Then He spoke many things to them in parables

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up and because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

- Matthew 13:1-9

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His confrontation with the Pharisees (who accused Him of casting out demons by the power of demons, and then later asked Him for a sign of His identity as Christ):  "When an unclean spirit spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.  Then he says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.'  And when he comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.  Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.  So shall it also be with this wicked generation."  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."  But He answered and said to the one who told Him, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"  And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother."

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up and because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  Jesus begins speaking in parables, and at this point in Matthew's Gospel, we are given the parable that explains it all.  My study bible says that in the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5, Jeremiah 31:27-30, Hosea 2:21-23, Joel 3:12-14), as this was a part of daily life.  Here, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower in the earth, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

Chapter 13 gives us the beginning of Jesus' preaching in parables.  We can ask ourselves why He develops this style of preaching at this point.  Certain significant things have happened.  The confrontation with the Pharisees (see the past three readings) has cemented their decision to be rid of Him.  It's clear that their hostility to Him will simply continue.  His break with them is also clear, as His response is simply to support and defend His ministry, and to scathingly tell them that "an evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign."  His own forecast of their future response to Him is clear in yesterday's reading, above, when He speaks of the unclean spirit that goes out and finds seven others, more wicked than himself, to dwell where he was first.  Things will go from bad to worse.  This deepening crisis of division between Himself and the religious leadership is the backdrop to today's reading, in which great multitudes are gathered to hear Him.  This will be another thorn in the side of the leadership.  Jesus' popularity is like that of a modern day pop star.  He has to get into a boat to preach to the people on the shore.  He's looking for "a few good men," as the expression goes.   He says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  His preaching in parables is designed to engage those whose hearts respond, and wish to find more.  He's not going to spell it out, except to the disciples in private.  He's not there for debate or argument.  His words are the seeds that fall where they fall; it's up to us what kind of ground they fall on.  The parable indicates to us that not every word falls on good ground.  They tell us of Jesus' awareness that all will not simply come to faith.  Neither will He compel anyone to that faith.  At this point, before reading the explanations Jesus gives to the disciples, what do we think of this parable?  What do the birds who pluck the seeds represent to us?  What does "stony" and "shallow" ground constitute to you?  How does it feel to be scorched by the sun, in the brilliant light of day?  What are the thorns that choke life before it can take hold?  All these things tell us something -- and more than something.  Over the course of a life they may come to have more meaning. With experience they take on tones that reflect what we've been through or seen.  We learn the importance of depth of rootedness in a time of great challenge.  We learn what it means to nurture faith, and why that is important.  We cultivate something in life for a reason.  Jesus leaves it up to us to respond, to take responsibility for what we hear.  What is it that you hear today?