by Scott Stoner
Let
anyone with ears listen! —Matthew 13:9
The sounds of spring in the Northern Hemisphere are
unmistakable. Birds singing, rain showers, the wind in the trees, and the sound
of gurgling creeks, all announce the resurgence of life all around us.
The sounds of Easter are unmistakable too. Some of my
favorite sounds of Easter include trumpets, bells, organ music, choir descants,
children shrieking as they hunt for eggs, and loud acclamations that Christ is
risen.
All around us, God is speaking to us of resurrection. The
question, one that we have been reflecting on in our journey through Lent this
year is, “Are we listening?” We have learned that one of the greatest gifts
that we can give to one another is the gift of listening. We have learned that
much of what passes for listening is not authentic listening, but instead
superficial, almost a pretend kind of hearing, and that deep, authentic
listening requires intentionality.
Today we are reminded of the gift of resurrection that
God has promised us. The gift that we can give back to God is to truly listen
to the story of Jesus’ resurrection with the ears of our hearts.
Jesus’ Parable of the Sower, while not usually associated
with the celebration of Easter, is a profound description of what happens when
we are open to listening to God. With the guidance of our guest writers, this
Lent has been devoted to removing the rocks and thorns in our hearts, souls,
and minds that make it hard for us to truly listen to God and to one another. I
invite you now to listen to this parable as a parable for what can happen when
we genuinely listen to the good news of Easter in our lives.
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! —Matthew 13:1-9
My hope and prayer for all of us today is that through
listening to the story of Easter anew, God will bring forth a harvest of
resurrection in our lives and in the lives of those whom God calls us to love
and serve.
Living
Well Through Lent 2021
Copyright
©2021 Scott Stoner.
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rights reserved.
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