Sermon: Proper 13 RCL A - "Is He safe?"

Genesis 32:22-31

The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." So he said to him, "What is your name?" And he said, "Jacob." Then the man said, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked him, "Please tell me your name." But he said, "Why is it that you ask my name?" And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved." The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

The preacher had a fiery sermon lined up for his congregation… the topic, “SIN”… prior to the service he put on his lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform.. shouting out “Sinner”.. naming the sins of his congregation.. the more worked up he got the more he jerked the mike cord as he went…. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again. After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

It would seem that “sin” is a favorite topic of many preachers.. how we go on and on about the evils of this, that and the other… but have you ever had that line from Shakespeare pop into your head while listening to the preacher, “The preacher doth protest too much, methinks!”… We can even add some rather famous names… Jim Bakker… Robert Tilton… Eddie Long… and the list keeps growing… but do you know the difference between these notable preachers and all the rest?  These are the ones that got caught.

Why did they sin in the first place?  Because like everyone else, they had their tests.. their temptations.  And like us all, sometimes they passed and other times they failed epically.  And so as tiresome as it may seem to congregations, it is important to preach on temptation and sin – to understand that there is a great struggle which goes on between what we are called to be – Christlike – and what we are – sinful.  And we are not alone in these interior struggles.. we only need consider the events following Jesus baptism, when he went into the desert for forty days.  And even though we may look at some of the great Christians.. those capital “S” saints that have gone before us – or even contemporary great Christians who simply glow with saintliness.. such as myself – we often forget they also wrestled with temptation and sin…

St. Antony the Great is one of my favorites… He died in the year 356 at the very young age of 105.  It was St. Athanasius who recorded much of Antony’s life.. and in doing so, he wrote about Antony’s struggle with his own demons.. one night as Antony was in his cave in the desert the devil came to him.. “the enemy, who hates good… called together his hounds and burst forth… in the night they made such a din that the whole of that place seemed to be shaken by an earthquake, and the demons as if breaking the four walls of the dwelling seemed to enter through them, coming in the likeness of beasts and creeping things. And the place was on a sudden filled with the forms of lions, bears, leopards, bulls, serpents, asps, scorpions, and wolves, and each of them was moving according to his nature… Antony, stricken and goaded by them, felt bodily pains … but his mind was clear, and as in mockery he said, 'If there had been any power in you, it would have sufficed had one of you come.”.. but these demons still set upon this great saint.. and he wrestled with them.

Although perhaps not so dramatic we all have these interior struggles.  Our prayer is that we might overcome them and so grow stronger in our faith.  When we fail.. we sometimes say that we can’t win.. its who we are, but I love what St. Josemaria has to say about that… “Don’t say, ‘That’s the way I am—its my character.’  Its your lack of character.  Esto vir!—Be a man!”…. So from the Saints on down.. we all wrestle with the devil.. with sin… Our true character is not based on the ferocity of the attack, but instead, it is based on how good of a fight we put up.

What is interesting.. is that not only do we wrestle against the devil, but we also wrestle with God… think on our reading from Genesis today.  Jacob has received his freedom by tricking Laban his father-in-law, but now he has to go and face his twin brother Esau, who he had also tricked out of his birth right, which he apparently wanted so desperately that when they were born, Esau came first, but Jacob came while grabbing his brother’s ankle as though trying to pull him back into his mother’s womb so that he could be born first.  Even his name – Jacob – means “puller of heel”.. meaning, one who will deceive.

The wrestling match he has on the banks of the river is a fascinating story, but also difficult to understand, but we know that he was struggling.. wrestling with God and in the end three things that happened because of struggle… First, God changed his name from Jacob to Israel… second, God put his hip out of joint… and third, God blessed him…

In changing his name God said you are no longer one who pulls the heel.. one who deceives.. you are now one who perseveres with God…. By putting his hip out of joint God says, “I will give you something to remember this night by”… and finally the blessing is a means of God conveying His friendship toward him.

I remember watching the movie The Kingdom of Heaven… the father Balian is a knight fighting the crusades.. he knows that he has a son, but the son is unaware, thinking that he is only a blacksmith.  The movie goes on and the son learns of his father and follows him.  As the father is soon to die, he calls his son in who kneels before him.. The father says to him, “Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; that is your oath.".. then the father slaps him hard across the face saying, “And that is so you don't forget it. Rise a knight.”… He changed his son from a blacksmith to a knight and gave him a slap across the face so he wouldn’t forget it… a very tender moment, but God did the same with Jacob.

And God works with us in similar ways… however, what makes wrestling with God so different from wrestling with the devil is that what God is trying to get us to become is so contrary to human nature. God says love your enemies and pray for those who hate you and human nature says kill ‘em all and let God sort ‘em out!  Human nature says do whatever feels good and God says take up your cross and follow me… Human nature says its all about me and God says die to self…. It is a struggle this wrestling with God.. because it so often goes against everything we want…. And not only that, it might just be dangerous.  God might change your name.. he might put your hip out of joint.. He just might make you someone completely different – and for some of you that’s not a bad idea!

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.. that great classic by CS Lewis demonstrates to us that this struggle with God is neither tidy nor tame, but it is worthwhile..  Two children, Susan and Lucy ask Mr. and Mrs. Beaver to describe Aslan – the Christ figure in the story.  They ask if Aslan is a man. Mr. Beaver replies… "Aslan a man? Certainly not. I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-beyond-the Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion-- the Lion, the great Lion."… "Ooh!" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he--quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion." … “That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver, "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."… "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy…. "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about being safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."… this story and Jacob’s remind us that God is very good.. just not altogether safe… After all.. He is the King.. He is God

So.. Yes.. it might just be dangerous to wrestle with God – he might change your name or put your hip out of joint– but it is worth it, because in the end.. there is the blessing.  The blessing of God Almighty.. and that is worth life itself.

We often speak of wrestling with sin.. the demons that want to draw us from God.. to drag us into hell with them… Wrestling with the devil has for its outcome the destination of the soul.. our salvation… however, wrestling with God is not about our salvation.. it is about our transformation.  It is about becoming that person God knows you can become.. and wants for you to become.. It is about becoming holy, as He is holy.

Let us pray… O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Who, by the will of the Father, with the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, have by Your death given life to the world, deliver us by Your Most Sacred Body and Blood from all sins and from every evil. Make us always cling to Your commandments, and never permit us to be separated from You. Who with the same God the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign, God, world without end. Amen.

Blah Blah Blah... etc. etc. etc.

Article for the local papers.

The story is told that at the Monastery of St. George the Abbot was blessed with monks who did not have beautiful voices. The annual pilgrimage on the feast day of St. George was not very impressive with the rather awful sounds coming from the choir. So the Abbot called together all the monks and said, "Look, this year I am going to invite the famous choir from the cathedral for the feast." Word went out and thousands of people came to the Monastery of St. George for the feast day, and it was a glorious event. The famous choir from the cathedral was in superb form and used its best voices. The Abbot was thrilled and even the humble monks who were not allowed to sing that day were thrilled. Following the day's festivities the monks went off to sleep, and the Abbot was soon sound asleep after all the excitement of the day. While he was sleeping, St. George came to him and said, "Father, I think you missed my feast day! Today is my feast day and here you are, you didn't do anything. Have I not blessed you this past year?" And the Abbot said, "O, Saint George, I do not know where you were, but we had a glorious feast today. How could you not be here?" St. George said, "I was in the church and I saw a great multitude of people, but I heard nothing."

So often we think to truly pray that we must fill the air with flowering flowing words, replete with “Thou”s and “Thee”s. Like the Abbot who believed he needed a professional choir, we mistakenly believe that unless our prayers are similarly professional, then they will likely go unheard. But was it not the woman at the temple who only put two small copper coins into the offering that Jesus praised, compared to those who gave so much more lavishly? (cf. Mark 12:41-44) The same is true with our prayer. Our prayers do not need to be lavish and loquacious multi-syllabic monologues (aka: boring and tedious as all heck), they need only be sincere - all that we have and are.

Still don’t know how to pray? Consider the words of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei, “Put yourself in the presence of God, and as soon as you have said, ‘Lord, I don’t know how to pray!’ you can be sure you’ve already begun.”

Sermon: Proper 12 RCL A - "The Kingdom of Heaven is..."

Matthew 13:31-33,44-52

Jesus put before the crowds another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches."

He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened."

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.

"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

"Have you understood all this?" They answered, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old."

A mosquito is flying, looking for some flesh to draw some nourishing blood from. He spots an animal, a man, high on a pole. He lands on the man’s arm, inserts his syringe, after he is sated he roughly withdraws and flies away.

The electrician, anxious to finish work, decides not to wait for the “cherry picker”, instead uses the ladder that he had with him. Whilst at the top of the electric pylon he was pierced by a mosquito and quickly moved to swat it, missing.

However.. the sudden movement, by the electrician, caused him to lose balance on the ladder. He dropped to the ground and the ladder fell against the wires causing a short, creating a black out across the whole district.

In the zipper factory, it suddenly went dark and the machinery stopped. The owner immediately knew that for him, it would be a complete disaster. He had too quickly accepted his first big order; he had already had to put all his staff on extended overtime and to save on cost had not yet put in a generator. Now, he knew, he would have to tell, the customer, that he would not be able to complete the order in time for tomorrow’s shipment. He could only hope that next weeks shipment would be alright.

The CEO of the trouser factory was livid. He should have known, not to trust, that new zipper maker, yet he had to cut costs to remain competitive. He could not afford to have the workers, on that particular line, stand idle with pay for one week.. so he decided to make them stay at home for a week.

A section, of the trade union, did not agree with the production line closing for a week and so picketed the factories entrance. There was trouble at the picket line and some people were injured. Management blamed the union and the union blamed management. A full strike at the factory followed.

It was approaching the height of the sales season, for clothing. On hearing of the labor dispute customers cancelled their orders and renewed them with trouble free factories.

In the small town, the main employment was the clothing factory. Without that, there was nothing to hold the people there. People left in droves; trying to find somewhere they could find employment.

And so.. the town became a “Ghost Town” because one mosquito, two thousand miles away, was hungry. (Used by permission from http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Butterfly-Effect-A-Laymans-View.  Thanks Rafken!)

According to Wikipedia on the internet… “In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. For example, the presence or absence of a butterfly flapping its wings could lead to creation or absence of a hurricane”… or where a mosquito can turn a thriving community into a ghost town.

It may be that God works through what we consider chaos theory.. but there can be no doubt that His plan is infinitely well conceived… As the Psalmist declared, “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be,” but it all begins – not in the grand and glorious productions of say a Harry Potter premier, but in the simple. .the quiet.. and the very small.

In 1923, two brothers set up a production company in their uncle’s garage making cartoons.  Their first original character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  They had their ups and downs, but eventually came up with a cartoon character named “Mickey.”  Of course the two brothers were Walt and Roy Disney.  The Walt Disney Company is now involved in all sorts of media.. print, television, online.. you name it.  In 2010 – they weren’t operating out of someone’s garage – the company had $38 Billion in revenue and was worth about $69 Billion… However, before he died Walt Disney said, “I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.” 

Today.. Jesus told us five short parables.. all beginning with the words.. “the kingdom of Heaven is like a ___..”  He completed those five sentences with a mustard seed, leaven/yeast, a treasure in a field, a pearl, and finally a great catch of fish.  What he doesn’t do – like in the parables of the last few weeks – is explain them.  Instead he asks, “Have you understood this?”.. The people who were there answered, “Yes,” but have you?  Just to make sure… let’s review..

The Kingdom of Heaven is like one of the smallest seeds – the mustard seed – It seems insignificant at first, yet over time it grows into a large tree making room for many birds.  In the time of Jesus, the Jews thought that this tree – the Kingdom of Heaven – was only for Jews, but Jesus is saying there is room in God’s Kingdom for all people.. Jews and Gentiles alike… So, through Christ the Kingdom of Heaven has been greatly expanded…. Yet.. like leaven, this expansion goes on unseen.  It is not like a kingdom expanding through the conquering of lands and peoples.. it is expanding not in the physical world, but in the spiritual – in the hearts of people, but it does grow.. and it grows significantly.

Some – like the man who found the treasure in the field – find the Kingdom of Heaven unexpectedly.  They are going about their daily business and encounter God, while others are searching for truth – as a man searching for the finest of pearls, but in either case, whether unexpectedly or by searching, when they find the Kingdom of Heaven.. when they find the Truth, they will give up all that they have for it, so that they might possess it for themselves.

But not everyone who “thinks” they have found the Kingdom of Heaven has actually found it.  In the time of Jesus they used seines to fish with.  So everything in the path of the net was caught.  At the end of the day the fishermen would go through all that was caught and keep only the good fish, casting out all that was not fit to eat.  Some think they have found the gold – the treasure in the field – but it turns out to be fools gold.. not worth anything.

The Kingdom of Heaven has grown throughout the world and throughout history and even today, many have given everything they possess in order to have it – including their very lives… but it began, very small – not with a mosquito, a mouse, or a mustard seed.. but it did begin with a young girl living in the Judean countryside.. It began with her, “Yes” to God… “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

We look at the world around us.. we see the leaders of the world.. or the Rupert Murdoch’s.. and we mistakenly believe that by comparison, we can’t make a difference because we are so small in the Kingdom of Heaven... What St. Josemaria said is correct, “Don’t be a fool!  It’s true that at most you play the part of a small bolt in that great undertaking of Christ’s.”… I’m sure that doesn’t do any of our egos much good to be compared to a bolt, but I like what Josemaria goes on to say, “But do you know what happens when a bolt is not tight enough or when it works itself out of place?  Bigger parts also work loose or gears are damaged or broken.  The whole work is slowed up.  Perhaps the whole machine will be rendered useless.  What a big thing it is to be a little bolt!”

… Robert and Hillary live in South Carolina and are summer time residents of Philipsburg, but for these past few summers they have not been able to come out because Hillary’s cancer has come back with a vengeance.  About a week ago we sent her one of the prayer shawls that Pat Searle (a member of St. Mary’s) and some of the other ladies make to comfort those during difficult times.  Hillary received her shawl on Thursday and called me that evening to thank me for sending it.  She had seen ladies making them in the past, but had never seen one completed.  The yarn.. the colors were so soft.. it was beautiful.  She couldn’t thank me enough for thinking to send her one, but especially for the ladies who made it… She said that the rooms where she receives her chemotherapy are always so cold because of the necessity of keeping the equipment cool, so she is always freezing when she goes.. but not anymore.. from now on she will take her shawl and the prayers that went into it with her and be wrapped in the warmth of both.  Pat Searle is a little bolt that has grown the Kingdom of Heaven immensely. 

Whatever analogy you want to use.. a mosquito.. a mouse.. a young girl.. a bolt.. a mustard seed… the message is the same… The Kingdom of Heaven… the Kingdom of Heaven is like you.  It is like you.. and it will continue to grow and increase as you faithfully continue serving Jesus in ways both great.. and small.

Let us pray.  O God, you granted countless graces to the saints who have gone before us, choosing them as most faithful instruments  to show the way of sanctification through daily work and the fulfillment of the ordinary duties of a Christian. Grant that we also may learn to turn all the circumstances and events of our lives into occasions of loving you and of serving the Church and all souls, with joy and simplicity, lighting up the ways of the earth with brightness of faith and love.  Amen.

Evening Prayer at Granite Ghost Town

Sermon: Proper 11 RCL A - "You, Sir, are a weed!"

Matthew 13:24-30,36-43

Jesus put before the crowd another parable: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, `Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?' He answered, `An enemy has done this.' The slaves said to him, `Then do you want us to go and gather them?' But he replied, `No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'"

Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!"

A Man And His Dog Go to Heaven… A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead…. He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them…. after a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight… When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as He got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side… When he was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?'… This is Heaven, sir, the man answered… Wow! Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked… Of course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up… The man gestured, and the gate began to open… Can my friend, gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked… I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets… The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog… After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence… As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book… Excuse me! he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?... Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in… How about my friend here? the traveler gestured to the dog… There should be a bowl by the pump… They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it… The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog… When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree… What do you call this place?' the traveler asked. … This is Heaven, he answered… Well, that's confusing, the traveler said. The man down the road said that was Heaven, too… Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope… That's hell… Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?... No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.

There is quite a bit of speculating on what heaven will actually be like.. and quite a bit more speculation on who actually gets to go.. but I was wondering… would you let me choose whether or not YOU get to go to heaven? 

When we were younger.. I suppose we all had to endure that humiliating ritual of choosing sides.. especially when it came to sporting events during recess or P.E…. The teacher always chose the captains of the teams and it seemed that the captain was always Mr. Jock and he always had his jockettes that he would choose first.  When the good picking was over.. you knew that he and his buddies were no longer choosing who they wanted on their team.. they were choosing who they would rather be stuck with… if they had their druthers.. they would likely not choose the losers, but force them to sit on the sideline, which they did anyways because there was no way on God’s green earth they intended on jeopardizing the balance of world power which hung on the outcome of this particular bout of dodge ball…

Now perhaps you wouldn’t mind me picking or not picking you for a dodge ball game.. but I ask you again.. would you let me choose whether or not YOU get to go to heaven?... If you are smart.. you will answer that question with a resounding, “NO!”… I am so desperately in need of God’s grace myself that I don’t want anything getting between me and it; however, what I find so curious.. is that we don’t want someone choosing for us, but we are quite often more than willing to choose for others.

In our parable today.. Jesus tells us that he is the sower of the seed and that the seed are the righteous – the children of God.  The weeds that were sown with the good seed are the unrighteous – the children of the father of lies.  And.. on God’s appointed day, He will send his angels to clear the field of weeds and throw them into the fire.

There are days when we mistakenly believe that we are either God or angels… That we have the knowledge.. the right.. and by golly the responsibility to go into that field and pull some weeds, because we know who they are.. and if God’s too busy taking care of other business, then we will happily step in.  Sometimes we step in for what we consider noble reasons… That person is a heretic!  Burn them at the stake.  While at other times.. our reasons aren’t so noble…

Author Stephen Covey tells the time that he was taking the subway through New York City on a nice quiet Sunday afternoon.  There were a few other passengers on the car with him, but not many.. and all were simply enjoying the peace of the day.  However, at the next stop a man and his two sons burst onto the train raising all kinds of ruckus.  The boys ran absolutely wild up and down the car.. screaming.. shouting.. wrestling – destroying the peace of that Sunday afternoon to the letter… I guess Covey thought the father of these two terrorist was a weed that needed pulling.. so after a particularly noisy moment he turned to the father and said, “Sir, perhaps you could restore order here by telling your children to come back and sit down.”…

Have you ever been in that place?  So certain that you were right and the other wrong?  That you could look at someone with all confidence and judge them?  Of course you have.. we all have.  We mistakenly think that we have the infinite knowledge and wisdom of God to make these sorts of snap decisions, but how often are we wrong…

… after Covey told this weed.. to get his children under control the man said, “I know I should do something.  We just came from the hospital.  Their mother died an hour ago.  I just don’t know what to do.”… Covey had not snatched out some weed worthy of the fires of hell… instead he had only further bruised a broken heart that was in desperate need of the love of God.

Consider the fact that Jesus knew all along that Judas Iscariot was going to betray him.  He knew that Judas was a weed among the wheat, but Jesus never through him out… Instead Jesus washed Judas’ feet.. just as he had washed Peter’s.. James’.. John’s.. and all the rest… Judas betrayed Jesus unto death, but Jesus never condemned him, but how many have we renounced for offenses that were trivial by comparison?

In the parable that Jesus tells us today we are neither God nor angels… because we are not God, then we are not the judge… because we are not angels, then we are not the ones who harvest.. who go into the fields and pull the weeds.  Instead.. we are the grain of wheat… and if our work is not to judge or reap, then what is it?  Jesus says, “Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

What is our work?  Jesus said, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”… and again.. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last”… One of the desert fathers said, “If a man settles in a certain place and does not bring forth the fruit of that place, the place itself casts him out, as one who has not borne its fruit.”… which brings to mind a rather unpleasant thought… If we are not producing good fruit… could be.. that WE.. are the weeds?...  Yikes.

Only God chooses who goes to heaven.. and thanks be to God for that!  But we do have a role to play.. and that is to produce good fruit.  The person that you’ve discounted.. cast off.. considered a weed in this world might just need someone – and not just any someone, but you.. you to help them produce the fruit in their own life.  Be brave.. have patience.. and persevere… in loving them.

I could only think of one prayer that seemed appropriate to close with… Let us pray… Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy… O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.  Amen.

Miguel Rice Memorial Poker Run and Motorcycle Blessing

Sermon: Proper 10 - RCL A - "Caring for the Good Soil"

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23

Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"

"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."

A priest decided that during his sermons he needed to be more relevant to some the current issues facing his congregants… in order to do so.. he decided that he would use a visual demonstration to make his point for him… especially with the regards to the excesses of society… so he took four earthworms and placed them into four separate jars… The first worm was put into a container of alcohol… The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke… The third was put into a container of chocolate syrup… and the fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil….. At the conclusion of the sermon, the Priest reported the following results:… The first worm in alcohol - Dead… The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead… Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead… “D E A D.. all dead,” he declared … however.. holding up the fourth worm in the good clean soil- “Alive,” he said dramatically… So the priest asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration? …  A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said, "As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate… you won't get worms!"… I somehow doubt that this was the point Jesus was trying to get across in the parable of the sewer…

Fortunately, this is one of the instances where Jesus provides a clear interpretation of the parable… The soil represents the heart… the birds snatching the seed away is representative of the devil snatching the Good News out of the heart of one who hears before it has the opportunity to flourish /// The seed that fell on rocky ground represents one who hears the word of God, but has no depth and therefore it withers and dies producing no fruit /// the seed that fell among the thorns is like one who hears the word of God, but the powers of this world overwhelm it and strangle it before it can produce/// and finally there is the seed that fell on good ground.. it grows.. it flourishes.. it produces… and the Word of God grows within the soil.. the heart of the believer.

Many who do not yet believe hear this parable and think that all is lost.. that the seed was snatched out of their heart.. was choked off.. or withered.. but what they don’t realize is that the Sewer of the Seeds – the Lord – does not sew seeds only once.  Time and time again He comes and scatters the seed – for he desires that none should be lost – He scatters the seed that it may eventually fall on the good soil of the heart… If the seed of the Good News has not yet taken root in the good soil of your heart.. then pray to the Sewer and ask him to scatter his seeds once again until it finds the soil that will allow it to grow abundantly.

Yet for those who believe – where the seed has been planted in good soil – and likely that includes most of you here today.. you may ask, “What does this parable have to do with me?  It seems to be only about those who have not yet come to faith.”.. but we know that scripture is multivalent.. that is.. it has many levels.. and so, not only does this parable speak to who have not yet come to faith.. it also speaks to all of us.  Why?  Because the human heart is a very fickle organ.

Think about this… We all dream.. and we all know that dreams can be a bit on the weird side… First your walking through this very pastoral scene with little sheep milling about and munching the grass and then casually turning your head to one side you see a four slice electric toaster careening towards your with a very scary clown laughing off in the distance and just about the time you are going to duck to avoid the toaster from smashing into your face.. that’s when you suddenly turn into a duck (yeah.. interpret that one!).. but you know what I’m talking about.. and the human heart in its relation to God, can act very much the same way.

Take today for example… You leave here and in your heart you feel the presence of God… you feel at peace… and my goodness that was one good sermon!  Its all good!.. as you leave you catch the red light up here on

Front St.

when all of a sudden that S.O.B. rear ends you because he was too dang busy texting on his stupid cell phone to be bothered with watching where he was going…. And that bird.. the enemy of God’s people just snatched that seed right out of your heart.

You just finished up your prayers on Monday morning.. and you know in your heart that God really heard you.  Soon afterwards the dog starts barking and you know its the mail lady… you go out to greet her with a smile.. she hands you a few letters returning the smile… and, “Oh.. I wonder what the bank wants… What do you mean ‘Insufficient Funds’ and its only the 11^th of the month.. what am I going to do!”... and the world.. like that thorn bush.. just choked the life of God out of you.

Yes the soil of the heart can be a fickle thing… However.. sometimes it doesn’t change as quickly as some crazy dream.. at other times it happens more slowly like the seasons of the year.

I mentioned to you that we’ve done a lot of work to our house over in Anaconda.. and we’ve also done quite a bit to the yard.. and that’s not easy work, because sometimes less than an inch below the surface are rocks… lots and lots of rocks… If we were to let it go.. the yard would be filled with rocks.  Why?  Well, think of a bag of potato chips… All the whole chips – the ones that are the good scoopers – are at the top of the bag.. and the crumbs – the bit that you have to tip the bag up in your mouth to get are all at the bottom.  Well it’s a bit counterintuitive.. but the larger chips work their way up and smaller ones down… Same thing happens with rocky ground.. the soil continues to settle downward.. making the larger rocks seem to rise to the surface… In order to keep our garden clear.. we have to occasionally pick the rocks that have worked their way to the surface.

The soil of your heart works in a similar manner… The seed is planted – that is the Word of God – it may find good soil, but if you do nothing to tend that soil.. over time.. the rocks will work their way to surface.. and where there was once fertile soil it has become rocky.. it has no depth and can no longer support life…. Same is true with the weeds.. the thorn bushes… If you don’t tend it on a regular basis.. then the weeds and thorns begin to encroach on the good soil and can eventually completely choke if off.. leaving soil unfit for growing anything.

St. Paul wrote, “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”… Whether when the seed was first planted.. all of a sudden like.. or over time.. it happens.. the world brings death where there was once life.. and chokes the spirit and snatches away the peace of God…

What is the solution?... consider the faithfulness of Job.  He was blessed with family, friends, success.. with everything.  And when Satan challenged the Lord about his blessed life, what was Satan’s complaint?  “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.”… Yet.. when God allows Satan his way, Job’s complaint could have been the same as the Psalmist’s, “You have cast off and abhorred, You have been furious with Your anointed…You have broken down all his hedges; have brought his strongholds to ruin.”

That’s how it works.. As St. Josemaria Escriva notes, “The world, the devil, and the flesh are a band of adventurers who take advantage of the weakness of that savage you have within you.  In exchange for the poor bauble of pleasure [that is the world] which is worth nothing, they want you to hand over to them the pure gold and the pearls, the diamonds and the rubies, drenched in the living and redeeming blood of your God--the price and the treasure of your eternity.”

The world, the devil and the flesh want to destroy the good soil of your heart… So, what then is the solution?.. We must pray that the Lord our God will build a hedge around the good soil of our hearts – as He did around Job – to keep out the evil.. but we must also do our part.. we must be vigilant in tending the ground… keeping it clear of debris and rocks… We must continue to be immersed in the Word of God.. faithful in prayer.. We must take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to be fed with the Body and Blood of Christ.. and remain in fellowship with one another.. and whenever we fail – which we will – we must humble ourselves before God and know that we can trust in him, because our God “does not lose battles.” (733 – St. JE)   

Let us pray… Father of love, hear our prayers.  Help us to know Your Will and to do it with courage and faith.  Accept our offering of ourselves, all our thoughts, words, deeds, and sufferings.  May our lives be spent giving You glory.  Give us the strength to follow Your call, so that Your Truth may live in our hearts and bring peace to us and to those we meet, for we believe in Your Love.  Amen.