The Insider

The scriptures referred to are Romans 8:1-11 and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.

In his book How Silently, How Silently, author Joseph T. Bayly offers a parable in which someone talks about the way a Christmas present is decorated. The colors represent elements of Jesus' birth and life. The person describes how, say, the blue side represents the starry night on which he was born and the gold his glory, etc. The red panel representing his passion and death is considered disturbing and turned to the wall so it won't be seen. Finally, after the person rhapsodizes over the beautiful decoration of the Christmas gift, he is asked if he is going to open it. To which he replies, “Why? Is there something inside?”

Bayly perfectly captures what is wrong with a lot of people's approach to Christianity. They are really attracted to the externals and they go on and on about them: the liturgy, the music, the rituals. And they are beautiful. But there's more to the faith than that.

The core of the Christian faith is internal. And that's what Jesus and Paul are getting at in our readings today.

We call the parable in today's gospel “The Sower and the Seed.” But the different results have nothing to do with the sower or the seed; what is different is the soils. The growth of the seeds is dependent on the soil in which they land. Going to Jesus' explanation of the allegory, there are 4 kinds of reactions people have when exposed to the good news of God's love and forgiveness.

First there are people who just don't get it. The gospel doesn't penetrate and they really don't understand it.

Then there are those who do respond, even enthusiastically, but it is short-lived because their faith is shallow. When bad things happen to them, their faith evaporates.

Then there are those who receive the gospel but the things of this life restrict its effectiveness in that person. Matthew's version of the parable lists these hindrances as literally "the anxieties of the present age and the deceitfulness of wealth.” Mark adds the “passionate desire for other things.” Luke adds “pleasures.” So the ephemeral things of this world which distract and attract us can stunt the full blossoming of the gospel in our lives. While running from the things which worry us and running towards the things we think will fulfill us, we pass by what we really need: God reigning in our hearts.

The seed or word of the kingdom of God only fully manifests itself in good soil. Matthew describes this as the person who hears the word and understands it. Luke's version fleshes out such a person as one “who, after hearing the word, hangs onto it, with a good and honest heart, producing fruit by patient endurance.” (Luke 8:15, my translation) So the good news of Jesus has the most impact in the life of a person who is open to it, honest, and will not let it go but who perseveres in letting it change them. That last part is key. In the other soils or types of person, they don't hold onto their faith. They let it go when things get hard or when they are under pressure or under the delusion that wealth or power or other worldly attractions hold what they need instead.

Which reminds me: I have been watching a lot of TV lately--documentaries, movies, musicals. Some have been on the mafia, some have been on politics, some have been on show business. And I have noted a common theme. And it is best expressed in the words of the song in Hamilton where his sister-in-law diagnoses the title character's problem. “You will never be satisfied.” That inability to ever be satisfied drove Hamilton to great heights but also to his downfall. The play posits that it was his sense of mortality that impelled him. Never being satisfied drove Bugsy Siegel to turn Las Vegas into a gambling mecca, and then to defy his boss Lucky Luciano and his investors and get himself killed. He could not resist the lure of wealth and power. Never being satisfied drove Freddy Mercury to make Queen a great rock group and then drove him to make bad business and personal decisions. The unaccountability given him by his recognition as an musical genius blinded him to who his real friends were.

The superficial things of this passing world can mesmerize you and make you forget the internal and eternal truths God offers us. They can stir up dissatisfaction with what we have and make us chase after what we think is better. We always want more but what we get is more dissatisfaction. Today's achievements and honors and accolades fade. The new height you've arrived at loses its novelty over time and just becomes the new normal. And so you will still be chasing the next shiny gold ring when time and death overtake you, denying you ultimate satisfaction.

Jesus said, “What does it benefit a person if they gain the whole world but lose their soul?” (Mark 8:36, my translation) And how often have we seen someone do just that: achieve the pinnacle in their own field and yet to do so they have sacrificed their family, their integrity, their honesty, their decency, the trust of their fellow human beings, and the respect of those who know them? To make more of their lives they destroy their lives. How often have monarchs or emperors called “the Great” had personalities that were anything but and personal lives that were failures when measured in terms of love given and received? Folks like Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Constantine, Genghis Khan and other rulers are rarely happy people, often ending up consumed by paranoia. And rightly so, considering how many are assassinated or die under mysterious circumstances. Their importance in history, for good or ill, is undisputed. And yet few would change places with them if they knew the details of their personal lives.

The alternative to the external and ephemeral glory of trying to rule in this world is the internal and eternal glory of being governed by the Spirit. That's what Paul means in our passage from Romans 8. He is not saying that our flesh or bodies are inherently evil but that they are weak and leave us open to temptations. Even God's good law cannot save us because we cannot follow it. Not perfectly and not unaided. 9 times out of 10 what brings us down is not the lack of good rules to follow but the lack of will to follow them. There are plenty of good, common sense ways for me to lose weight. It's just really hard for me to find the motivation to do them consistently. Just so I need the help of God's Spirit if I am to put the rules of life which Jesus reveals into practice.

Did you ever make your kids apologize to each other for a fight they had? “Tell your sister you're sorry.” “Now tell your brother you're sorry, too.” And they each give the most insincere “I'm sorry” they can muster. The words are being said but they are not being said in the true spirit of regret for what they have done. Instead, they regret being caught by you and they resent being made to say things they don't feel.

Every Sunday we say together a confession of our sins and a prayer for the church and the whole world and recite a creed of things we say we believe in. How often do we just turn on the automatic pilot and say these things without even thinking of what they mean, much less having them resonate within us? Or how often do we say these things and mean them at the time only to let them slip from our minds when we interact with the outside world? Do we think of loving others when we drive and so restrain ourselves from tailgating or speeding or passing when the signs say not to? Do we show love for others when we park, not taking up 2 spaces or parking in the handicapped spot when we aren't handicapped? Do we resist going after people on Facebook who post things we don't like and pray for them instead? Do we pray for politicians who don't act as we would like? Do we try to understand why people are upset about certain issues and listen to them to learn about their experience, and not just to come up with a crushing retort? Do we make sacrifices for the good of others, seeing it as taking up our cross as part of following Jesus?

No. Not consistently. We are not as loving or as forgiving or as understanding or as selfless as Jesus, not naturally. We need supernatural help.

Usually when people talk about the supernatural, they are thinking of ghosts or miracles or something that seems physically impossible. They think it is stuff like a pillar of fire leading slaves to the promised land or a kid's lunch feeding thousands or a man who is killed coming back to life. And because they do not see such things happening in their own lives, they think that "supernatural" is just a synonym for "unreal." But the word “supernatural” comes from the Latin, meaning “above or beyond nature.” So I submit that it can also mean whatever goes beyond what our nature would have us do.

When Joseph, the second most powerful person in Egypt, sees the brothers who sold him into slavery come begging for food, the natural thing is for him to take revenge on them. But, no, Joseph welcomes them to live in a land of plenty, viewing all his misfortunes as a plan by God to put him in a position to help multitudes. That's not the spirit of a being of mere flesh and blood who gives way to natural reactions but the Spirit of God at work in him.

When Nathan exposes David for arranging the death of a soldier with whose wife he had an adulterous affair, the natural thing is for the king to imprison or execute the prophet. But, no, David publicly confesses and repents. That's not the spirit of a person driven only by his fleshly desires but the Spirit of God at work in him.

When Peter, who denied Jesus 3 times during his Lord's trial, is later arrested and told to stop preaching in Jesus' name, the natural thing is for him to keep quiet. But, no, even after Herod executes the apostle James, Peter keeps preaching and getting arrested again and again. That is not the spirit of a person who is still ruled by the very natural fear of death but the Spirit of God at work in him.

When Francis, the son of a rich man, is publicly disowned by his merchant father for giving nice fabrics to the poor, the natural thing is for him to beg his father to take him back and continue his soft life. But, no, Francis strips off his fine clothes and embraces poverty and serving the poor. That is not the spirit of a person who naturally pursues the good things in life but the Spirit of God at work in him.

When Martin is told to renounce his writings which go against the official positions of the church or face excommunication and assassination, the natural thing is to take his criticisms back and return to a quiet but assured career as an academic. But, no, Martin stands firm, knowing that the minute he leaves the Diet of Worms both his career and his life may be over. That is not the spirit of a man who naturally thinks breathing is better than defending theological beliefs but the Spirit of God at work in him.

When another Martin, named after the first, confronts the fact that his peaceful protests against racial injustice are going to be put down violently by the authorities, the natural thing to do is to bring weapons and fight back. But, no, Martin continues to lead peaceful marches, despite vicious dogs, deluges by fire hoses, and death threats. That is not the spirit of a man giving into his righteous anger but the Spirit of God at work in him.

Just because something is natural does not make it OK. Anger is natural but James tells us that “The anger of man does not produce the righteous of God.” (James 1:20) Revenge for being wronged is natural but Peter says, “Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing.” (1 Peter 3:9) Hating your enemy is natural but Jesus says, “Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28) Being afraid of threats is natural but Paul says, “For God did not give us a Spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

And yet our world is awash with anger and insult and hate and revenge and fear and lack of self-control. And the answer is not to be found in superficial things like wearing crosses or putting bumper stickers on our cars or even putting the Ten Commandments on public buildings. We do not put our trust in things. We do not believe in magic. If I could wave my hand and make all weapons disappear, angry people would still pick up sticks or use their fists. It is what is wrong inside us that must be changed. And that can only be done by letting the Spirit of God work within us.

Not even having a Bible is sufficient. 88% of Americans say they own a Bible. The average home has more than 4 Bibles. So why isn't our country more Christian? Because 57% of Americans say they only read their Bible 4 times a year. Only 26% say they read it regularly, 4 or more times a week. People have a Bible like most folks wear a cross: as a magic talisman. But that's not how it works. Like the Christmas present in Bayly's parable, you have to open it. And then you have to open yourself to its message, the good news of God's love and grace revealed in Jesus Christ.

Right now we are having riots because people are treating other people differently with fatal results because they look different. But as Shakespeare said, “There's no art to find the mind's construction in the face.” Or as the Bible says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) What's important is whether a heart is full of light or darkness.

But light can change that darkness into light. If we let the light in. If we are good soil for the Word. If we let the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus dwell in us.

There is a comic strip on the internet called “Coffee with Jesus.” It consists of average people talking to Jesus over a cup of joe. In one strip a guy with a local business tells Jesus that he is thinking of putting a fish symbol on his work van. Jesus asks why and the guy says it's to let people know that he's a Christian. Jesus says that if he just gives people good, honest service, they shoud be able to figure it out.

What about you? If we took away your Jesus fish, your crosses, your bumper stickers, all of the outward trappings of your faith, would people be able to figure out you are a follower of Jesus? Would they know you have within you a supernatural source of love and peace and forgiveness and grace? If not, go beyond the surface. Let the seed of God's Word put down roots in you. Open yourself to God's Spirit. Let him pull out the weeds that are choking your spiritual life. If the Spirit of God is truly within you, you won't be able to contain him. His light will radiate from everything you say and do. And others will see it and want to know more about God's free gift, Jesus.