Hebrews 4:9–13
St. Luke 8:4–15
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Christianity is the only religion in the world with a command to do nothing: Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. And what does “Sabbath” mean? Rest. It was named for the day when God rested from His work of creation, but more importantly named for what God’s people do on this day: they rest. They don’t work for themselves. They do nothing.
But this rest is not merely a vacation. It has a purpose. The Day of Rest is the Day of Worship. God’s people do nothing so that they can be free to receive God’s gifts. They stop working so that God can work for them. The Small Catechism explains the Third Commandment this way: We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. So, rest from your work. For one day, stop the busyness. This frees you up to hear God’s Word and receive His Work. The Sabbath Day is God’s gift for you. Going to Church is God’s gift for you. Church is not for God. It’s where He speaks to you, heals you, and feeds you. Stop working. Your God wants to serve you—that’s why we call this thing on Sunday morning the Divine Service.
However, while the Divine Service and Day of Rest are gifts for us, the Third Commandment should also convict us of sin. We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word. But we do despise them. There are many ways people can despise preaching and God’s Word, as Jesus’ parable of the Sower tells us.
The Sower sows His seed, and the seed is God’s Word. Some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it… The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Some people let the Word of God fall in their midst, but then ignore it. They shrug it off, thinking they’ve heard all that before, it’s nothing new, or it doesn’t apply to their lives. They trample the Word of God and take no notice of it. And when they’re not looking, the Devil comes and snatches it away. They might even think they have God’s Word, but because they don’t pay attention to it, they don’t notice that the Devil plays a slight–of–hand and has replaced God’s Word with lies.
Another group: Some of the seed fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture… The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the Word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. These might be called “fair weather Christians.” They think God’s Word is a good thing, and so they know they should show up at church for important stuff, like Christmas and Easter, Baptisms and funerals. They hear God’s Word once in a while and notice how good it can make them feel. But then when it doesn’t make them feel good, or when they’re suffering, they don’t look for answers in God’s Word. Instead they question God’s goodness. They get angry with Him and don’t listen to His promises. They look for answers in other places and try to fix their problems with their own ideas.
A third bunch of seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it… They are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. Weeds grow quickly, but we don’t always notice them right away. We put off weeding the garden until one day we are shocked to see it is overrun. People do the same thing with the Word of God: they hear it and believe it, but then go on with all the other stuff in their lives and don’t pay attention to how all that is crowding out God’s Word. They are concerned with the cares of this life: they would never dream of missing a doctor’s appointment, but they don’t worry about missing Bible study or church. They are concerned with riches: even if they don’t have that much of them. They care more about their jobs or savings then they do about investing time with God’s Word. They are concerned with the pleasures of life: yes, people are concerned about them—vacations, sports, clubs—these aren’t just fun, these are things people sacrifice for, even sacrificing time with God’s Word. If all this other stuff gets out of control, then faith is not nourished, fruit does not mature, and we can be choked to death by our own desires.
This parable of Jesus is actually pretty scary. The majority of the people hearing God’s Word (three out of four groups) don’t believe it and don’t bear the fruit of faith. And don’t think to yourself, “I came out to church today (even in pretty nasty weather). That must mean I’m a better Christian than others. I don’t have to worry about this sin of despising God’s Word.” I’m sure we can all see ourselves in at least one of these groups at some point in our lives. The first point of this parable is that we can lose God’s Word. Salvation is not something that can be assumed. The Sower scatters His seed to all, but it is a very precious thing, and it cannot be taken for granted.
Now if we recognize this danger, if we recognize the ways in which we do despise preaching and God’s Word, then we also recognize how much we need it. We need God’s Word like a sick man needs medicine. We need God’s Word like a starving man needs food. And when a sick man is given the cure, he is glad to receive it. When a starving man is given bread, he joyfully wolfs it down. When we understand our desperate need for God’s Word in our lives and how badly things can go without it, then we are happy that we get to go hear and learn it.
We get to go to church! We get to hear Jesus speaking to us through His Scriptures and His called servants. We get to eat His body and drink His blood. How could we ever dread this or think of it as unnecessary? When we recognize what God’s Word does for us, we should be willing to run a hundred miles for it or cancel our appointments just to hear it. There is absolutely nothing more precious than the forgiveness, life, and rest that Jesus gives us in His Word.
And that’s right, Jesus gives us rest. The answer for how to be the soil that bears fruit a hundredfold, is not to work harder. Your job as a Christian is not to be a better person or create a more purposeful life. God’s command for you as a Christian is to stop working. Stop your running after the works and worries of this life. Even working for the good things of this world, like family, job, and fun, even that work can end up producing thorns. So, if you hear His Word, stop working, and the Lord’s Word will work. The Lord provides for what we most need with His Word. What we need more than bread or money or good grades or extracurricular activities or a good job or a retirement account, what we need more than all that is the forgiveness, life, and rest that only comes from our Lord. And He doesn’t make it hard to find.
Here’s the second point of Jesus’ parable: He scatters the Seed of His Word everywhere. He has mercy on all—on the good and the bad, on those ones who hear and those who refuse to listen. He is generous, even what we might call wasteful with His Word, because it is never a waste to Him. It is His precious medicine and food that all sinners so desperately need.
And one more point: the Seed is always good. It is not always received or given a chance, but there is nothing wrong with the Seed. We cannot improve God’s Word, or make it more appealing, or make it easier to listen to. We cannot make God’s Word more successful. The Word is what it is, and the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword. It shows us our need and it gives us the answer. As God said, My Word shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it (Is. 55). Our Lord and His Word do the work. He speaks and creates faith and gives the growth.
And we are able then to enter the Sabbath rest for the people of God. Just as our Lord Jesus accomplished all the work of salvation on the cross, so also, He does all the work of giving each of us that salvation through His Holy Word and Sacraments. And what remains for us to do? Stop working. Rest. The Lord’s Day is the Day of Rest—the Day that the Lord serves us and cures us and feeds us. He does His Divine Service for us by speaking His Word of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Free gifts, free food, free life everlasting. So let us strive to attend His Service. Let us strive to enter that rest. Let us fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.
In the Holy + Name of Jesus. Amen.
Artwork Copyright (c) 2010 Edward Riojas. Used by permission.
