Sexagesima or the Second Sunday before Lent - 13 Feb 1955
13 February 1955, St. John’s Chapel
Luke 8:4-15: “And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”
Today’s Gospel, the Parable of the Sower, has sometimes been called the Parable of the Soil. What is brought to prominence in the parable is the importance of the soil for any seed to grow. The seed is good, but for its development everything depends on the ground on which it falls. The Gospel is offered equally to all within whose reach it comes; but all depends on the manner in which it is received. God has given each of us spiritual faculties, and to neglect this gift is wrong. By prayer, study, worship and witness we must keep it alive and growing. This we are reminded will require much patience.
The parable brings before us two factors which prevent the growth of our spiritual life – two enemies to our effective witness as Christians:
Persecutions – In these days very rarely is a Christian called upon to endure physical torture because of his faith. But in many subtle ways Christians in many lands are called upon to endure hardship because of their allegiance to Christ. Under the British Government we did enjoy certain privileges as a Christian community. But under the new government we have already begun to feel our disabilities as Christians. Are we going to witness for the faith in spite of persecutions or are we going to allow ourselves to be overcome by them? This is a challenge that has already come to the Christian Church in Ceylon.
The other enemy to our Christian living to which attention is drawn in the parable is worldliness. During the last war it was stated in a newspaper that more men can brave battle trauma than can resist the lure of quick money. People who show bravery in going to the front lines in battle do not show courage sufficient to withstand the temptation of making money easily in the black market, or by other unlawful means. Worldliness is an enemy that every Christian has to face in some form or other. What is our response going to be when we face the challenge?
Today’s Collect reminds us that we are not to put our trust in anything that we do. It is by the power that comes from God that we can resist our spiritual enemies. Today as we come to our Communion let us pray that God’s power may be given to us to witness for Christ in spite of persecutions, and that we may be enabled by His grace to overcome the temptations of worldliness.