing with abandon

And these rocks were everywhere.

Oh, the farmer, I suppose, could have spent days and days and days and days

Removing the rocks from his field,

But he could never be sure he'd gotten them all,

(and there would be more again next year)

    But he would have lost those precious days at the start of the season for sowing.

So he tossed the seed with wild abandon and some fell on rocky soil.

These seeds falling on rocky soil found some little earth and sprang up quickly

(Early signs point to an abundant harvest the forecasters declared).

But when the scorching summer sun came out, these shallow rooted plants withered.  They withered in the heat.  Whether you like it or not the weather did them in.

Other seeds fell among thorns.  Sharp jagged piercing pointed bloody toothy thorns.

The precious wheat grew up but before it could mature it was choked

Strangled and throttled by the thorns. 

Asphyxiated by its cruel neighbors.

So much seed thrown away.

So much seed tossed with wild abandon, like caution thrown to the wind.

So much wasted

But this was typical Mediterranean farming.

The sower sowed with heedless abandon,

Knowing that the relatively inexpensive seed would (by the grace and goodness of God)

grow up to produce a crop.

The sower sowed his seed throwing left and throwing right.

Some fell on the path, some fell on the rocks, some fell in the thorns.

But some seed (and this is the good stuff, so Listen) some seed

Fell on good soil.  Rich soil. Noble souled soil.

And where a typical Mediterranean farmer

Might expect (in a good year without drought or flood) to reap a five to ten fold harvest,

This sower (who threw caution and seed to the wind) reaped

Thirty

Sixty

One Hundred fold – an exaggeration, to be sure, hyperbole to make sure we're listening!

The unexpected punch-line to catch us in an exuberant a-ha!

Listen.  Anyone who has ears should listen.

Later the disciples came to Jesus and asked him,

"Why do you speak to them like that;

Parables and riddles and all? Why not speak clearly?"

Jesus told them "It's been given to you to understand.

You've accepted the word that you've heard.

But them?

They're just like the prophet Isaiah said.

"They could listen, and listen,

And by listening they could understand,

And by understanding they could be changed.

"They could look and look,

And by looking they could see,

And by seeing they could be healed by me.

"But their hearts have grown hard and calloused. 

Stony hearted Pharaohs of their own fates!

"But blessed are your eyes because they see.

And blessed are your ears because they hear.

The saint and patriarchs and prophets of old dreamed of seeing what you see

And hearing what you hear;

And they went to their graves without it.

"So pay attention to the parable of the sower.

Listen because I'm only going to say this once.

Listen because I don't often explain these parables;

Because I don't often answer these riddles.

"When anyone hears the words of the Kingdom without bothering to understand;

Without bothering to try, without wrestling through the night like Jacob with the words,

When anyone hears the words of the Kingdom without understanding

The Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart.

(These are, if you haven't figured it out, the seeds sown on the path.)

"The seed thrown into rocky ground is someone who hears and

Thinking she has got it all,

Thinking that he has received enlightenment from that little seed

Welcomes it with great joy and celebration – praise Gawd!

"But, let me tell you, this person has no root, and does not last.

Trials will come or some persecution on account of the Word

And he falls. She falls. They all fall down.

"The seeds thrown among the thorns are received by those who hear it

And accept it, but their acceptance, their faith is choked by worry.

The worry of the world and the lure of riches (and aren't those really the same thing?)

Chokes the life out of them.

"But the seeds falling on good soil (and this is the good part, so pay attention)

The good soil - Rich soil - Noble souled soil;

Produced a bountiful harvest – thirty times, sixty times, one-hundred times larger than what was sown."

Do you get it? Do you understand?

Did you listen? And did you hear?

The mysteries of the kingdom – secret until now – have been given to us;

Thrown with wild abandon by the heedless sower of seeds.

The secrets have been revealed, the mysteries have been unveiled.

The curtain has been pulled away, torn in two from the top to the bottom.

The words of the Kingdom have fallen in your hearts,

Your good soil,

Your rich soil,

Your noble souled soil and you have received the seeds.

Listen and listen so that you can understand.

Look and look so that you can perceive the truth.

And be changed, and be healed, so that you can grow up in the Unshakeable Kingdom

Producing a crop, yielding a bountiful harvest through your perseverance.