God's Extravagant Grace
Scripture Reading
Matthew 13:1-9 | The Parable of the Sower
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 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. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 Let anyone with ears listen!”
Reflection
I once heard about a farmer in Iowa who year after year won recognition for the highest yielding corn crop. They give awards for that sort of thing in Iowa, you know.
How does this farmer do it? He said that every year after the harvest he provides his neighbors with his best seed corn so they can use it in the coming year. He shares with his neighbors seed from the highest yielding plants in his crop. He generously provides them with enough seed to plant their entire crop in the coming year.
This farmer knows the value of seed. It is costly. To share the best seed corn from your own crop with all your neighbors is an extravagant gift. But, this farmer knows that if his neighbor’s crop is good, it will help his crop become better. The plants will pollinate one another, creating better yields for everyone.
His success as a farmer is because of his extravagant sharing with those around him. But ultimately, his abundant yield comes as an abundant gift of from God.
God’s grace is a gift. God spreads grace around like seeds flung abundantly out on the ground. Unlike the Iowa farmer, who carefully tills the soil, fertilizes, and cares for his crop, God just spreads grace around willy-nilly, indiscriminately, letting the abundance of love fall wherever it can. It is an extravagant gift of grace and love.
God’s way is abundant sharing. Abundant sharing results in greater sharing all around. Those who receive God’s abundant love spread that love by caring for others. Receiving God’s grace is contagious – when you catch it, you want to spread it around. Like the pollen from that Iowa farm, it spreads around in unimaginable ways.
When the love of God is growing in your life, you begin to see the world differently. You live your life in the way of Jesus, the way of the Kingdom of God. God’s extravagant grace is spread to others through the things you say and do, the way you live. It causes you to make choices that change the lives of many other people, sometimes in small ways, but sometimes in profoundly deep ways.
God’s grace yields thirtyfold, sixtyfold, a hundredfold. The extravagant seed of God’s grace yields abundantly in ways we may never see. Every day, make the choice to allow God’s extravagant love to flow generously through your life to change the lives of other people.
Exercise
God’s grace grows in our lives like tomatoes in June. How has God’s grace been revealed in your life?
Who do you know who needs to experience the extravagant abundance of God’s grace? What can you do for this person?
Every day, allow God to abundantly share love through you to someone.
Greg Smith, Director of Legacy Ministry, First Baptist Church of Decatur