But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty

 

 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

 

- Matthew 13:18-23 

 

 In our recent readings, Jesus has begun preaching to the multitudes using parables.  The first parable He taught is the parable of the Sower (see Tuesday's reading).  In yesterday's reading, the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.  For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.  Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.  And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:  'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,  and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of this people have grown dull.  Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them.'  But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it." 

 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  This is he who received seed by the wayside.  But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.  Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.  But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."  Here in today's reading, we are given Christ's explanation to the disciples about the parable.  We see that the parable reflects the difficulties and struggles of the life of the Kingdom as it grows inside those who hear.  Each one of these scenaria, I find, can also reflect our own personal struggles at different times in our lives.  There are forces that are active against the word and its work of taking root and producing fruit in us.  A lack of comprehension can give way to the wicked one, so that what might have taken root is snatched away.  We need endurance, to cling to the word in times of adversity; Jesus cites tribulation or persecution as such times.  Clearly Jesus also speaks of the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches which can choke the word, stopping spiritual progress and fruitfulness.   Our obsessive dwelling on various sources of anxiety, or the delusions that wealth can produce in terms of the fulfillment of the soul are themes Jesus has preached on numerous times in the Gospels.  But the good ground is that which we may cultivate within ourselves as we learn endurance, to cling to the word through times of adversity and temptation both to lust for things we think we want or delude us with false promises, and to the anxieties produced by what we fear.  To bear fruit is the process of bearing our cross and enduring, to nurture and till the ground within through prayer and study, to give ourselves the peace of Christ with which we can fill our hearts even in fleeting moments so that the word may take root and grow unhindered.  These things take discipline and are open to all of us, for life is a process of growth and learning (the meaning of the Greek for disciple is "learner"), an opportunity not for luck but for the practice and cultivation of endurance and sticking to what is good, to the Good Shepherd who remains here for all of us who need His guidance.  As the One who teaches and leads, He is the Sower who plants the seeds He wants us to grow and nurture in ourselves so that we bear fruits into the world.  When we stumble in any of these scenaria Jesus lays out, we can always begin again, for this is also part of endurance and taking root, the road to the fruit He desires.  The Source of the seed is love, and it always calls us back.  If we are sincere, God's love never turns away.