Are you listening to me?
Mark 4:1-9
Jesus has become popular. The people love his message and his actions. So many people are following and trying to get close that Jesus has requested a boat so he can get away without being crushed by the crowds. His popularity may be coming from the refreshing new actions and explanations: Healing the sick, healing on the sabbath, disputing the Pharisees, speaking about unconditional grace, using pragmatic logic, inviting ALL into the Kingdom with a new message of joy and celebration. Perhaps his popularity is rising due to his scarcity. The message and miracles of Jesus are not coming fast enough for many. They want more of the good news and more of the miracles! He is not showing up everywhere nor making himself available to everyone all the time. He is escaping with his disciples and taking time away from the clamoring crowds. Whatever the reason for his popularity, Jesus seems to know that some of his message will be difficult to hear.
In Mark 9, Jesus concludes his parable of the seeds and the soil with the question, “Are you listening to me?” If I didn’t believe God to be all-knowing, I might wonder if he was a bit baffled by his creation’s enthusiastic reception of his message at this point. ‘Are you getting me?’ Jesus is thinking, ‘they heard the free grace part, but I’m not sure they got the part about being the kind of soil that allows the seed to flourish.’ I can almost imagine him looking deeply into the eyes of his followers, watching his audience with a puzzled look on his face, and doing that whole pointing thing back and forth between his head and their head… ‘Are you really tracking with me?’
I forget or even reject the call to be the soil that nurtures the seed. My response will not change God, his love, grace, and joy will not dim, but I know I will get so much more out of life if I lean in and receive these gifts. How do I allow myself to be the soil that receives the seed? I would like the easy path. ‘Mike, just sleep in, surf the internet mindlessly, dream about your ‘wants’ rather than be grateful for what you have, drink a lot of coffee in the morning, eat lots of donuts and pepperoni pizza, work late, avoid conflict and healthy relationships, have at least two IPA’s every night, and go to bed thinking about your failures and all the things you did not accomplish today. You’ll be fine and really thrive.’ I have to admit, I have days, perhaps too many days, that look like this. Even in these days, God’s love, grace, and joy are for me. God is not changed by my sloth, greed, or selfishness. However, these are not my best days. It is hard for me to experience the unconditional love of God when I’m busy reading the 7th article on the potential contract options for Geno Smith. When I “work” late and replace exercise with beer or when I disengage and pull away from the healthy relationships in my life, the seeds of grace are still there, but my soil is probably not going to sustain thriving, prospering, and blossoming joy in my life. Listen! The grace, love, and joy are free and unconditional to everyone AND they are gifts that require a response to be accepted and enjoyed.