THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

(Tuesday, October 15)

“Now the parable is this (Jesus explains): The seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on a rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience (ἐν ὑπομονῇ).” (Lk 8: 11-15)

The Parable of the Sower does not mean that some of us just aren’t “good ground,” unsuitable for ever “bringing fruit” from the word of God; as if our “ground” cannot change. Our “ground” is our heart, and we can foster “a noble and good heart” in ourselves, “with patience,” as the Lord says at the end of the above-quoted passage. Even if, at the moment, we are not in a good place with respect to God’s word, the parable is a challenge to us, to re-focus. If I’ve been stuck “by the wayside,” focusing on voices other than God’s; or if I’ve been on a self-centered and self-reliant “rock” that I’ve created for myself, which is making me unteachable and isolating me from God; or if I’ve resigned myself to a situation “among thorns,” in which my “cares, riches, and pleasures of life” choke out my spiritual growth, – I can hear this Parable of the Sower, take pause and rethink my priorities.

Christ isn’t saying to us, if we are in a bad place, I stop speaking to you. He’s saying, I am always speaking to you; listen in to what I am saying, “with patience.” And bear fruit “with patience.” Our spiritual growth, from His “seed,” doesn’t happen overnight, but it does happen, when we daily re-focus ourselves onto His love and light, gradually nourishing and working “good ground” in our hearts, clearing away the thorns and rocks, so that more light and water comes in. Our Lord has plenty of that light and living water on offer, so let me be open to receiving it today. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right Spirit within me!” (Ps 50/51:10)