The Word of God
When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that
“looking they may not perceive,
and listening they may not understand.”
‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- We move to the discourse made up of the parables beginning with the parable of the sower and its explanation with a short note on the purpose of the parables. Though the explanation of the parable is usually taken as the work of the Christian community, the explanation, emphasizing how the proclamation was received fits the parable itself perfectly; many did not receive the word of Christ, others did not persevere etc. but the word itself is powerful and in many produced, and continues to produce, a hundred fold yield.
- Matthew states that he always spoke to the crowds in parables to expound to them things hidden since the foundation of the world. Let us pause now to thank the Lord for his revelation through the parables.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- A farmer would understand this parable very well. His livelihood depends on what happens to the seed he sows. Jesus uses this to remind us of the seeds we sow in various ways of living and of their success or otherwise.
- Does my life have a clear purpose, have I got my priorities right or am I just living day by day, and a victim of circumstances? The gift of reflecting on your life in the company of the friendship of Jesus can be a source which can help the good seed which is you, to bear fruit in good ground.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Some commentators see in this parable the kernel of the whole Gospel. The seed is sown, its fruitfulness is neither automatic nor assured for every heart, but when it lands on good ground it bears fruit of surprising abundance, that more than makes up for the seed that falls on poor soil. Do I share the optimism of the parable, or am I rather a prophet of doom?
- I look at what goes on in my own heart when it hears the word, and I ask for an honest and good heart that welcomes the seed so that it bears abundant fruit with patient endurance.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Here we have a parable and its interpretation. The interpretation is probably from the early Church. The seed of faith comes to us in varying circumstances and its fate depends in part on how our disposition to it is. At the moment what steps am I taking to see that the faith I have is flourishing like seed in good soil? Are there thorns choking it? What are these thorns?
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- The first thing here is to spend time looking at the sower, who provides a picture of what God is like. The sower is energetic; he has work to do. He is lavish, non-calculating, generous, extravagant, even – it seems – wasteful. He does not worry that some seed will be lost. We can imagine that he is happy as he goes along. This is what God is like!
- God sows seed in my heart every day through Sacred Space. God does not get annoyed if I ignore the word today: he will go out and sow more words tomorrow if need be. The heart of the Good News is hidden here: it reveals that this is the sort of person God is – tireless, inexhaustible in loving. God never stops giving, and does not count the cost. Joy and gratitude well up in me for this, and I thank God for such goodness to me.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Jesus has scattered the seed of his word; what will happen to it? He does not imagine that everything he says will find a positive reception but he allows for evident failure. I consider how it is that I sometimes look for success and feel disappointed when things don’t turn out as I want. Critical and judgmental attitudes seem foreign to Jesus as he recognises and cherishes where there is life.
Some thoughts on today's scripture
ActiveDefault- Jesus uses parables to change our ways of seeing things. The fruitfulness of the seed is determined by the quality of the soil in which it falls. Similarly the fruitfulness of the word of God is determined by the openness of heart of the person who receives it. We grow at our own pace. God is patient with this growth.
- God, grant me a heart of flesh to receive your holy word. Each day may I spend time listening to the song of the seed which you plant in my heart. May it transform me ever more fully into the likeness of your Son.