Isaiah chapter 55 begins in a very awesome and utopian way – “Come all who are thirsty, come to the water; and you that have no money – come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” This is certainly a beautiful vision and description of the abundance of God’s invitation to his people. If anyone continues to cling to an old vision of a stingy and mean God, this scripture should be enough to dispel those images. Our verses for today, from Isaiah 55: 10-11 should be read in the light of the opening paragraphs of this chapter – there is always this abundance in God’s grace. His word is always creative and always effective – just as the rain and the snow always bring new life and allow growth to occur. Jesus provides a similar emphasis in the Gospel today – one of the longer of the around forty parables that Jesus tells with the most detailed explanation which unlike the parable which is told to the crowd, the explanation is only directed towards the disciples. Again the sower of the seed is abundant and generous.
Recorded at St Paul’s, 5.30pm (6’10”)
Sunday 15, Year A. Isaiah 55:10-11; Matthew 13:1-43