Unnoticed Thorns

Rev. Brandon Blacksten

Reading

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 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. But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. If you have ears, hear!”
Matthew 13:1-19

Reflection

As a father, I often find myself making meals for my daughters (though, admittedly, I do this less frequently than Courtney). I’ve realized that when I make meals, I often sample what I’m preparing. I’m also the clean-up crew when they finish eating and still have food on their plate. It’s part of my unwritten job description to eat whatever they didn’t eat.

One day, I was fasting—eating no food until evening—and that morning, I made Elsie’s lunch for school. Without thinking, I popped several bites into my mouth before belatedly remembering that I was trying to fast. In situations like that, I often fall into all-or-nothing thinking, and I am tempted to just give up the fast and eat normally. In my better moments, though, I can take these situations as learning moments—in this case, to recognize that I tend to eat mindlessly when food is in front of me. Instead of being frustrated with myself for being bad at fasting, I can take the moment as a learning about my relationship with food.

This kind of awareness is one of the gifts of fasting. It can help bring to light tendencies and temptations that we don’t typically notice. We can use food and other compulsions to obscure difficult feelings or mindless behaviors, so when the cover is taken away, we’re better able to see what is really going on.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus describes seed that “fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.” He goes on to describe to the disciples that the thorns represent the cares of the world and the lure of wealth. As we strive to live faithfully—to become the kind of seed that bears much fruit—one of our challenges is that these “thorns” don’t look like thorns to us. In many cases, they seem like part of daily life, as invisible to us as the food I consume without thinking about it.

Practices of fasting (giving up food) or abstinence (giving up other things) can reveal these thorns to us. When I’m not eating, I recognize the ways I use food as a source of comfort and not just nourishment. When I try to abstain from scrolling on my phone, I recognize that I had been using it to numb uncomfortable feelings. This knowledge can help us to heal and get rid of habits that take us away from God’s desires for our life.

As you look at your life, what are the thorns that you don’t typically notice? What practices like fasting and abstinence might help you to identify those? If you’re interested in fasting, this article from author Justin Whitmel Earley is a great primer.

Whatever you choose, whether you’re fasting or feasting, may you see clearly the thorns that threaten to smother us so that you may experience fully the life of the kingdom.

Prayer
God of abundance,
Every day you sow seed,
And you wait patiently for it to grow.
Help us become the kind of soil
That bears much fruit
For you
And for the sake of all your people.
Amen.