There is a part of
all of us that loves rules and regulations, we like to know what to believe so
that we feel like we belong. All gatherings
of featherless bipeds (humans) have guidelines that govern our
interactions. Not all the rules are
clearly written, but rather are communicated through furrowed brows and frownie
faces and disapproving “tsk-tsk” uttered in ways that shame us. Jesus’ disciples are following Jesus,
suddenly their stomachs start to rumble and grumble, seeing some wheat (which I
have never ever eaten fresh/raw wheat ~ how hungry were the disciples!?!), they
pluck that wheat and start to munch on it.
When suddenly the Pharisees (who must have been camouflaged and hiding
behind a nearby tree spying ~ waiting, just waiting, for the disciples to mess
up), they jump out and say, “Gotcha! Drop the wheat and step away from that
stalk nice and slow.” Really? But then I wonder, how often is my radar just
waiting for someone in my life, especially someone I don’t really trust, to
step out of line? How often do our
unwritten rules and regulations at the church “tsk-tsk” someone? Jesus says the Sabbath, resting in God, is a
gift ~ not a prize to be earned because we are so holy or deserve a break. Or another way to say that grace is freely
given, not some badge sown onto our Christian sash we wear around. I encourage you to pay attention to some of
the rules and regulations ~ especially in your family or around our
church.
Chapter 12 has
this fascinating story of the Pharisees accusing Jesus of being Beelzebul or
possessed by a demon. As humans we
love to define each other, we love to have boxes to check that
categorize and compartmentalize so we can sort you into the proper bin for
shipping. Jesus breaks down the logic and
points out how divided we can be. The
truth is that there are many different “yous” that exist within you. There are parts of yourself that come to the
surface when you are around family, perhaps another “you” at work or where you
volunteer, and perhaps still another “you” that comes to church on Sundays. To be sure there can be threads and
throughlines that tie and tether together all the ways you show up and speak
up. And we can feel divided. Hold this image. Matthew builds on his overflowing basket of
metaphors as Jesus talks about good fruit, where is there good fruit in
your life? Or put another way,
where do you feel most alive right now?
Jesus quickly moves on to talking about Jonah, a prophet sent to the
enemies of God’s people and whose one sentence lame sermon causes a revival of
repentance that changes hearts (I have some Jonah envy!). In August, we talked about Jonah being
swallowed up and spit out by the whale, which is a powerful image and metaphor
to return to today. Finally, chapter 12
wraps up with Matthew talking about who are our siblings and family. Quick note that this can feel like sandpaper
to our souls, especially if we enjoy a healthy relationship with family. However, for those who have been kicked out
of families, silenced or sidelined because of who the person loves, this passage
opens space. Moreover, remember that
Matthew is written to early followers of the Way of Jesus who had perhaps been
kicked out of the Jewish faith or disowned by their family for saying Jesus was
the Messiah. There might have been
heartbreak and soul ache, and we still feel that weight when we read these
words centuries later.
I encourage you to
read Chapter 13 slowly, pondering how are all four types of soil in your
soul? Where do you feel like the seeds
of your faith are being gobbled up?
Where do you feel your faith is on rocky ground or amid thorns? And where is there good fruit (notice how
this echoes Chapter 12 where Jesus talked about good fruit). Let this parable sink and settle and sing to
the soil of your soul this day. And if
you finish, and still have time, feel free to ponder prayerfully where there is
good soil in our church, community, and world ~ where does the soil feel rough
and rocky? Notice that both
exist within us and around us. Amen.
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