Lent 2 - Wednesday - A Topography Lesson in Galilee

Text: Mark 4:1-20 (see below)

We were in the Galilee driving up from Tiberius to Capernaum on the west side of the Sea of Galilee when the bus pulled over to the side of the road. Our guide opened his Bible and began to read from Mark 4: “Again Jesus began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables.”

John, our guide, then went on to describe how archeologists had discovered 5 or 6 coves like the one we were looking at out the bus window situated around the Sea of Galilee where if someone had gotten into a boat and pushed out into the water he could be heard by hundreds of people due to the natural acoustics in the area. Amazing! The Gospel had come alive right there on a tour bus in 1991. I never forgot that moment. Every time I come across this passage, my mind brings that small cove into view. 

I have always had a fondness for the parable of the sower because of his recklessness. A ‘careful” sower would make sure that the ground in which he was sowing was always considered good soil. But that is not the case in this situation. This reckless sower is throwing seeds everywhere he can with no concern about soil conditions, rocks or weeds.

It seems to me that is the way we are to sow love for one another – recklessly! As Christians we are challenged by our Master to love unconditionally; to love with great abandon; to love recklessly. Jesus said: “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Where in your life today do you need to sow seeds of love? Why not try it in the manner of the sower? Love recklessly and see what changes you bring to the lives of others and to the world.

Love One Another - Brian

Love and Cooking

The Dali Lama

“Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.”

Source: snopes.com

Mark 4:1-20

Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that “they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’ And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’