Several years ago, archaeologists began excavating in the courtyard of a medieval monastery and discovered seeds that had remained dormant for over 400 years. King Henry VIII closed the monastery in 1539, causing the herbs tended by the monks to perish, but the seeds sprouted to life again after the archaeologists disturbed the soil. For hundreds of years, the seeds lay there, and then, without warning—life.
A seed is planted in the ground; it may lie dormant for years, or the germination time might last several months, but something is happening below the surface. Like the seeds in the monastery, they may be surviving until a more opportune climate arises, or they might be developing an extensive root system for optimal growth. It is a mystery, but when God breathes life, the plant breaks through the surface of the ground and grows.
The ministry of Jesus was very much the same way. In the beginning, it just didn’t look like much was happening. Twelve bungling fellas, who, like the rest of the folks, didn’t “get it,” had to have private tutoring lessons after class. But just when that seed appears to grow, it gets splayed upon a cross and dies; then the stone is rolled away, and once again—life.
Jesus said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed upon the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should sprout and grow he knows not how.” What is meant by saying that the man “sleeps and rises” is that after he scattered the seed, the man went about his day-to-day business. He had done all he could do. The sprouting and growing was the work of the Lord. The Lord would do what the farmer could not—give life. The same is true with the work of the Church. We seek to do the will of God. We till the soil, we remove the rocks, we set up the irrigation, we scatter the seed, but it is the Lord who will give life, and He will do it in His own time. Much of this work of the Lord is performed below the surface, out of sight. He instructs us not to make a big show of ourselves and to be humble, so it only stands to reason that He will act in a similar manner. We should never be fooled by the perceived lack of activity or the silence, because when you least expect it—what was hidden will come to life; therefore, just as the farmer in the parable was ready at once to harvest the crop, we also must be prepared for when the harvest comes in.
James Lloyd Breck, whom we celebrate today, was someone who planted many seeds. He planted the seed of Nashotah House, where I attended seminary. He also sowed the seeds for numerous other organizations and churches, which, to this day- over 150 years later- continue to yield fruitful crops. St. Matthew’s is 132 years old this year. If the Lord has not returned by then, I pray that the seeds we are planting will produce bountiful crops 132 years from now, just as the seeds that Breck planted continue to multiply.
Candle in a Cave 