Matthew: The Kingdom Hidden in Plain Sight
Watch video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDBYrihAdVA
Program Transcript
Matthew: The Kingdom Hidden in Plain Sight
Sometimes the most important things in life are easy to overlook.
A small seed planted in quiet soil may seem insignificant at first. Yet beneath the surface, something extraordinary is happening. Roots stretch downward. Life begins to unfold. In time, what once seemed small, grows into something that gives shade, shelter, and nourishment.
Jesus often spoke about the kingdom of God this way. Not as something loud or forceful, but as something quietly unfolding in the midst of ordinary life.
(B-roll: Seeds falling into soil; a farmer’s hand planting; time-lapse of plants growing.)
In the stories Jesus tells, the kingdom is like a mustard seed growing into a great tree, like yeast slowly transforming dough, like treasure hidden in a field waiting to be discovered. These images remind us that God’s kingdom does not always arrive with spectacle. It often begins quietly, working within hearts and communities until its life becomes visible.
Yet Jesus also reveals that recognizing the kingdom requires more than simply seeing with our eyes. Some hear his words and understand, while others hear the same words and remain confused. The difference is not intelligence or status, but openness of heart.
The kingdom is revealed to those willing to listen, to trust, and to receive what God is doing in their midst. The very life of Jesus is a revelation of the kingdom. And understanding is a gift from God. May we receive it.
As the story unfolds, we see another dimension of God’s kingdom through the actions of Jesus himself. He meets people where they are — feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming those who felt like outsiders. Again and again, Jesus shows that the kingdom is not only something we learn about; it is something we experience through his compassion.
Where others saw limits, Jesus saw possibility. Where others saw scarcity, Jesus provided abundance. Where others saw barriers, Jesus extended grace.
Through these encounters, we begin to see the heart of God’s reign. The kingdom grows quietly. It transforms lives from the inside out. And it reveals itself most clearly through the compassion and generosity of Christ.
Those who follow Jesus are invited to participate in that same kingdom life — trusting that even small acts of faith and love can become part of God’s greater work in the world.
The stories and actions of Jesus invite us to look deeper, to listen carefully, and to recognize the kingdom already unfolding around us. As we turn to today’s passage, we hear Jesus describe the surprising and transformative nature of God’s kingdom.
9 “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Matthew 13:9–11, 16–17
As we continue exploring the Gospel of Matthew, may we grow attentive to the quiet work of God’s kingdom among us. And may our lives reflect the compassion, generosity, and hope we see in Jesus.
Program Transcript
Matthew: The Kingdom Hidden in Plain Sight
Sometimes the most important things in life are easy to overlook.
A small seed planted in quiet soil may seem insignificant at first. Yet beneath the surface, something extraordinary is happening. Roots stretch downward. Life begins to unfold. In time, what once seemed small, grows into something that gives shade, shelter, and nourishment.
Jesus often spoke about the kingdom of God this way. Not as something loud or forceful, but as something quietly unfolding in the midst of ordinary life.
(B-roll: Seeds falling into soil; a farmer’s hand planting; time-lapse of plants growing.)
In the stories Jesus tells, the kingdom is like a mustard seed growing into a great tree, like yeast slowly transforming dough, like treasure hidden in a field waiting to be discovered. These images remind us that God’s kingdom does not always arrive with spectacle. It often begins quietly, working within hearts and communities until its life becomes visible.
Yet Jesus also reveals that recognizing the kingdom requires more than simply seeing with our eyes. Some hear his words and understand, while others hear the same words and remain confused. The difference is not intelligence or status, but openness of heart.
The kingdom is revealed to those willing to listen, to trust, and to receive what God is doing in their midst. The very life of Jesus is a revelation of the kingdom. And understanding is a gift from God. May we receive it.
As the story unfolds, we see another dimension of God’s kingdom through the actions of Jesus himself. He meets people where they are — feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and welcoming those who felt like outsiders. Again and again, Jesus shows that the kingdom is not only something we learn about; it is something we experience through his compassion.
Where others saw limits, Jesus saw possibility. Where others saw scarcity, Jesus provided abundance. Where others saw barriers, Jesus extended grace.
Through these encounters, we begin to see the heart of God’s reign. The kingdom grows quietly. It transforms lives from the inside out. And it reveals itself most clearly through the compassion and generosity of Christ.
Those who follow Jesus are invited to participate in that same kingdom life — trusting that even small acts of faith and love can become part of God’s greater work in the world.
The stories and actions of Jesus invite us to look deeper, to listen carefully, and to recognize the kingdom already unfolding around us. As we turn to today’s passage, we hear Jesus describe the surprising and transformative nature of God’s kingdom.
9 “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Matthew 13:9–11, 16–17
As we continue exploring the Gospel of Matthew, may we grow attentive to the quiet work of God’s kingdom among us. And may our lives reflect the compassion, generosity, and hope we see in Jesus.
Psalm 119:105–112 • Genesis 25:19–34 • Romans 8:1–11 • Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23
Today’s readings invite us to consider how God’s life-giving word moves from promise to fruit because the Father has sown his Son for the whole world. The psalm proclaims God’s word as a lamp that guides us along the path of faith (Psalm 119). In Genesis, that word works patiently through generations, shaping a family marked by struggle, desire, and God’s surprising choice (Genesis 25). In Jesus Christ, that word is not mere information but liberation — “no condemnation,” new life, and the Spirit’s power over sin and death (Romans 8). Jesus’ parable proclaims the extravagant generosity of God, who scatters the word of the kingdom freely and abundantly. God bring life and fruit beyond all expectation (Matthew 13).
Reminder: This introductory paragraph is intended to show how the four RCL selections for this week are connected and to assist the preacher prepare the sermon. It is not intended to be included in the sermon.
How to use this sermon resource.
The Father Has Sown His Son for the Whole World
Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVUE
[Read or ask someone to read the passage.]
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 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. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 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.” Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVUE
We just heard what’s called the Parable of the Sower. But chances are you may not be familiar with the word “sow” or “sower.” They are not common words today unless you grew up in the Christian church or you’re a farmer.
Sow simply means to plant seeds by scattering them on or in the ground. And the sower is the person doing the planting, the scattering.
Fewer and fewer people in industrialized countries farm. Some people garden on a small scale. If you live in the city, you might grow plants in a container on your balcony. Even fewer still raise their plants from seed. We buy our vegetables and flowers as potted plants that a commercial nursery has grown.
Many of us never see the seed, but the entire life of the plant is contained in the seed. Seeds are small. So small, you may lose sight of it once it’s dropped into the soil. Even a large, white seed, like a bean — once it’s covered with dirt, you no longer see it.
And if you dug up the mature plant up, you would only find roots, no sign of the seed. The seed dies to give life to the plant.
And Jesus says, the kingdom of God is like this.
Today we will hear the good news that the Father has sown his Son for the whole world.
Let’s go back to the beginning of the passage.
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables … (verses 1–3a)
Jesus spoke to the crowd. Jesus’ messages were often meant for groups of people heard in community. This is a good reminder for us to ask: what does this message mean for our community of believers, not just for my personal life?
And Jesus told the crowd many things in parables. What is a parable? A parable is a type of teaching or storytelling that places two things side-by-side so that one sheds light on the other.
So, what gets placed side-by-side in Jesus’ parables? It’s typically an everyday image placed beside a kingdom reality. Jesus takes something you already understand and places it next to something you do not understand fully, so you can begin to see God’s kingdom in a whole new way.
Parables were a common Jewish teaching method in the first century and earlier. Jesus was not the only person to use parables. But Jesus tended to take this teaching device and turn it into something that created mystery more than providing straightforward explanation.
So, if we’re expecting Jesus’ parables to be straightforward, we’ll be disappointed. His parables are mysterious because God’s kingdom is mysterious. That is not the same as being unknowable, though.
We understand God’s kingdom as God’s gracious rule, already present in Christ. It’s the reality of God renewing the world according to his love and purposes. Because the kingdom is often hidden and still unfolding, we ask for the Spirit to reveal the kingdom to us in new ways.
Our scripture passage says, the kingdom is like a sower who went out to sow. But this is not a tidy object lesson. As we’ve said, Jesus’ parables are more than mere illustrations.
Instead, Jesus sets the idea of his kingdom beside (side-by-side) something surprising and lets the tension do the work. It’s true that Jesus often took time after speaking to the crowds to give more meaning to his close followers, but the tension remained.
And we do not really like unresolved tension, do we?
The tension in the comparison disrupts. The comparison flips assumptions, challenges thinking, and surprises the listener. Because of this “side-by-side” tension parables often contain unexpected elements and create surprise.
So, parables can be difficult to interpret. But please do not avoid reading and studying Jesus’ parables because they aren’t perfectly clear — even scholars disagree about their meanings. Parables are rich and fascinating, and it’s good to wrestle with them.
Trust God in the tension. Stay with the tension. Return to them over and over again, asking the Spirit to give you the things of Christ.
We should not confuse them with neat, little stories with a lesson, like a children’s book or Aesop’s Fables. Even if you’ve never heard the name Aesop’s Fables, you may be familiar with one of the stories in the collection, called “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” It is likely some of you can even recite the moral of that story: liars are not believed even when they tell the truth.
But Jesus’ parables cannot be reduced to something simple like, “Here’s a picture, and here’s the lesson.” Instead, we keep asking a deeper question: What does placing these things side‑by‑side reveal about God and his kingdom?
That’s because the comparison almost always reveals something surprising about God’s action — about what God is doing in the world. The parable keeps God central. Jesus’ parables are not merely instructions for human behavior or tidy moral lessons.
So, when we read the Parable of the Sower, if our main focus becomes the soils, we’ve probably shifted the spotlight onto ourselves instead of God. When the takeaway becomes, “Here’s the lesson: be good soil,” we’ve collapsed the parable into moralism — into a principle — rather than allowing it to reveal the character and work of God.
So, let’s return to the parable and see what we can learn about our generous God the Father who has sown his Son for the whole world.
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 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.” Matthew 13:18–23 NRSVUE
Is Jesus telling us what kind of soil to be or to avoid?
We could read this as a warning or a threat. “Don’t be rocky. Don’t be choked out by the lure of wealth.” When we look at Jesus’ teachings as a whole, we see that he is far more often describing reality — “This is how things are” — than prescribing action or issuing instructions — “Do this.”
Rather than prescribing behaviors we should do or avoid, Jesus seems to be describing what already exists: The kingdom is here; Jesus is among us. The way that people respond to the good news of Jesus is mixed. He’s naming a pattern.
The parable includes the various kinds of ground or soil, but it’s not the primary force. The point is less “what kind of soil are you?” More “what kind of God is this?”
What is God doing here? Always begin here. What does this parable show about God’s character? What is God doing that is surprising?
Let’s start with the question: who is the sower? It’s often identified as Jesus. Yes — and that’s true. But there’s more here.
Jesus the Sower — and Jesus the Seed
In John 1, we read:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. John 1:1–5 NRSVUE
We learn that the Word is the eternal Christ, the second Person of the undivided Trinity. He was sent by the Father to save us. In other words, Jesus has been sown into our world; he is among us. The kingdom is here because the King is here. Jesus is God’s Word, and he embodies the kingdom — he is the Word (capital/upper case “W”) of the kingdom.
So, we can also say this: the Father is the Sower, and the Son is the Seed. The Father has sown his Son for the whole world.
As the Seed, Jesus falls into the ground and dies — and in that dying he bears fruit for the whole world. Jesus speaking about his death, said,
“Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” John 12:24 NRSVUE
Jesus has entered even hard, rocky, thorn-filled ground — and brought life where none could grow. He enters our dead and barren soil (remember, we were dead in our sins). He bears the thorns (literally, a crown of thorns). He is scorched and withers under suffering and death on the cross. He becomes the Seed that dies and rises.
Christ has already borne our fruitlessness. He took on our bent, fruitless humanity and healed it. And now, by the Spirit, he bears fruit in us. This is why we can say the kingdom is fully — albeit mysteriously — present in the Word. Jesus did for us what we could not do for ourselves.
The Father’s extravagant generosity
In this parable, what shocks us is the Sower and the lavishness of the seed-scattering. The seed is thrown everywhere — on every kind of soil. From the perspective of a wise farmer, it looks like waste and is illogical. It’s unusual, even reckless. But that “wastefulness” is the point: it reveals the extravagant generosity of the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Even in the face of resistance and hostility, God sows generously. The kingdom is sown lavishly and persistently, even where it seems unlikely to succeed.
But what does verse 23 say?
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.
Here’s another surprising element. These numbers do not make sense. A yield of 30, 60, 100-fold is shockingly high. Even though some seed fell on hard paths, rocks, and thorns, the harvest is absurdly abundant.
The kingdom is all-encompassing, and it’s unstoppable. The gates of hell cannot prevail against it. Despite what looks like failure, the reality of the kingdom breaks into unreality.
By the Father, Jesus has been sown everywhere in the world. And he did this without any bit of cooperation or effort or permission from us. Before we ever asked for him or responded to him, God, the Holy Trinity, acted first.
Does our response matter?
The work of the Word of the kingdom takes place in mystery, in secret, largely unseen. Like a seed buried in the soil, it remains hidden. And because we cannot always observe or fully understand this mystery, we receive it through faith. Our response is to trust.
The Word is already fruitful — that’s not in question. Our response does not activate the Word of the kingdom’s presence in the world. The call to respond is for our benefit.
The greatest difference our response to the Word makes is the impact it has on us.
Our response does not determine whether the Word will accomplish his purpose. But our response affects whether we will experience and enjoy what has already been accomplished, what is already true.
When a plant does not bear fruit, it is not a punishment. A fruitless plant misses out on its fullness, its intended life. When we bear fruit, by the Spirit, we become the people God intends for us to be. God transforms us into our true selves, who he meant us to be.
Mission
As God is transforming us into who we were created to be, we become sent people. And his parable helps us think about how we live as sent people.
Because the Father has sown his Son for the whole world, we are not “bringing Jesus” to our neighbors. Jesus is already there. What we bring is the good news of what the Word of the kingdom has already done for them. We tell people, “God is already at work in your life.”
And we don’t just tell; we also show. Through the love of Jesus’ Church, we make visible the work God is already doing. It’s a show and tell faith. A come and see way of life.
This is what mission is: participating in God’s ongoing work in the world — a mission that does not depend on our success. By Jesus, through the Spirit, we have been included into the life of the Father, so we are caught up in this same generous sowing. We speak then this good news generously, everywhere.
As Christ’s Church, we are freed from judging our neighbors by what kind of soil we think they are. We are also freed from scarcity and stinginess. Instead, we lavish the love and goodness we have received from God on others — even to the point of wastefulness.
Just as our efforts do not save us, our efforts do not secure the harvest. Christ secures the harvest. God does not merely respond to good soil; God is the one who creates good soil. Even our faith is a gift from God. It is only by God’s grace that we aren’t unfertile soil. Father God is faithful and persistent even to poor soil.
There’s always more
We cannot cover everything in a single sermon. Why not get together with your friends and neighbors to study it further? Maybe plan to study this parable with friends or in your connect group? The Bible is God-inspired, Spirit-breathed for everyone. It’s not for pastors and teachers only. The Bible is for every disciple … for you!
And at the heart of everything, the Bible shows us this story:
The Father sent the Son.
The Son died for the whole world.
The Spirit lives in us, waking us up to the reality of the kingdom.
The kingdom is here, the kingdom is unfolding, and the harvest is sure.
The Father has sown his Son for the whole world.
(Note for pastor: one helpful resource is Robert Capon’s book, Kingdom, Grace, Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus.)
Marty Folsom—Year A Proper 10
Listen to audio: https://cloud.gci.org/dl/GReverb/GR077-Folsom-YearA-Proper10.mp3
Sunday, July 12, 2026 — Proper 10
Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 NRSVUE
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Program Transcript
Marty Folsom—Year A Proper 10
Anthony: All right, our next passage is Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 10 in Ordinary Time, July 12. Marty, would you read it for us, please?
Marty: Yes.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 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. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”.
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 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.”
Anthony: Before we get into exegeting the text, what, if anything, would you want preachers and teachers to know or be cautious about when it comes to the parables?
Marty: The trick with parables of the kingdom is that we really quickly jump to thinking we need to build the kingdom.
Anthony: Come on.
Marty: But the point here really is this, these are parables of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is present, active, and waiting to do work. And so, the ability to align ourself with, to submit to, to yield to the work of the Spirit ― it’s really a matter of ourself getting out of the sense that he’s somewhere and he’s going to give me the power to do my work for the kingdom here, or someday the kingdom will come and then all will be done.
No. The kingdom is here and now. And so, our ability to simply let our hearts be penetrated by the here and nowness of God is where the root goes all the way down into our hearts and does something. But it’s just us all allowing the kingdom to be the shaping of who we are. So, it is just so easy for the question, what should, what do I need to do to take over, instead of what is the kingdom proclaimed here and what’s it doing, and how do I just not get in the way?
Anthony: Oh. Yeah, that’s a good word. And speaking of good word, when we come to the written word, we’re looking for God. We’re looking for the God revealed in Jesus Christ. So, tell us about what this parable reveals about God, and the second part of this, a theological, anthropological question what does it reveal about God and what does it reveal about us, humanity?
Marty: I think it’s an amazing thing that the world just grows, and we take it for granted. But to say all of this is here because of the intention of a God who created a world that is the very space within which we live, and to even recognize in our human life, we are alive, we are seeds on the soil because we have been given life and the ability to grow and to bloom.
And so, to recognize even ourselves as seeds who have this capacity to grow or not to grow, it’s all because God has given us already that life-giving capacity for his work to bring to fulfillment that which he intended from the very beginning.
So, to recognize that it, what it says about God is always the God of life. He is always about positioning us where life can happen. And the nature of what it is that humans are is that we have a tendency to place ourself away from what it is that will allow God’s life to work in us. So, the different kinds of soil and places that we might be. I’m not a lover of the city, and it’s partly just the way you can be six inches from somebody else in an apartment.
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: So, you’re right next to people, but you’re apart from them. And no, the seed has no capacity to know and be known, to love and connect, to serve. If you hear them bumping against the walls, that may be as close a relationship as you have. And the image of a small town, which I heard something that Matt Canlis did this week, spending time in Scotland in a church at Godspeed, and saying, you know, “I had to slow down enough to where I didn’t expect people to come to my office as though that was the ground that people grew in. I had to be in the ground where they are, and the smaller the village, the closer we get.”
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: And so, the positioning of ourself and the slowing down to the speed that God goes is, in a sense, allowing for the soil to do the work that it does to nurture the kind of relationship with God and one another, to be a community where this growth happens, and there’s hundredfold, sixtyfold.
So, you can imagine in a town of 100 people, you know all 100 people, and there’s a sense of love and appreciation for each person that’s there. Whereas you may be in a building of 1,000 people and you know no one.
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: They’re all there, but nothing is growing. And so, to simply attune ourself to the nature of what does it look like to avail ourself to be those who listen, look, speak with others, and whether we pray out loud for them or not, to be the presence of prayer, that is the presence of the kingdom.
Because the kingdom of God is always just God here and now bringing a yes. How do I be that to that person walking through the door? Maybe I help them hold the door. Maybe I give them a smile. All of those things is being fertile ground for the kingdom to do a work. It is possible in the city. I think it’s just not as good, a good a soil as maybe a smaller place might be.
So, the nature of soil, I think there is a sense where we do make choices that align with positioning ourself both in the place, but also how we will be in the place. And so, I’ve often thought I would love to see a book where somebody just takes a mailman who says, “This town is my congregation, and every place where I drop off mail or packages, I’m going to get to know the people and love them.”
And to see this happen for 50 years, that his soil was this town, his commitment was to be the presence of the kingdom, and when he dies, that the whole town comes out, Christians and non-Christians going, “this person was like the presence of God among us. He cared. He brought us together.”
Anthony: Yes.
Marty: “He spoke our language. He knew us, and we came to know him.” That’s, in a sense, the fulfillment of what this parable invites us into, the hundredfold, that everyone would celebrate not his death, but the life that he lived that brought life to them.
Anthony: And friends, the documentary that Marty referenced from Matt Canlis called Godspeed, I highly recommend. Just Google Godspeed Matt Canlis. Watch and learn and grow, and I just crack up every time I see it where the priest tells him, “You don’t have an office. Your office is out there. Go be with the people.” It’s awesome.
Marty: Yes.
Program Transcript
Marty Folsom—Year A Proper 10
Anthony: All right, our next passage is Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 10 in Ordinary Time, July 12. Marty, would you read it for us, please?
Marty: Yes.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 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. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”.
18 “Hear, then, the parable of the sower. 19 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. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 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. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 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.”
Anthony: Before we get into exegeting the text, what, if anything, would you want preachers and teachers to know or be cautious about when it comes to the parables?
Marty: The trick with parables of the kingdom is that we really quickly jump to thinking we need to build the kingdom.
Anthony: Come on.
Marty: But the point here really is this, these are parables of the kingdom. The kingdom of God is present, active, and waiting to do work. And so, the ability to align ourself with, to submit to, to yield to the work of the Spirit ― it’s really a matter of ourself getting out of the sense that he’s somewhere and he’s going to give me the power to do my work for the kingdom here, or someday the kingdom will come and then all will be done.
No. The kingdom is here and now. And so, our ability to simply let our hearts be penetrated by the here and nowness of God is where the root goes all the way down into our hearts and does something. But it’s just us all allowing the kingdom to be the shaping of who we are. So, it is just so easy for the question, what should, what do I need to do to take over, instead of what is the kingdom proclaimed here and what’s it doing, and how do I just not get in the way?
Anthony: Oh. Yeah, that’s a good word. And speaking of good word, when we come to the written word, we’re looking for God. We’re looking for the God revealed in Jesus Christ. So, tell us about what this parable reveals about God, and the second part of this, a theological, anthropological question what does it reveal about God and what does it reveal about us, humanity?
Marty: I think it’s an amazing thing that the world just grows, and we take it for granted. But to say all of this is here because of the intention of a God who created a world that is the very space within which we live, and to even recognize in our human life, we are alive, we are seeds on the soil because we have been given life and the ability to grow and to bloom.
And so, to recognize even ourselves as seeds who have this capacity to grow or not to grow, it’s all because God has given us already that life-giving capacity for his work to bring to fulfillment that which he intended from the very beginning.
So, to recognize that it, what it says about God is always the God of life. He is always about positioning us where life can happen. And the nature of what it is that humans are is that we have a tendency to place ourself away from what it is that will allow God’s life to work in us. So, the different kinds of soil and places that we might be. I’m not a lover of the city, and it’s partly just the way you can be six inches from somebody else in an apartment.
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: So, you’re right next to people, but you’re apart from them. And no, the seed has no capacity to know and be known, to love and connect, to serve. If you hear them bumping against the walls, that may be as close a relationship as you have. And the image of a small town, which I heard something that Matt Canlis did this week, spending time in Scotland in a church at Godspeed, and saying, you know, “I had to slow down enough to where I didn’t expect people to come to my office as though that was the ground that people grew in. I had to be in the ground where they are, and the smaller the village, the closer we get.”
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: And so, the positioning of ourself and the slowing down to the speed that God goes is, in a sense, allowing for the soil to do the work that it does to nurture the kind of relationship with God and one another, to be a community where this growth happens, and there’s hundredfold, sixtyfold.
So, you can imagine in a town of 100 people, you know all 100 people, and there’s a sense of love and appreciation for each person that’s there. Whereas you may be in a building of 1,000 people and you know no one.
Anthony: Yeah.
Marty: They’re all there, but nothing is growing. And so, to simply attune ourself to the nature of what does it look like to avail ourself to be those who listen, look, speak with others, and whether we pray out loud for them or not, to be the presence of prayer, that is the presence of the kingdom.
Because the kingdom of God is always just God here and now bringing a yes. How do I be that to that person walking through the door? Maybe I help them hold the door. Maybe I give them a smile. All of those things is being fertile ground for the kingdom to do a work. It is possible in the city. I think it’s just not as good, a good a soil as maybe a smaller place might be.
So, the nature of soil, I think there is a sense where we do make choices that align with positioning ourself both in the place, but also how we will be in the place. And so, I’ve often thought I would love to see a book where somebody just takes a mailman who says, “This town is my congregation, and every place where I drop off mail or packages, I’m going to get to know the people and love them.”
And to see this happen for 50 years, that his soil was this town, his commitment was to be the presence of the kingdom, and when he dies, that the whole town comes out, Christians and non-Christians going, “this person was like the presence of God among us. He cared. He brought us together.”
Anthony: Yes.
Marty: “He spoke our language. He knew us, and we came to know him.” That’s, in a sense, the fulfillment of what this parable invites us into, the hundredfold, that everyone would celebrate not his death, but the life that he lived that brought life to them.
Anthony: And friends, the documentary that Marty referenced from Matt Canlis called Godspeed, I highly recommend. Just Google Godspeed Matt Canlis. Watch and learn and grow, and I just crack up every time I see it where the priest tells him, “You don’t have an office. Your office is out there. Go be with the people.” It’s awesome.
Marty: Yes.
Small Group Discussion Questions
- What from the Parable of the Sower leaves you in utter awe of God?
- Where do you notice God’s work happening quietly or invisibly in your community right now — like a seed beneath the soil?
- In what ways are we tempted to judge “soil” — in ourselves or in others — and what freedom might come from letting go of that judgment?
- What would it look like for our group (or church) to reflect God’s extravagant generosity in a practical way this week?
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