The call of the Sower

"Ah, Lord GOD!" I said, "I know not how to speak; I am too young." (Jeremiah 1:6)

The call of Jeremiah to be a prophet for the Lord is one of my favorites, because it’s just so human.  Jeremiah's first response is familiar to a lot of us.  He said, in essence, "I can't do it."  We make excuses, too.  We say we’re too young, too inexperienced, or too busy.  But in fact, we’re really too afraid or we simply aren’t free enough to respond to what might involve sacrifice.

It’s wonderful to be reminded that the Lord can use us, even when we’re reluctant or even resistant.  He puts words in our mouths.  He touches us to free us and to give us whatever we need to be His instruments.  That includes being a prophet where a prophet is needed.  It includes being a leader where a leader is needed.  It includes being a loving spouse or parent in the challenging situations in which we find ourselves.  I can’t tell you how many times my Mom spoke out to her children in a loving way (even after we were grown men with wives and children of our own) to remind us of our duty to God first when we seemed to have forgotten, or lost our way.  I am so grateful to her for that!

"But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear." (Matthew 13: 1-9)

The parable of the sower is terrific for any of us who have tried these things and realize that the response is not always what we had hoped.  Some of our precious efforts fall on deaf ears or on unresponsive hearts.  Sometimes it seems that we’re in a culture determined to "choke" our efforts at greater love and care for the common good, especially for those on the margins of our society.  Sometimes, the wounds that have hurt the hearts of loved ones need deep healing first.

The good news of this parable is the assurance that there’s some good soil out there.  Our efforts to act with love in His name will bear great fruit.  It will.  The outcome of our efforts will be fruitful.  So, the message is, "Sow boldly.  Keep sowing. Trust the master of the harvest."  Or, as Mom said often, especially in the last few years of her life, “I’m putting my prayers out there to Christ.  I trust He knows what to do with them.”

Each of us should reflect upon the power of this message when we hear the call of the ‘Sower’.