In his post "Jesus Does Things Backwards", Rev. Petersen makes the point that that is the key to understanding parables, worship, and the office of the Ministry. Yesterday's text hits all three of those realms.
A few years back I read a sermon on the parable of the Sower by Rev. Lance O'Donnell, a classmate of mine. He started out having his listener picture all these John Deere tractors driving down the main street in town, spraying seeds everywhere - the street, office buildings, stores, etc. As ridiculous as that sounds (what modern farmer would waste valuable seed in a city?), so also it sounded ridiculous to Christ's first hearers - the seed is too valuable. No sower would cast seed on a path, amongst weeds, etc. No sower except Jesus Christ - and the ministers He sends to scatter His Word behind Him.
O Lord, we praise you for being extravagant with your redemption, paying with Your precious blood not only for our sins, but for the sins of all the world. Send Your Holy Spirit that Your ministers would not be discouraged, but even scatter Your Word in the most unlikely of places, that it might bear fruit of thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
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