“[The Lord] sows where no reasonable sower would sow: on the trodden path, in rocky and thorny ground. And His Word does what no ordinary sower could expect of his seed. It transforms the ground. It bears fruit in the unlikely hearts of rebellious men. He sows because He is good and His seed is good and we need it.
“He is no respecter or persons and does not discriminate. He sows His seed lavishly, inviting all those with ears to hear. No one comes to this kingdom worthily. There are no good people, no plowed and ready ground. There are only sinners. Some are stubborn and deny that they are sinners or deny that Jesus is the Lord’s Christ. But some – by grace, not because they are good or smart, but because He is good – are transformed and acknowledge their need for grace and the lordship of Jesus Christ. He who has gets more. The kingdom is not built on justice, but on grace.”
_______
This is an excerpt from the sermon for Sexagesima in Thy Kingdom Come by David H. Petersen. Sexagesima is the second Sunday in Pre-Lent, which falls on February 24 this year. The readings for this particular Sunday according to the historic lectionary are Isaiah 55:10-13, 2 Corinthians 11:19-12:9, and Luke 8:4-15. Thy Kingdom Come is 20% off during Lent.