Dirty Hearts

While I am on sabbatical I have a lot more time to study various passages of scripture. Usually I focus on one scripture each week; eating, breathing, and sleeping that one passage as I prepare to preach it. But while I'm on sabbatical, I read one or two passages a day. I feel spoiled.

Today I studied Luke 8:5-8, 11-15. The Parable of the Sower. Or as I like to call it: Dirty Hearts.

The story goes like this. A farmer (we'll call him Joe Bob, I am in southern Virginia for sabbatical afterall) goes out with a bag of seeds. I can see him carrying his big ol' bag, not even struggling under the weight. He reaches his hand in and casts out the first batch. They fall on the dirty dusty pathway. He takes another handful; they fall on some rocks. He reaches in and grabs another handful; they fall amongst weeds. And then he casts the last bit out, emptying the bag onto the ground as the seeds land on the good soil. And then Joe Bob walks into his house and waits for harvest.

The seeds that fell on the dirt path were trampled by his seven year old twins; and then the birds came and ate them. Farmer Joe Bob shakes his head and sighs.

The seeds that fell on the rocks started to grow but wilted quickly because they could not find nutrients or moisture to survive.

The seeds that fell amongst the weeds started to grow but Farmer Joe Bob watched as they choked and died.

The final seeds fell on good soil and grew and produced fruit beyond Farmer Joe Bob's wildest dreams. His twin boys had enough food for their whole entire school to come over for an end of the year party. It was a grand event that included large moonwalk blowups, cotton candy, and balloons.

And now what is the point of this story with my amusing additions of Farmer Joe Bob and his twins?

The seed is the Word of God. Many people hear the Word of God. But not all of our hearts are the same.

Some of our hearts are like the dirt path. We hear the Word but we get trampled easy.

Some of our hearts are like the rocks. We hear the Word but when things get tough we fall away because our roots don't go deep enough for nutrients.

Some of our hearts are like the thorns. We hear the Word but the cares, riches, and pleasures of this world choke us before we can ever produce fruit.

And... some of our hearts are like the good soil (dirty hearts). We hear the Word and we hold onto the Word. We become honest. We become good. We bear fruit. We learn to be patient, enduring even in suffering and trials.

So what kind of a heart do you have? Is it trampled? Is it rocky? Is it thorny?

Or is your heart dirty with rich, good soil?

As I was reflecting on this passage I heard God say... my church is filled with many types of hearts from thorny to dirty. All of us, in the church, heard the Word of God and were transformed by it in some way. But not all people, even church leaders, have dirty hearts. The church is often a place for those who are dealing with thorns or seeking, with desperation, more nutrients.

And so as I read this passage I began to grieve for the church of God; to pray for those who might be thorny, trampled, or seeking nutrients amongst the rocks. And I prayed that my own heart would become as dirty with good soil as possible; that in these times of deep suffering God would make my heart quite dirty so that I might produce fruit that points us all towards the redemption of creation.

God have mercy on your church. We so desperately need you. May we all have dirty hearts.