Seed Among Thorns

Rev. Jamie Gater

Whilst weeding a bed at the new vicarage recently, surrounded by brambles, I thought to myself that it might be quite appropriate if I was to preach on Jesus teaching about thorns and weeds soon, and here we are!

Something I noticed during my encounter with bed after bed of overgrown brambles, is that they are vigorous, painful and weak. Brambles get everywhere, and trying to get them out is made all the more difficult by these qualities; cut them back and they grow more strongly, try and get them out and the thorns will make you regret it, try and wrestle one where you want it, and the stalk just snaps.

The temptations of the world are a bit like this, and that makes it hard to trust that God is on our side, especially when we feel choked by the weeds of the world. A challenge for us is to trust that, at the end of all things, God will sort the wheat form the chaff, the good seed from the thorns, making all as it should be.

The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear,
but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures,
and they do not mature.
Luke 8:14