Ordinary Time Week 5

Psalm: Psalm 65:1-8, 9-13 

Old Testament: Isaiah 55:10-13 

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 

Epistle: Romans 8:1-11

Welcome to another Sunday of Ordinary Time. This week, most of the readings revolve around the theme of farming and agriculture. God is seen as both the farmer and also as the being who creates and causes creation to function.

The whole chapter of Isaiah 55 is one of hope and calling the people of God to return in faithfulness and obedience and God will again bless them. Our three verses remind Judah, and us, why we can trust God. Just as the rain and water, when they come, produce vegetation and food for us to eat, so does the word of God produce fruit. God’s word does not return empty, but accomplishes what he desires. Verse 11 reminds the hearer of the voice which spoke creation into being. God’s voice literally has the power to speak something into existence. Verses 12 and 13 are the explanation of what God desires to do for his people should they return. He will bring joy and peace, all creation will exult and shout for joy, and the thistle and nettle will become cypress and myrtle. In other words, God will transform creation and restore the Promised Land for his people.

Psalm 65 is a praise of God as well. God is pictured as a farmer who settles the land, and then tills the soil. Unlike human farmers, however, God also “water[s] its furrows abundantly and crowns the year with bounty”. A normal farmer plants and then hopes for rain and growth. But God plants and tends knowing that his efforts are not in vain. Again, the idea is present in this Psalm that God’s desires and wishes will be accomplished.

Matthew 13:1-9 and 18-23 is the story and explanation of the Parable of the Sower. It seems like everything that can be said about this parable has been said. This parable calls the unbeliever to examine themselves to see where they stand with God, and it also challenges the believer to assess if they have allowed the word of God to wither and dry-up, or see if it is still growing and producing fruit. In this regard, the parable, no matter how many times we have heard it, always challenges us to examine where we stand with God.

The only passage that doesn’t mention farming is Romans 8. Romans 8 is what the rest of Romans has been leading up to. It begins with “Therefore,” which as the saying goes, “whenever you see therefore, ask what it’s there for.” Even in light of what has come before (and remember in Ch. 7 Paul was painting a pretty grim picture of striving to live a holy life), there is still no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death and the vain striving of self-righteousness. We are no longer bound by a set of rules, which either restrict us to where there is no joy left in us or we break them and feel guilty later. Christ has provided the means, through his Spirit, for us to also live in and by the Spirit. God’s Spirit can now live in us, and through him we can be set free from sin.

This is a powerful message--that Christ can so transform us into his image that we can live new lives devoted to God. This is also a message of hope and Paul was probably thinking of his own story and struggles as he wrote these lines. God can set us free from never-ending struggles with sin and self-righteousness.

I want to just mention verse 11, which says, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” What all this means, I do not know for sure, but I will ask some questions. Does this mean in the Resurrection or does it mean life now in our mortal, fleshly bodies?  Paul has switched words here; throughout the passage he has used “sarx” to describe the sinful flesh of humanity. Now, however, he uses the word “soma” to literally mean the material body that makes us. The actual flesh and parts that make us will be redeemed and given life through the Spirit. It might sound like Paul is saying that all flesh and matter is evil, but in fact, he wants to ensure that we understand that it is not the matter that is evil, but rather the sinful nature that needs to be dealt with.

Well, where does this leave us? On the one hand, we have the image of the God as the perfect farmer who has the ability to plant and to send the rain and to actually make things grow. These are words of hope knowing that God is not powerless. The words of Isaiah also remind us that God desires good things for those who serve him. On the other hand, we have the passage in Romans which pronounces salvation for all who are in Christ Jesus. Salvation in Jesus is all encompassing and there is “no condemnation” or anything to stand in the way between us and God. Again words of hope.

Perhaps this week the challenge might be to reflect on this hope in our lives. Where do we need to accept God’s message of hope in our own situations at work or home? And where might we need to speak this message or live out this message for others? Are there people we know who need to understand the hope found in Christ? May we be open to God’s message of hope in our lives and those around us.

Grace and Peace.