My father currently serves a divine call as a professor of Immanuel Lutheran High School, College, and Seminary. His specialized skills are focused in Greek and New Testament studies, meaning that most of his classes are taught in the college and seminary departments. All my life he struck me as a white-collar worker, hitting the books constantly to retain as much information as possible on the Greek language so that he can help the future generations of pastors in navigating the New Testament. All the information stored in his mind is impressive, but to me this is not the most impressive thing he’s capable of. Honestly, what I’m about to tell you may not seem all that impressive to you, but it is to me. The most I’ve been impressed with him is whenever he talks with farmers and ranchers. He’s able to hold his own in conversations having to do with their trade. My father, who I thought to be just a scholarly desk jockey, is confidently talking about crop yields and bovine pedigree. I asked him how he was able to do that. “Well, serving as pastor in Nebraska and North Dakota for eleven years will teach you a few things. Growing up in suburban Minneapolis/St. Paul, I would never have guessed that I would know these things. At first, it was all Greek to me.”

Perhaps you’ve heard that expression before: it’s all Greek to me, simply meaning that you have no clue about the subject, as if you were looking at a foreign language. To me, just like my father started out, agriculture is Greek. The most I know is what I can remember from high school chemistry, physics, and biology class, and, of course, whatever you guys tell me. I once heard a story from another pastor who when he was asked by one of his members, “how does the corn look?” He answered, “looks like corn to me…” I couldn’t say much more either. I am absolutely humbled by the knowledge that farmers and ranchers, and even more astounded by the faith of Christian farmers and ranchers, for that is the industry where faith in God’s providence can often be the most tangible. All I know about agriculture is, as the parable says, when seed is scattered, I notice that when I sleep by night and rise by day, the seed sprouts and grows, I don’t know how.  I know the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head, and that when the grain ripens, immediately the sickle is put in, because harvest has come."

Of course, the parable isn’t talking about farming. It’s using farming to describe the operation of God’s Word. Perhaps you may know a lot about farming and ranching, but when it comes to God’s Word, it might be Greek to you in many ways. How is it that these Words written for us create and sustain faith? Trust me, I know how you feel. Just as the biochemistry of farming is Greek to me, so is effectiveness of God’s Word at times. All we know is that it works, and we are told to trust it.

Therefore, with basic, childlike confidence, let us say with boldness the theme we study today: “All I know is that seeds grow.”

(we pray…)

So, I know that seeds grow. I take this for granted, whether it be home gardening or full-scale farming operations. Why does it grow? Well, I simply cannot get into all the science behind that. I simply know that by God’s creating hand He has ordained that it should work this way. He put in a tiny speck of carbon a plethora of information in the plant’s DNA. I know that much, but beyond that, I simply know that it grows. Now, what if we didn’t put that seed in the ground? Would it grow? In most cases, no, it wouldn’t. There would be no growth. Now, when it comes to God’s Word, we are told that it causes growth. It creates and sustains faith. It trains faith and prunes its fruit. If you don’t put the Word of God in the ground, that is if you don’t use it on yourself or someone else, will it grow? No. It must be applied.

Thank God that He has given us the seed of His Word. Just as there is the life power in the seed to grow, so there is power in God’s Word by the Holy Spirit. He tells us that the Gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes. He proclaims to us that the Word of God is living and powerful. He tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. God’s Word has life producing power just like that of a seed. When You come to hear it preached or taught, or when you read it and meditate on it at home, it will work on you. It will by its message of God’s Law, His will for you, show you that you are an ugly sinner and drive you to repentance. It will then by it’s Gospel, it’s Good News of Jesus, then show you that Jesus was perfect for you and has forgiven you through His life, death, and resurrection. And all this works to create and sustain your faith. A seed grows, and so does God’s Word in you.

So, seeds grow, and we use this knowledge for our benefit when we cast it into the ground. But I don’t want to shortchange the farmer’s diligence in how he does it. A lot of work and consideration goes into planting the seed in the earth so that it may produce its yield. We don’t take the casting of the seed for granted. The same goes for planting God’s Word. Work and consideration go into planting this as well, on both the part of the pastor and the lay person. We should not take this for granted, for a haphazard use of Scripture such as taking a section of it out of context or using law where gospel should be preached or vice versa may cause harm. We should be diligent in our use of Scripture, casting seed carefully into the soil of the human hearts that we are privileged to share God’s word with.

And yet, if you are guilty of misapplying and haphazardly casting the seed, know that you have been forgiven in Christ, and know that the Spirit works through His word. You never know how that shaky workmanship may play out. Just as God’s Word worked in your heart the sweet assurance of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus Christ, so it can and will in the hearts of others. Like the man who casts seed, goes to sleep, wakes up, sees the seedling and doesn’t understand, this is how it is with us. Surely it may be shocking that of all the religious and philosophical ideas out there, this Word of God is the only one that truly leaves one’s heart of soil with abounding fruit, that is  it leaves their heart and mind with the blessed assurance of sins forgiven and peace with God. This is how it works though, seed carefully cast into the ground produces life. God’s Word cast, preached, shared, taught, discussed, confessed, into hearts is what works life. It works faith in Christ Jesus our Lord for salvation to be made their own.

So, the seed has power, and its cast into the ground, and next comes the part that really blows me away: the life cycle. From seed time to harvest, I’m always blown away when I notice that the several mile long fields of dirt became a mass of tall green stalks. How does that even happen? I know that water and mulching go a long way, but at the end of the day the glory goes to God who created crops to grow the way they do. So, when it comes to faith created by the word, we must remember this, “For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.” What’s the point? The Word planted in one’s heart is also the tool that causes growth in faith. There are many today in Christianity that watch the lives of other Christians very closely, seeing if their lives have improved day by day, week by week. They accuse church goers of backsliding and that their life isn’t pious enough. Some churches give man made devices to improve their life. They give tips and tricks, like a seminar, or a daily chore list of penance. But are these man-made methods going to cause growth? Imagine going to the corn every day with a yard stick and saying to it: “You need to get this tall!” Will it grow because you stated that to the corn? No.

How does the blade, then the head, then the full grain get produced? By the Word of God. Remember, faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. The Word creates faith, and we are also told that faith produces fruits. If you yell at the corn, or say to a fruit tree, to produce fruit, does that cause fruit? No, for it will grow fruit whether you tell it to or not. Faith will produce fruit. That’s what it does. The corn will grow on its own, and it is the Word of God which does it. Through the mysteries of God’s saving Word, the Spirit shows us our Father’s love given in Jesus Christ our Lord. He shows us the magnitude of our sins erased in Jesus’ death and resurrection. He shows us how we have been saved from an eternity of burning anguish for an eternity of eternal bliss. He shows us through this gracious love that following His will will bring about blessing such as trusting in Him above all things gives us lasting peace, or remembering the sabbath day to keep it holy grants us the hearing of His comforting word, or helping our neighbor brings about a potential friendship and at the very least puts bitterness aside, and all this is done knowing that the best way to thank Him is to follow His will. He shows us all this to us in His Word, the very thing which causes growth.

So, seeds grow, and they grow until harvest time. And so, I ask: is farming useless work? Although I don’t know much about agriculture, I know enough to be thankful for every meal I eat. I thank our agricultural workers for their labors to feed the nation. It is not useless work, and I’m reminded of this every fall when the fields go from tall greenish stalks, to pale stubs in a dry field of dirt. It is not useless work, and I trust the farmers every year to produce a bountiful harvest. More importantly, I trust God every year to do this, and I trust God every year to grow more crop before an even greater harvest. So then, I ask, is farming useless work? This time I don’t mean agricultural farming. I mean spiritual farming. Harvest is coming. It could be soon; it could be after we have died. Regardless, this is not useless. The seed must go out.

When the grain ripens, the sickle is immediately put in and the grain is harvested. God has a time to collect for each one of us, and a time to collect what’s left on earth when this world comes to an end. I am more than grateful to know that God has sent the seed of His powerful word to work faith in you. Your heart has now become His dwelling. You are now a stalk of wheat, waiting to be collected on judgment day. Jesus Christ has purchased you with His blood. The Spirit has called you by His Word to believe in Jesus as your Savior. The Father has shown you His love in sending both His Son to live, die, and rise, and His Spirit to call you to faith. He preserves you until the day of harvest. And so, until then, remember, seeds grow, that’s all I know, and it will grow in you and the lives of those where it is planted. It has power to save, it is put in hearts by faith, it produces fruits of faith, and it will be collected for Heavenly glory when Christ comes to take us home. Seeds grow, that’s all I know. Thank God that His Word grow, that’s what we know.