The readings for the seventh Sunday after Pentecost are taken from Isaiah 55:10-13; Romans 8:12-17; and Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23.
The introit for this Sunday reminds us that God is merciful and patient. All three lessons have to do with God giving His Word generously to all. That Word does not return void, but accomplishes His purposes.
Isaiah 55 is worth reading from the beginning, but the verses for today assure us that God’s will is to save and His Word is effective in doing so.
Paul wrote the Romans, using the parable of sowing, seed, and ground to warn us that sowing to our corrupt human nature produces a deadly crop, while sowing the inspired Word to our regenerate soul produces life, peace, and every good thing.
Matthew records Jesus telling the parable of the sower, which is followed by Jesus’ own explanation of the meaning. Most people notice that the sower sows seed generously (some might argue, recklessly). Here we see how God’s love is for all and His revelation is for all at all times. Nature is God’s constant witness and His recorded Word is abundant and increases within us as we share it with others. Our corrupt human nature is all three bad soils, but the Word itself regenerates our souls so we are good soil and in us God’s Word and Spirit bear fruit. Here is the rest God gives in honesty about dependence as we think about God doing the sowing, God providing the seed, God’s seed doing its work in us and our consciousness growing in appreciation and inspiration to love and apply ourselves to what God is doing for us and through us.