That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!" Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
'You will indeed listen, but never understand,
and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
For this people's heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn-
and I would heal them.'
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.
In the New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version, the notation beneath Matthew 13: 1-16 is written:
"Parables are stories describing situations in everyday life which, as Jesus used them, convey a spiritual meaning. In general the teaching of each parable relates to a single point, and apart from this the details may, or may not, have a particular meaning. Jesus used this method of teaching because: (a) it gave vivid, memorable expression to his teachings; (b) it led those who heard to reflect on his words and bear responsibility for their decision to accept or oppose his claim; (c) it probably reduced specific grounds for contention by hostile listeners." (New Testament, Page 19).
In the past by certain groups have used this parable about the ground in which the seed of the Word of God fell, to mean that many people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered are individuals that were just "bad ground" on which the Word came to rest upon. This is a place where those who practice Biblical literalism have often created such a world of tension for not only LGBT people, but women and minorities of all kinds.
In his book "In the Eye of the Storm" Bishop Gene Robinson writes:
"though I believe the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, that doesn't mean they are literally the "words" of God, virtually dictated by God through human media. And let's not forget the real "Word" of God is Jesus himself. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," begins the Gospel of John. Christians believe it isn't the Bible but the Jesus "event"--his life, death, and resurrection--that offers the perfect revelation of God. The Bible is the best and most trustworthy witness to that event, but it neither replaces Jesus as the Word nor takes precedence over Christ's continuing action in the world through the Holy Spirit. To elevate the words of scripture to a higher place that the revealed Word of God in Jesus Christ is an act of idolatry.
These things may seem hopelessly off-topic for issues related to gay and lesbian people, but they're all deeply related. We're talking about how we change our minds--as a culture, a nation and a church--about something we've been very sure about for thousands of years. To some, it seems like the height of madness and a willy-nilly discarding of ancient truths. To some, it seems as if nothing is certain anymore, or that the church doesn't know what it believes. But to others, it seems like the kind of change that Jesus promised would be inspired by the Holy Spirit. Only through such a gentle and comforting understanding of the continuing word of God will people find the courage to change their minds about this issue. (Page 22)."
All of that being said it is truly sad and disheartening the way in which many Christians classify LGBT people. Just today President Obama has selected Elena Kagan to sit on the Supreme Court. The American Family Association a radical religious right organization wants to know Kagan's sexual orientation since in their opinion: "No lesbian is qualified" to sit on the SCOTUS. In New Mexico a teacher ignored an 11-year old girl getting beaten up because her Moms are lesbians. These are the responses of people who claim that they heard the Word of God say that homosexuality is an "abomination" and therefore feel they have a "duty" to behave violently towards LGBT people and those who are associated with LGBT people.
I think a more appropriate understanding of Jesus as the Word of God would be perhaps the religious right with their insistence upon paying more attention to the Scriptures as the Word of God, rather than paying attention to Jesus Christ who is the Word of God, that they could be an example of seed falling upon stone and burning up and not yielding any good harvest. It would appear that those who suggest that the Bible is their excuse for using lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people as their scapegoats for being violent and prejudiced have failed to listen carefully to who Jesus Christ, God's perfect revelation truly is. This means it is even more important that LGBT people and those who have a passion for social justice pay very close attention to Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Because it is important that we do not return prejudice and violence towards those who use the Bible to justify using discrimination and violence towards us.
If we are going to bring forward a good harvest of love, tolerance, conversion and hope to a world of violence, bias, capitalism and racism, sexism and hetero-sexism then Jesus Christ the Word of God is our example and teacher, as well as our best friend, Lord and Savior. In Jesus Christ, God made unconditional and all-inclusive love the measure by which God wishes to change the world. By inviting those who are marginalized and stigmatized by society and the Church to be included so that they can lead productive and holy lives is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is really about. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's perfect revelation also gave to the Church the Holy Spirit with her gifts and fruits by which we are called to exercise the ministry of healing, reconciliation and radical hospitality. In the Rule of St. Benedict the monks are told: "Let all guests who come be received as Christ would be, because He will say: "I was a stranger, and you welcomed me." (RB #73, Mt 25: 35).
Today is one of the Traditional Rogation Days as we get closer to Ascension Thursday. Today is the the day that we pray for a fruitful season as we move through Spring into Summer as many farmers and gardeners look forward to a good harvest. As we pray especially for them today, we also need to pray for the Church. As the Church continues to work through the issues of inclusion, we need to remember that the Church, "the Anglican Communion isn't just a vast bureaucracy. It's really the people, you and I, who make it up." (Eye of the Storm, Page 163). The work of the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Church and society is God's work and our work to be carried out in the Church in our time. It is a work like the work of any farmer. We will plant seeds, some will grow really well, others will be destroyed by bad tempered weather and others become the beautiful and delicious fruit that we have been hoping for. But God, the Holy Spirit is the One who is inspiring what is going on and will lead us all into what is good, holy and perfect. Thanks be to God.
O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Collect for the Sixth Sunday of Easter, Book of Common Prayer, Page 225).
Almighty God, Lord of heaven and earth: We humbly pray that your gracious providence may give and preserve to our use the harvests of the land and of the seas, and may prosper all who labor to gather them, that we, who are constantly receiving good things from your hand, may always give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (Prayer for fruitful seasons, Rogation Day, Book of Common Prayer, Page 258).
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Savior, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions; take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatever else may hinder us from godly union and concord; that, as there is but one Body and one Spirit, one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify you; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for the Unity of the Church, Book of Common Prayer, Page 818).
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