Gospel: The Parable of the Sower

Today marks the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time and the Gospel is taken from what was written by St Matthew.

That same day, Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the shore, and he told them many things in parables. 

He said, "Listen, a sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up at once, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up, they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. 

Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Anyone who has ears should listen!"

Then the disciples went up to him and asked, "Why do you talk to them in parables?" In answer he said, "Because to you is granted to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not granted. Anyone who has will be given more and will have more than enough; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has.

The reason I talk to them in parables is that they look without seeing  and listen without hearing or understanding. So in their case what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah is being fulfilled: Listen and listen, but never understand! Look and look but never perceive!

This people's heart has grown coarse, their ears dulled, they have shut their eyes tight to avoid using their eyes to see, their ears to hear, their heart to understand, changing their ways and being healed by me.

But blessed are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! In truth I tell you, many prophets and upright people longed to see what you see, but never saw it; to hear what you hear, but never heard it.

So pay attention to the parable of the sower. When someone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the Evil One comes and carries off what was sown in his heart: this is the seed sown on the edge of the path. 

The seed sown on patches of rock is someone who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy. But such a person has no root deep down and does not last; should some trial come, or persecution on account of the word, at once he falls away. 

The seed sown on thorns is someone who hears the word, but the worry of the world and the lure of riches choke the word and so it produces nothing. 

And the seed sown in rich soil is someone who hears the word and understands it; this is the one who yields the harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty."

The Gospel today narrates to us the meaning of the Parable of the Sower and what it means in our mission in proclaiming God's word. Usually, when people draw near to Jesus, he welcomes them and performs miracles, and preach in their midst. But in today's reading, Jesus moved away from them and got into a boat while the people are on the shore.

The Parable of the Sower was meant to tell what kind of people they were. Many of us was drawn to Jesus because of what we hear of him from other people. But these people have their own agenda. Jesus preach about the kingdom and what it means, but they do not understand it. They only came out of their own selfish agenda.

In today's Christianity, the different patches where the seeds fell are very much present, and always true. The central theme of this teaching is this: not everyone who claim to have heard Jesus truly understood what he taught. Everybody has their own version of his teachings, but not everyone puts them into action. The parable is meant to warn us of this practice, and we have to be vigilant. We have to pay attention on people's actions, and not just listen to lip service.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, we seek to know you more. May we draw nearer to you so that we can understand what you have taught, and listen to what you want us to do.

Amen.

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Picture from Pexels.