The Fruitfulness of the Word

How does it happen? ...a good sermon?

Today is the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost.

Maybe you’ll head to a gathering of the Church today in some localized expression near you. (I encourage you to!)

Hopefully, this gathering will feature a presentation of the Word. Sadly, some do not. Even in those many situations that will have a sermon or homily, it will be judged on its intellectual tickle-factor, wittiness, or aesthetic appeal (Presentation! Powerpoint! Props!). Jesus doesn’t say much about the craft of preaching in the gospels—certainly not about how grand or appealing it should be. He mostly simply says that the Word will be preached.

In our passage for today, it actually doesn’t even mention what we have come to know in the Church as preaching. But it does assume the hearing of the Word. That could come from preaching. But it could be other forms of sharing the Word. (What might those be?)

Regardless, the onus for success of the Word’s implantation doesn’t seem to be on the deliverer (other than actually sharing the Word, which is, indeed, pretty important). Rather, the onus for the fruitfulness of the Word is upon the context for reception. It’s not that Jesus says not to plant the Word in particular places. Quite the opposite: the Word is shared freely, liberally, and perhaps even a bit messily. (There’s apparently plenty of the Word-seed to go around.)

Instead, fruit is borne at the place of reception. This is a call to each of us who receive the Word today and every day. May we place our hearts and lives in contexts of life that are conducive to the Word’s implantation and growth.

Matthew 13:1-23

That day Jesus went out of the house and sat down beside the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he climbed into a boat and sat down. The whole crowd was standing on the shore.

He said many things to them in parables: “A farmer went out to scatter seed. As he was scattering seed, some fell on the path, and birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground where the soil was shallow. They sprouted immediately because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, it scorched the plants, and they dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorny plants. The thorny plants grew and choked them. Other seed fell on good soil and bore fruit, in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one. Everyone who has ears should pay attention.”

Jesus’ disciples came and said to him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?”

Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t really see; and although they hear, they don’t really hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become completely true for them:

You will hear, to be sure, but never understand; and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing. For this people’s senses have become calloused, and they’ve become hard of hearing, and they’ve shut their eyes so that they won’t see with their eyes or hear with their ears or understand with their minds, and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them.

“Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.

“Consider then the parable of the farmer. Whenever people hear the word about the kingdom and don’t understand it, the evil one comes and carries off what was planted in their hearts. This is the seed that was sown on the path. As for the seed that was spread on rocky ground, this refers to people who hear the word and immediately receive it joyfully. Because they have no roots, they last for only a little while. When they experience distress or abuse because of the word, they immediately fall away. As for the seed that was spread among thorny plants, this refers to those who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the false appeal of wealth choke the word, and it bears no fruit. As for what was planted on good soil, this refers to those who hear and understand, and bear fruit and produce—in one case a yield of one hundred to one, in another case a yield of sixty to one, and in another case a yield of thirty to one.”

Psalm 1:1-3 (The Message)

How well God must like you—
you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,
you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,
you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.

Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night. You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month, never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.

Prayer

God,
Prepare my heart to receive your Word today. Still the noise within me and hush the distractions around me. Let the sermon I hear not be a performance or a lecture, but your voice breaking through with challenge, grace, correction, and hope.

Open my ears to truly hear, my mind to understand, my heart to embrace, and my life to be transformed. Let me not be a passive listener but a fertile field, ready for seeds to take root, grow deep, and bear fruit that blesses others.

Whether the preacher is eloquent or faltering, long-winded or brief, may I listen for you above all.

By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.