Scripture Readings: Psalms 119: 105-112 & Matthew 13:1-9
In 2022, the 16th Assembly passed a resolution to strengthen the Uniting Church’s commitment to living our life and faith as an intercultural church. This included the adoption of a new annual celebration – Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday.
By taking part in Intercultural Neighbouring Sunday, Uniting Church communities join together on this day to celebrate our cultural diversity and our commitment to being an intercultural church. Our vision and commitments for this emerge from a hope that we might become a truly intercultural church, living life and faith cross-culturally. By doing so, we can all participate in the mission of God as co-pilgrims toward a promised goal that is a renewed and reconciled world.
Especially, hospitality is the hallmark of the kingdom community Jesus proclaimed. People from different ethnic backgrounds take up their place, contribute their gifts and participate as equals, as both guests and hosts. A Church for all God’s People is inclusive of all peoples and cultures, women and men, young and old.
Come all you people, enter the presence of God.
We are members of the family of God.
Christ has brought us peace by making us all one people.
From every nation, every race, culture, and language.
Come all who gather to praise and sing in the one Spirit.
Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, thanksgiving and honour be to our God forever and ever! Amen!
We are the Body of Christ, gathered in celebration and sharing all the gifts which we can spread out into a waiting world.
However, we journey through a fallen and broken world, where there are many dark places and dangerous things seeking to destroy our close relationship with God. Not only are there external difficulties to face in life’s journey, but also there are internal wanderings and weaknesses, which stay deep inside. It can cause us to walk away from God, His way, and our first love to God.
What relationships have we struggled with? How have we overcome difficulties? How is our relationship with God? Through God’s word and worship and prayers, may we concentrate on our relationship with God and try to live our lives in accordance with God’s will. Whenever we lean on God, He will lead us into a great and loving relationship with God and others.
In Psalm 119 we are given a beautiful promise that God’s word is a lamp for our feet and a light on our path. Scripture is our lamp and light to bring us back into a right relationship with the Lord when we stray from the path of righteousness and the way of peace. The lamp is inextinguishable, and the light is radiant. The Word of God guides us along the right path in the world and illuminates the next step in our lives. May we accompany God’s word and walk boldly even in the shadow of uncertainty.
Scripture will brighten the path we take and re-energise our hope in Christ. God’s word brightens our pathway and guards us on our journey through life. God’s Word provides sure foundations from chaos, right directions from questions, and shining light from the darkness so that we can stand in a world that is falling apart. His word also provides love, comfort, healing, understanding to the one who walks humbly before the Lord and follows Jesus. In our all circumstances, may we stand firm in Christ and God’s word.
Today’s text, Matthew 13 is about a sower who went out to sow seeds. A sower is someone who sows or plants seeds that will later grow and harvest. In this parable, the sower sows the same kind of seeds, but when the person sows, the seeds fall into four different kinds of ground. These four grounds give four different results.
Four different types of ground are the roadside, rocky ground, the thorns, and the good soil. The first three types of ground are not good for seeds to grow in. However, the fourth is good ground in which to sow or plant seeds to prosper. The results of the sowing are all different.
In accordance with this parable, on the roadside, the birds came and ate them up. In the rocky ground, as soon as they started to grow, they began to wither and die, because they had no depth of soil. In the thorns, the thorns came up and choked the seeds and starved them of nutrients. Lastly, the good soil yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. Jesus ends this parable with a message, “Those who have ears, let them hear.” This is Jesus’ invitation for all to listen and to hear.
What seeds have we sown for God? Do we expect everything to grow? Have we had failures in growing seeds in our garden or has everything grown? Do we set unrealistic goals? Are we all growing in faith? The sower who sowed their seed saw that some seeds produced a rich harvest, whilst others died. In this world, may we sow seeds of God, leave it up to God to grow them, and experience their growth.
We are in God’s beautiful garden. It is intercultural, different, colourful, and beautiful. In today’s parable, the seeds the sower scatters are the same, but grounds are all different. However, our seeds are all different, but our gardens or grounds can be all good soils in Christ through God’s word. We are intercultural and intergenerational and all different, but we can gladly walk and move forward together toward unity in Christ. The person who receives God’s truth and commits to Christ will live a fruitful life for the kingdom.
Seek, Embrace, Encourage (Empower), Diversity (Difference)
The Bible guides our thoughts by wisdom, encourages our hearts by God’s promises, and gives us divine instruction on how to live as the Lord desires us to live. God’s Word is the light of truth that is written for our salvation, life, and faith in Christ. It is God’s instrument to lead us into holiness and to guide our lives into the way of truth. Through God’s word, God will lead us away from each danger, strengthen our faith in our Saviour, and straighten every crooked path. May we inwardly digest and guard God’s words within our hearts.
We sometimes face difficulties and temptations in our lives, but we can overcome them through knowing God’s guidance and God’s word. May we live out the gospel and experience God’s leading in our daily lives. From that trusting and loving relationship with God, may we praise and trust God and bear much fruit in our lives.
Thanks be to God! Amen.
(Ref. Bible, commentaries, theological books, UCA materials)