Lessons from the Soil
Joshua 24:13-15; Mark 4:3-9, 14-20
A Meditation Delivered by Thomas J. Boone, Ph.D.
Central Presbyterian Church, Mobile AL, April 13, 2008

I was stumped the other day at Lowe’s, not by the lack of choice in bathroom lighting and faucets, but by the plethora of options. Walls upon walls of choices, and a book to make special orders in case I didn’t find exactly what I wanted. That got me to thinking about choices and how accustomed we are to making them. We have the ability to choose between Old Navy and Ann Taylor for clothes. We can choose from more than thirty lines of jeans and who knows how many makers of shoes. We have five major hospitals in this area alone, and more than a dozen institutions of higher education. It’s not enough to say I’d like cereal, because when you go down the aisle it takes five minutes just to decide what strikes your fancy this week. Books-a-Million would be better named Books-a-Billion.

Choices define our spiritual interests, too. We can choose between more translations of the Bible than we have fingers and toes. Publishing houses pump out Christian literature by the ton. If people get upset with their church over carpet color or pews they can relocate to another one not too far away. If the issue is deeper, then there are other denominations to consider.

My point is this: whether its in the mundane, cosmetic, or deeper aspects of life, choice is one of our core values, without which we’d be lesser people. God created us for freedom, so He doesn’t keep us from our choices. Now sometimes we make good choices that honor others, God, and ourselves. At other times, because of sin’s influence, we witness choices that astound us. A few weeks ago another pastor was perplexed about the choices some of her youth’s parents were making about letting their youth drink at parties as long as it was in their house. Her jaw about dropped when one of the parents said, “At least they’re not doing drugs.”

Despite the risk that we may make choices that lead us away from holiness and God, giving people choices has been part of God’s M.O. since the dawn of humanity. Adam and Eve had the option to obey God, but they chose otherwise. Cain had the option to stop the carnal and raging voice in his head saying, “I will kill my brother,” but he chose to kill Abel instead. David could’ve stopped checking out Bathsheba, he had the option to make things right with her husband Uriah, and he ought to have stopped playing favorites between his children, but he chose to follow his pride rather than God’s Word on these matters.

Joshua gave God’s people a choice, too. He said, “If you’re unwilling to serve the Lord then choose this day whom you will serve.” God doesn’t handcuff His people into reverence, holy living, and obedience, but He does expect a choice. Either they could choose the Lord or other gods. But, they had to choose. No waffling, no indecision, no fence-riding. Choose God, or not. There’s no in-between.

But in-between is exactly where people like to be, isn’t it? Joshua focuses on two points in his address to the Israelites that they can use to know if they are choosing either God or the in-between: idolatry and God’s Word. And as I look at modern Christians Joshua’s tests still seem to apply. We say we believe in Jesus as Lord, yet we like to erect idols. The church can be an idol for some. For others their idol can be the nation, a career, or family. Idol worship isn’t just about praying to another god, it’s about putting something else into the center of our lives to the point where either it controls us or where we think we must control it. To choose God means to give all things over into God’s hands, period, because in choosing God we choose the Sovereign and omnipotent Lord. There’s no in-between.

Settling for an “in-between” place in our faith happens when we say we believe in Jesus as Lord, yet we seldom let God’s Word into our hearts. Just last week I met a seminary student in his graduating year and even has a call to a church as a Youth Pastor. So I asked him about his view on scripture, just to check. His answer troubled me. He said that scripture is authoritative...okay, good. He said that scripture is relevant...okay, good. But then came the shocker to me. He said, also, that scripture only matters as far as Christ is concerned. He must’ve seen my eyes widen. I came back “So, you’re saying that there is limited inspiration?” He said, “Yes, I guess that’s what I’m saying.” After talking about some specifics it became clear to me that I know confirmation students who know more scripture than this guy does, and we’re sending him off to lead our youth!

Joshua said that to serve the Lord, God’s people will need to focus on God’s Word, apply it, and obey it. It’s not up to us to choose which part of God’s Word applies to us or which doesn’t, unless scripture itself says something no longer applies. It is up to us to choose serving the Lord or not. We can’t have it both ways, to serve the Lord and serve ourselves through His Word. There’s no in-between on this point and all our Confessions agree about this.

That’s what makes Jesus’ parable in Mark 4 compelling and prophetic. Compelling because God plants His Word in us and He means for it to flourish. He doesn’t plant His Word for it to be left idle, squandered, or wasted. The difference between the two is a matter of choice, at least as Mark presents Jesus’ parable. And that’s where this parable is prophetic, because in Mark, the differences in the soils are matters of our choices.

With one of the soils we hear God’s Word, but we allow the influence of the Evil One to be greater than God’s Word. With another of the soils we hear God’s Word and think “Wow, that’s great stuff!” but what happens is that we leave it at that and it ends up doing nothing for us. In both of these cases we hear God, but have chosen the in-between place thinking that in hearing it that’s good enough. With the third kind of soil we hear God’s Word, and we even let it grow, but we choose to ignore its challenge to transform our hearts and minds. The result is the same as it was with the first two soils: we allow God’s Word to die in us, and it’s as if we never chose God in the first place.

The only soil that God’s interested in is the fourth type of soil which means hearing God’s Word, but then choosing to submit ourselves to its challenge to accept Christ’s authority over our lives. Mark’s gospel focuses on Christ’s absolute authority over all things and people. There’s no in-between when it comes to our response to God. It was true in Joshua’s day, it was true in Jesus’ day, and it’s true in our day.

Choose God, or choose something else, but don’t think you can choose both. And as much as choice is a core value for us, still it’s hard to do, isn’t it? The implications of a life fully surrendered into God’s hands risks that God will call us into uncomfortable situations, to sacrifice more time or money, to change in the church, or other things. But He won’t force us down the path we know will please Him because He knows what kind of follower that produces. Jesus says in the Gospel of John, “I do not call you servants any longer, but I have called you friends.” Jesus invites us into a relationship that looks like friendship with him, not an overbearing type of relationship. He’s invited us into a relationship where we’ll want to choose His way over our way. He’s shown us that He’ll provide for us, that all things work for glory in the end, that He has our best interest in His hands, if we but let Him. But He’s not going to force you into His will or influence. He wants willing children, not bitter ones. While He wants us completely, He doesn’t want us against our will, so He lets us choose.

“Choose this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Whom will you choose to serve? God’s not going to force you one way or the other, but the divergence between the choices couldn’t be clearer. To choose the Lordship of Christ and His Word is to choose abundant life. If you’re experiencing moral chaos then Christ calls you back to His Word, but you must choose one way or the other. No more in-between. If you’re despairing over illness or its hard to see God in the mire of family problems, then Christ calls you back to a faith that rests assured not in things going well, but rests assured that He is Sovereign no matter what. No more in-between. Choose today which Lord you will serve. The good news is that it’s never too late to choose Jesus, to return to His Word, and place Him at the center of your life. We may think we've done too much, or come too far away from God, but He'll never say its too late to choose Him again, to come back home. And for that good news, we say “Hallelujah. Amen."