WASTEFUL GOD

Dr. Richard J. Henderson July 13, 2008

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Psalm 119:105-112 (responsive)
Matthew 13:1-9

Introduction

This is a well-loved parable of Jesus. You've probably heard it before; it was in our New Testament reading just about a month ago. Maybe you've heard a sermon on it. The sermon probably went something like this: God sows the seed and some of us are like the seed that falls on the hard path. It doesn't even sprout before the birds come and eat it. Some of us are like the seeds that fell on the rocky ground. We sprout up quickly, but we don't have deep roots so we wither as soon as the hot sun beats down on us. Some of us are like the seed that fell in the thorns. We mean well and take our faith seriously, but then the temptations of the world come along and choke out our weak faith. We must be like the seed that fell on the good soil; it grew strong and produced 30, or 60, or 100 fold. Be like the seed that fell on good soil. Amen.

That is a true and valid understanding of the parable, and one that is helpful to a lot of us. As pastors we see each of these kinds of faith in our ministry.

There is a problem with this interpretation of the parable though (you might have guessed that already). This interpretation makes the parable about us, how we should act and react. But I think really the parable is about God. What kind of a God do we believe in? How does God act toward us? I'd like you to look at this parable from a different angle.

I

A farmer went out to sow seed. Right away you begin to wonder, what kind of farmer is this? Does he carefully prepare the soil, tilling it, turning it over and getting out all the weeds? Does he make neat, careful rows, and then carefully plant each seed in the soil - one inch deep and eight inches apart? Does he cover the seed and protect it? NO!

This reckless farmer is out throwing seeds all over the place. He is so careless with the seed that he throws it in places where it could never grow. Some of it lands on the hard, pressed down dirt of the highway. Some of it flies off to the rocky ground. Some is even thrown in the thorn patch where, even if it could grow, he'd have a hard time harvesting it. What was he thinking? Since the seed is just thrown around and not covered up, the birds come and eat a bunch of it. Here is the farmer out in his field acting like a kid, just flinging seeds in every direction. He's not careful at all about where it goes. What a waste!

II

I was brought up to be very careful and not waste anything. I find myself taking the paperclips off of papers before I throw them away. I will reach down and pick up a rubber band on the ground, all the time telling myself that I can buy a large package of these for about a dollar. But I can't help it.

Maybe it's genetic. When I was in my teens we cleaned out my aunt's house after she died. She had huge piles of newspaper that she saved in the basement - and this was before recycling.

I remember a large ball of string that she made by saving small pieces of string and wrapping them together. One closet was stacked with bags she saved. She didn't waste anything. We kids laughed at all the useless stuff she saved.

But today I realize that a lot of that rubbed off on me. I don't save string, but I'm very careful, and I try not to waste anything. Sheila laughs at me sometimes for the containers I save just because it seems like there should be some good way to reuse them.

III

Apparently God isn't so careful. Jesus talks about throwing seed everywhere. God gives us more than we need. God is extravagant.

One preacher has talked about God's extravagance in the Bible. Think about it. Few people ever read the Bible all the way through, and nobody understands the entire Bible. God just gave us too much. We could spend our whole lives reading it and studying it, and we still wouldn't be able to understand all of it. Even the greatest scholars don't understand everything in the Bible. God gave us too much. And God keeps on doing that!

Look at God's creation. God didn't just make one kind of animal; there are hundreds, if not thousands, of different kinds. God didn't create just one kind of bird; there are so many that it takes a large book to show just the ones that live in our area.

God didn't create just one star, but a sky full of them; not just one universe but many. What a creation. No cutting back or being cautious here. What extravagance!

IV

Apparently, God has a different set of values when it comes to giving to us - not efficiency, not a cautious tight fist, but extravagance. Our God is a God who throws seed wildly, spreading more than is needed, wastefully scattering it everywhere.

A woman knew that her calling was nursing. She got her degree from Johns Hopkins University, and then she got a graduate degree from Duke University. She did so well there that they asked her to stay and teach. Then in her fifties she left that job to work in an inner city health center, volunteering to help those who suffered with AIDS. A man who knew her, commented to one of her friends that he admired so much the work she did and the way she was using her gifts. He was surprised when the friend shot back, "Frankly, I consider it a waste. When I think of the good she could be doing and the brilliant career she tossed away, I think it's sad, not inspiring." Is that a waste?

A highly educated pastor was appointed to a small, rural church. It had a hundred members, but because a lot of them were older, only about twenty showed up at worship on Sunday. A new young couple moved into town. (That was an unusual experience.) They visited the church, and the pastor went to call on them.

During their conversation the husband said, "I can't believe that somebody with your training and abilities has been sent to a tiny church like this. Is this your only job, to care for just these people?" The pastor reacted defensively and began to tell about his duties. The man interrupted him, "No, I think this is wonderful. I went to a high school with 4000 students where no teacher even knew my name. I went to a college with 10,000 students, and no professor ever had a conversation with me. I work for a corporation with 20,000 employees, and I'm just one cog in the machine. This church could be one of the best things that has ever happened to us!"

A man gets a phone call at work and rushes from his office. He leaves in the middle of a project, with piles of papers on his desk. He is a big brother and the young person he works with has called him in need. He spends the rest of the afternoon, into the evening, talking with this young student.

Part of this parable's message is about God's extravagant goodness to us. God throws seeds everywhere.

Conclusion

There is a poster that has these words on it, "Who plants a seed, trusts God". The picture on that poster is not a farmer planting seeds in the rich soil of his open field, but a grubby kid from the tenements, pressing down a seed into the dirt outside his concrete window sill.

God is a God who denies efficiency and caution, and who throws seed everywhere. God isn't cautious or stingy but wastes time and effort, and even his son, on you and me. We can accept the extravagance of God.

Amen

© Richard J. Henderson 2008