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Sexagesima—February 23^rd, 2025 Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas Rev. Joshua Woelmer Text: Luke 8:4–15 “The Word Alone” Theme: God gives us the reasons for unbelief, which serve as a warning for us and our faith. Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Science fair projects can either be really fun or really burdensome for both parents and children. There are a few I remember rushing to put together last minute as you work fast to summarize all the points, slap-dash some basic information, and then decorate it on one of those display boards so it didn’t look like you did it all last minute. Which, of course, is probably what everyone else was also doing. One of my more memorable projects was a relatively easy one for my parents to help me out with. It was basically how well tomato plants grew in different conditions. You can imagine how it went: you have a control that you watered every day and gave plenty of sunlight and kept free of weeds. Some plants you would test to see how well they would grow if you gave them fertilizer or better soil type or varying levels of water. On the other hand, you could also test what would happen if you took away some of those things. Some you watered very little. Some you gave little sunlight. Some you tried in different soil that was better for desert plants. By doing so, you could demonstrate what the plants would look like if they were deprived of what they needed to grow properly and put out wonderful, juicy tomatoes. Jesus tells us a parable in our Gospel text that sounds eerily similar to this science fair project. What happens when a sower goes out to sow his seed? What happens to the seed as it falls on various types of soil? The great thing with this parable is that Jesus actually explains it for us—He tells us what it means. He does not do this for every parable. We should definitely pay attention to His own interpretation of the parable. Instead of starting with how things go wrong, let’s look at the last first, the “control” seed first. This is the seed that “fell into the good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (8). It did what it was supposed to do. The seed was the same seed as all the others, only this fell into good soil, was watered regular, and had no weeds to contend with. It grew up and produced a good fruit for the farmer to enjoy. How does Jesus interpret this seed? “The seed is the word of God. … As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (11, 15). Jesus is describing faith and how it grows. Christ has cast the seed of His Word into your heart. This happens first by Holy Baptism, which we got to witness today. The Word is connected to water. Even though it is plain water that is poured over the head of the person, the Word of God works in and with the water to purify that person spiritually. Likewise, the Word of God works through preaching and teaching and reading the Bible to grow your faith. Finally, receiving the Lord’s Supper is also the means by which you partake of Christ’s body and blood for the strengthening of your faith, and this too comes about when the Word is combined with physical elements. The seed of your faith is planted in your soul by this Word of God alone. It needs nourishment, to be sure. But Jesus describes just this when he talks about holding the word of God fast in your hearts and bearing fruit with patience, which is good works. These two things summarize the Christian life: faith in God and good works for the neighbor. God works towards both in your life. Now that we see the control group, so to speak, let’s look at how things sometimes go wrong. The first problem that we encounter is the seed on rocky soil. As it is sown, the birds come and carry it away before it can even take root. Jesus explains this by saying: “The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (12). This is describing non-Christians. If I were to describe this in a science fair metaphor, imagine taking the seed and then giving it no water and shutting it in a cupboard for the length of the experiment. Although, even that explanation does not do the parable justice, because the parable describes antagonists: the birds that are hunting for these seeds. If you’ve ever shared the faith with a friend or coworker, and they show no interest whatsoever, know that the devil is trying to prevent the Word of God from taking root in their souls. The Bible uses the phrase “hard-hearted” to describe the resistance that some people have to the Word of God. Like Pharaoh, they simply won’t listen or repent. This does not mean that we should give up on them. It is possible that stony hearts can be broken. St. Paul who used to be Saul the Persecutor was one such example. We ought to keep at it, sharing God’s word and love when we have the opportunity. No one who is living is beyond hope. Paul reminds us: “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4). The second problem is easier to understand: it is the seed that falls on rocky ground and withers away. Imagine in the science fair experiment, this would be the seed that you give insufficient water or bad soil. It grows up for a while, but dies by the end of the experiment. Jesus says, “And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away” (13). What happens to a soul that is not regularly fed by the Word of God? It dies. What happens when a Christian stops hearing God’s Word? They will not be Christians for long. We cannot say when exactly that happens—only God knows. But it is given as a warning to each one of us, both for ourselves and especially to those around us. Yes, we ought to treasure God’s Word for our own lives and not despise preaching and God’s Word. Even more, we should raise our children to do the same and also reach out to those we fear are going astray. Imagine if my wife and I did nothing more to support the faith of precious little Zoe. We got her baptized and then said, “Job’s done—she’s saved. She doesn’t need anything more.” That would be a misunderstanding of Baptism and of God’s will for her. Jesus says at the end of Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (28:19–20). Disciples are made by baptizing and by teaching. They go together. Baptism saves, and further teaching is also necessary. God bless parents and Sunday School teachers who do this wonderful task. It’s probably good to also point out that further teaching is more than catechism class. Confirmation is not graduation, as if you’ve learned all you need to know, and then you can go out into the world. No matter where you go, remember that you rely on God’s word like plants need rain. It feeds you and sustains you. The third problem of the thorns is that of worldliness, and it affects all of us. In some way, you could say that the first two are easily observable. The second is afflicting each of us right now in different ways. Jesus says, “And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature” (14). There could be plenty of water, plenty of nutrients. This would be like a science experiment where you add another plant in the same pot of soil as the tomato plant. Eventually, there will be competition between the two. The reason I say that each of us are afflicted by this is that we are all tempted to think that this life has more to offer us than eternal life with Jesus. Are you worried about people’s opinions of you? Why, when you know that you are justified before God by Jesus Christ. Are you worried about current events? Why, when God has told you that wars and rumors of wars and all sorts of things will happen, but the end is not yet? Are you enticed by your bank account, worrying that it will not be enough or that anything can wipe it out in an instant? Are the simpler pleasures of food, drink, sex, or clothing choking out your focus on Christ who feeds you and clothes you? The things of this earth are nothing compared with the eternal weight of glory that God is storing up for you. C. S. Lewis has a great quotation that has helped me put this all into context. He says, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory, par. 26). We are too easy pleased by the weeds that grow up around us, that seem fine for a time until they begin to choke out our faith. By the grace of God, we should recognize the cares and riches and pleasures of this world as insufficient substitutes for that which only Christ can give us. By seeking Him, we will have far more than anything this world can provide. In the end, we must return to the “control group,” so to speak. That is the example for us today. It is what God would do for you in your life. You would receive the seed of His Word. You would have it nourished by water and protected from weeds. By having a strong plant of faith, you would then be beneficial to those around you as you produce the fruit of good works. For faith should not be divorced from good works, but only when faith is healthy and strong and fed by God’s Word will any good works come. May God grant both to us: a robust and steadfast faith in God, and the fruit of good works to serve our neighbor. May God grant that to Zoe, and to each of us who are disciples of Christ by baptism and teaching. Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen. Return to Top \| Return to Sermons \| Home \| Email Church Office

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Sexagesima—February 23^rd, 2025

Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church, Block, Kansas

Rev. Joshua Woelmer

Text: Luke 8:4–15

“The Word Alone”

Theme: God gives us the reasons for unbelief, which serve as a warning for us and our faith.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Science fair projects can either be really fun or really burdensome for both parents and children. There are a few I remember rushing to put together last minute as you work fast to summarize all the points, slap-dash some basic information, and then decorate it on one of those display boards so it didn’t look like you did it all last minute. Which, of course, is probably what everyone else was also doing. One of my more memorable projects was a relatively easy one for my parents to help me out with. It was basically how well tomato plants grew in different conditions. You can imagine how it went: you have a control that you watered every day and gave plenty of sunlight and kept free of weeds.

Some plants you would test to see how well they would grow if you gave them fertilizer or better soil type or varying levels of water. On the other hand, you could also test what would happen if you took away some of those things. Some you watered very little. Some you gave little sunlight. Some you tried in different soil that was better for desert plants. By doing so, you could demonstrate what the plants would look like if they were deprived of what they needed to grow properly and put out wonderful, juicy tomatoes.

Jesus tells us a parable in our Gospel text that sounds eerily similar to this science fair project. What happens when a sower goes out to sow his seed? What happens to the seed as it falls on various types of soil? The great thing with this parable is that Jesus actually explains it for us—He tells us what it means. He does not do this for every parable. We should definitely pay attention to His own interpretation of the parable.

Instead of starting with how things go wrong, let’s look at the last first, the “control” seed first. This is the seed that “fell into the good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold” (8). It did what it was supposed to do. The seed was the same seed as all the others, only this fell into good soil, was watered regular, and had no weeds to contend with. It grew up and produced a good fruit for the farmer to enjoy. How does Jesus interpret this seed? “The seed is the word of God. … As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience” (11, 15).

Jesus is describing faith and how it grows. Christ has cast the seed of His Word into your heart. This happens first by Holy Baptism, which we got to witness today. The Word is connected to water. Even though it is plain water that is poured over the head of the person, the Word of God works in and with the water to purify that person spiritually. Likewise, the Word of God works through preaching and teaching and reading the Bible to grow your faith. Finally, receiving the Lord’s Supper is also the means by which you partake of Christ’s body and blood for the strengthening of your faith, and this too comes about when the Word is combined with physical elements.

The seed of your faith is planted in your soul by this Word of God alone. It needs nourishment, to be sure. But Jesus describes just this when he talks about holding the word of God fast in your hearts and bearing fruit with patience, which is good works. These two things summarize the Christian life: faith in God and good works for the neighbor. God works towards both in your life. Now that we see the control group, so to speak, let’s look at how things sometimes go wrong.

The first problem that we encounter is the seed on rocky soil. As it is sown, the birds come and carry it away before it can even take root. Jesus explains this by saying: “The ones along the path are those who have heard. Then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved” (12). This is describing non-Christians. If I were to describe this in a science fair metaphor, imagine taking the seed and then giving it no water and shutting it in a cupboard for the length of the experiment.

Although, even that explanation does not do the parable justice, because the parable describes antagonists: the birds that are hunting for these seeds. If you’ve ever shared the faith with a friend or coworker, and they show no interest whatsoever, know that the devil is trying to prevent the Word of God from taking root in their souls. The Bible uses the phrase “hard-hearted” to describe the resistance that some people have to the Word of God. Like Pharaoh, they simply won’t listen or repent.

This does not mean that we should give up on them. It is possible that stony hearts can be broken. St. Paul who used to be Saul the Persecutor was one such example. We ought to keep at it, sharing God’s word and love when we have the opportunity. No one who is living is beyond hope. Paul reminds us: “[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).

The second problem is easier to understand: it is the seed that falls on rocky ground and withers away. Imagine in the science fair experiment, this would be the seed that you give insufficient water or bad soil. It grows up for a while, but dies by the end of the experiment. Jesus says, “And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away” (13). What happens to a soul that is not regularly fed by the Word of God? It dies. What happens when a Christian stops hearing God’s Word? They will not be Christians for long. We cannot say when exactly that happens—only God knows. But it is given as a warning to each one of us, both for ourselves and especially to those around us. Yes, we ought to treasure God’s Word for our own lives and not despise preaching and God’s Word. Even more, we should raise our children to do the same and also reach out to those we fear are going astray.

Imagine if my wife and I did nothing more to support the faith of precious little Zoe. We got her baptized and then said, “Job’s done—she’s saved. She doesn’t need anything more.” That would be a misunderstanding of Baptism and of God’s will for her. Jesus says at the end of Matthew: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (28:19–20). Disciples are made by baptizing and by teaching. They go together. Baptism saves, and further teaching is also necessary.

God bless parents and Sunday School teachers who do this wonderful task. It’s probably good to also point out that further teaching is more than catechism class. Confirmation is not graduation, as if you’ve learned all you need to know, and then you can go out into the world. No matter where you go, remember that you rely on God’s word like plants need rain. It feeds you and sustains you.

The third problem of the thorns is that of worldliness, and it affects all of us. In some way, you could say that the first two are easily observable. The second is afflicting each of us right now in different ways. Jesus says, “And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature” (14). There could be plenty of water, plenty of nutrients. This would be like a science experiment where you add another plant in the same pot of soil as the tomato plant. Eventually, there will be competition between the two.

The reason I say that each of us are afflicted by this is that we are all tempted to think that this life has more to offer us than eternal life with Jesus. Are you worried about people’s opinions of you? Why, when you know that you are justified before God by Jesus Christ. Are you worried about current events? Why, when God has told you that wars and rumors of wars and all sorts of things will happen, but the end is not yet? Are you enticed by your bank account, worrying that it will not be enough or that anything can wipe it out in an instant? Are the simpler pleasures of food, drink, sex, or clothing choking out your focus on Christ who feeds you and clothes you?

The things of this earth are nothing compared with the eternal weight of glory that God is storing up for you. C. S. Lewis has a great quotation that has helped me put this all into context. He says, “If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased” (The Weight of Glory, par. 26). We are too easy pleased by the weeds that grow up around us, that seem fine for a time until they begin to choke out our faith.

By the grace of God, we should recognize the cares and riches and pleasures of this world as insufficient substitutes for that which only Christ can give us. By seeking Him, we will have far more than anything this world can provide.

In the end, we must return to the “control group,” so to speak. That is the example for us today. It is what God would do for you in your life. You would receive the seed of His Word. You would have it nourished by water and protected from weeds. By having a strong plant of faith, you would then be beneficial to those around you as you produce the fruit of good works. For faith should not be divorced from good works, but only when faith is healthy and strong and fed by God’s Word will any good works come. May God grant both to us: a robust and steadfast faith in God, and the fruit of good works to serve our neighbor. May God grant that to Zoe, and to each of us who are disciples of Christ by baptism and teaching.

Now may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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