for the birds...
"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." (Mark 4:3-4)
Every morning I walk my two dogs, Milo & Hope, before I head in to work. We walk the same 0.71 mile route (it's basically around the block). Near the start of our walk, we pass by an open field area surrounded by a chainlink fence. Occasionally we discover some rabbits or lizards moving through. But most days we see birds. Usually small ones. They're just sitting on the fence... or in a tumbleweed... or bounding along the ground. (I have to remind my dogs that birds have a right to be there, just as we do!)
My mother-in-law loves birds. She's set out a number of bird feeders in our backyard (including two for hummingbirds!). When they come to feed, it brings her so much joy. In fact, I think birds bring many people joy. Jesus even said that God loves the birds so much that he finds ways to feed them without them having to worry about it.
In the Gospel of Mark, chapter 4, Jesus tells "The Parable of the Sower." It's the very first parable he tells in Mark (and some scholars have called it foundational for all parables). In that parable, a sower starts flinging seeds far and wide. They land on 4 basic kinds of soils: the pathway, among thorns, on rocky ground, and in good soil. Needless to say, the first 3 soil types tend to get the reputation of being "bad" locations, for a variety of reasons.
Let's look at just the first type: the pathway. It's hard, of course, because people travel on it. There's no chance for seeds to "put down roots" and stay awhile. Nope. The seeds just lay there... open and exposed. It's no wonder that Jesus says the birds come and gobble them up. This has caused me to think 4 specific thoughts:
If you're worried about the seeds being "wasted," then the fault lies with the sower... who so recklessly (and carelessly?) flung them onto the pathway in the first place! BE MORE CAREFUL next time if that's a primary concern.
Obviously, the sower in this parable isn't worried about the seeds... he flings them far and wide! So this tells me that the sower is EXTREMELY GENEROUS (even reckless!).
God feeds the birds. This is just another opportunity for all of God's creatures to get fed. So, far from being a "bad" location... it's the perfect location for the birds!
Even seeds that are eaten by birds will eventually make their way through the digestive system and back "out into the world!" In fact, that's one of the ways plants are distributed - via bird digestion & migration! SO THE SEEDS WILL STILL BEAR FRUIT! (Just not in the "traditional" way that the sower started out with!)
So, where does that leave us? Well, if GOD IS THE SOWER, then we are reminded that God cares and provides for all of creation. Our job is not to be judges of seeds (or soils)... but to reflect the generosity (and recklessness!?!?) of the Sower. Oh yah... and to be spreaders of joy - like the birds! ;)