Second Sermon in a Three-Part Series: Parables – Stories that Read Us
Watch a video of an earlier version of this sermon from 2017 here. 

Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Maybe you’ve wondered this yourself, or you know someone who has. I hear it often from people who are looking for help when they’ve reached the end of their rope, when it seems like life has dealt them more trouble than anyone deserves. It’s a fair question, but it’s a difficult one to answer. It’s the kind of question Jesus would often use a parable to explain.

Today’s gospel reading comes from the thirteenth chapter of the gospel according to Matthew. This chapter is a whole string of parables. The first one, about a sower who scatters seed everywhere, on all kinds of ground, is about the character of God. The seven parables that follow are all about the kingdom of God. In today’s reading, Jesus is still talking about planting, but he switches his metaphors a bit from the parable of the sower. In this one, something bad happens to a good farmer. Continue reading →