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

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

 And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  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 the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a 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."

 

- Luke 8:1–15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

  Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were the first to receive and to proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In Scriptures, it notes, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing. 

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  As the crowds around Jesus have grown extremely large (a great multitude), and many people now come to hear Him speak, He initiates His speaking style in parables with this first one, the parable of the Sower. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries  of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  My study Bible comments here that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.   My study Bible quotes St. John Chrysostom here:  "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  Jesus refers to the words of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10).

 

 "Now the parable is this:  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 the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, who believe for a while and in a 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."  Here Jesus explains the parable to His disciples.  My study Bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.  It asks us to note that while some might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Christ is clear in the explanation of the parable that it's possible for one to believe for a while and then fall away.  

My study Bible describes parables as stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic, it says, the words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  They express a constant which persists even today in the Near and Middle East, the seeming paradox of mysteries or riddles that tell us truths which are elusive and not always obvious to our minds.  Parables are also poetical, in the sense that they give us metaphors to think about, ways to conceive of ourselves in our world and before God.  Although their images are drawn from every day life to reach all, they communicate the deep things of God.  But, as my study Bible indicates, and Jesus says Himself in today's reading, the truth communicated in Christ's parables is not evident to all who hear.  Thus, midst these crowds, He's seeking those who can respond.  The parable of the Sower illustrates various levels of acceptance of such truths and the working of faith.  They indicate whether or not we have persistence, or whether difficulties can put us off this pursuit of faith.  The parable expresses the joy with which someone may receive the gospel, only to turn away at a later date.  It also teaches us that not everyone immediately accepts or grasps Christ's truths, and the word (or seed) of God.  The parable of the Sower teaches us what it is to persist in the struggle for our faith, just as St. Paul tells us that we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:11-13).  Clearly the "action" of the parable is dynamic, meaning that this central drama of faith is one that persists throughout our lives, and is not meant merely for a moment's decision.  We're all capable of doubt, of struggle with temptation and with hardship, and like St. Peter (for one example in the Gospels), we're capable of failure and return.  There will be times when we struggle to accept what God is trying to teach us, and times when we grasp it with joy.  Today's reading begins with the illustration of the women, who in their own example give us an image of what the parable teaches.  Even Mary Magdalene, who will be the first to see the resurrected Christ, and carry the word to the apostles (as her title, Apostle to the Apostles, indicates), is one who had been fully immersed in darkness, as the text tells us, given over to "the other side," as we might say.  We can imagine their persistence in faith, as they remained true to Christ throughout His ministry, His Crucifixion and death, and in the early Church.  Let us endeavor to be like the women, pursuing our salvation, keeping His word, struggling through temptation and hardship, even tribulation.  For keeping His word produces a value beyond the cares, riches, and pleasures of life with which we may imagine Mary Magdalene herself struggled, and overcame to produce fruit far beyond a hundredfold -- even to inspire us today.  In these women we see those who heard the word with a noble and good heart, kept it, and bore fruit with patience through all things.

 

 

 

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

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."

 

- Luke 8:1-15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and they were also the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, my study Bible explains, the number seven is often a symbol of totality and completeness; therefore this indicates that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing.  It is essential to consider that what sort of demonic influence this was is unknown; for the Eastern Church, she was never associated with prostitution.  The woman who anointed Christ with the oil from her alabaster flask in yesterday's reading (above) seems likely to have been one among them.

 

 And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  At this stage, Jesus gives His foundational parable, as reported in all the Synoptic Gospels (see also Matthew 13:1–23; Mark 4:1–20).  This is the parable of the Sower.  Christ is the sower Himself (as He explains in the following verses), and as such He fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.   

 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10, beginning above, in His final word in teaching the parable (Isaiah 6:9), and then here in response to His disciples (Isaiah 6:10).  My study Bible explains that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but rather the presence of the Kingdom of God, which cannot be defined.   It says that a person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of Christ's Kingdom.  It cites St. John Chrysostom, who writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."

 

"Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."  My study Bible asks us to note in Christ's explanation here, that while some might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment he professes faith -- a perspective never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

My study Bible calls parables stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic, the words for parable can also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  The Scriptures -- especially the Gospels -- are filled with parables, images drawn from daily life in the world in order to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  It notes that parables "give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9).  But, as Jesus indicates, not everyone who hears understands.  One must have spiritual "ears to hear," and even then, the understanding is not all to the same degree.  Just as the mission of Isaiah was to open the eyes of Israel to see the acts of God, so Christ's parables seek to engage all to develop the "ears" to hear truth, which hopefully leads to the fruit of righteousness.  So parables are a challenge, and call for faith to perceive the mysteries of the kingdom of God Jesus speaks of in today's reading.  It often seems noteworthy that when Jesus begins to preach in parables, it seems to be an important turning point in His ministry.  He is well-known, and large crowds gather to Him.  He has also recently appointed twelve disciples to become also apostles, who now travel with Him preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  Today's reading also tells us of the women who traveled with Him, supported His ministry, and were indeed, faithful to the end.  So much so, that they would be the first to be told the news of the Resurrection (an example of what it means to "have ears to hear").  Luke's Gospel contains a number of Jesus' parables, including those we've already encountered such as the parable of the New and Old Wineskins, and the Wise and Foolish Builders.  Luke also contains a parable found exclusively in this Gospel, that of the Good Samaritan.  Regarding today's parable of the Sower, my study Bible has asked us to take note that, in Christ's explanation, it's clearly possible to receive the word with joy, and to believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away.  These are the products of the seed in the parable which fell on the rock, which immediately sprang up, but withered away because it lacked moisture.  If we read the parable as allegory here, we might consider the image connections Jesus makes between water and the Holy Spirit (for example, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water," John 7:38).  In the Book of Jeremiah, God describes Himself as the "fountain of living waters" (see Jeremiah 2:13; 17:13).  And so, we can understand Jesus' teaching in this parable as denoting our need for nurturing of the seeds He planted, and especially with regard to our communion and the "waters" of the Holy Spirit, necessary for our growth and sustenance in a dynamic of faith.  The parable teaches us about what we need, conditions for nurturing, and hints at us how that nurturing happens, through the waters of the Holy Spirit, found in the Church and all of her resources.  Let us also look at Jesus speaking about the thorns:  "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."  The parable doesn't just give us a strong flavor of what we need to seek out, but also what we need to contain, to set a limit to.  Cares, riches, and the pleasures of life can overwhelm and choke out all our time and attention, making us unfit to produce the good fruits He seeks.  We need to draw a boundary around our preoccupations and distractions, and make space instead for what nurtures.  In each of these ways, we are to consider how parables work, and how they encourage us to go further, to continue to nurture ourselves spiritually, while hand-in-hand we need the discipline to put a limit to what can overwhelm and harass our better goals, the "good part" of life that we must "seek first."  The women who follow Christ have chosen to do just that, to persist, to seek the Kingdom even after their healing, and to find that good part, following and supporting Him to the end, and beyond.  They remain for us examples of those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on the rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" 

 

"Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."

 

- Luke 8:1-15 

 

Yesterday we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."  Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

 

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.   My study Bible comments that these women were faithful to Christ to the end (Luke 23:49, 55), and were the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, the number seven often symbolizes totality and completeness, indicating that Mary called Magdalene had been thoroughly given over to darkness before her healing.  

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on the rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  This is the seminal parable of the Sower; it is the foundation for the rest of the parables, and begins Jesus' teaching in parables also in Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 13).   One significance to this beginning of speaking in parables is that the multitudes are great enough now so that all kinds of people come to hear Him from curiosity, even those who will not become His disciples.  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  is a call to those whose hearts are ready to receive His word hidden in the parable for themselves. 

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  My study Bible explains that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes, but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."

"Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."   My study Bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 55:10-13.  It notes that while come might teach that a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Christ is clear, that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

When we look at the prophecy found in Isaiah 55:10-13, we read that "My word . . . that goes forth from My mouth . . . shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  Jesus as the Sower is sowing seeds with His word, hoping to plant them within us, within the crowds -- not necessarily so that He sees and immediately reaps all the fruit from those seeds, but rather confident that as the seed goes out, so it shall find good ground, and begin to grow its own harvest.  When we read this parable, it should be informing us that this process will continue as long as there are human beings to hear the word, and others to carry it out to the world, for it is still at work among us, and still going out to prosper and to flourish.  We note that Jesus isn't saying that everybody will be a fruitful recipient of His word.  He wants "those who have ears to hear."   That is, those who are pulled in to the compelling gravity of the mysteries of the kingdom of God -- that intangible secret hidden in plain sight, found in the Church and in the testimonies of the faithful, of those who discern that love and know they need it, and return it to Christ.  Note also how fruitfulness, once it's begun, doesn't really have a limit, 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.  Note that the words used here are that we bear fruit "with patience."  This is not simply an overnight process, but one of a lifetime's work and discipleship.  We need to be patient with God and patient with ourselves; these seeds -- Christ's word -- are the gift that keeps on giving, keeps asking us for new growth, for more weeding out of what gets in the way, removal of the stones that prevent roots from growing deep, pulling out the thorns that choke the harvest with their cares, riches and pleasures of life which crowd out the focus of the heart where the word takes root and bears fruit.  I find that each one of places upon which the seed could fall which Christ describes can stand in for something we go through in life, but the good ground also depends on our work for it, our cultivation of receptivity and willingness in discipleship.  Time goes on, and the word continually goes out, and this will not stop until the job is complete, which Jesus has indicated will be the end of the age.  We don't know when that will be, for it is not up to us -- but what we should take to heart every day is the work of His word going out, its great harvest in us and among us, and our part in that.  When we seem to lose our way, or are choked with cares and worries, when the world baffles us, we take up this job and know what we are to be about.

To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, "so that

'Seeing they may see and not perceive,
And hearing they may hear and not understand;
Lest they should turn,
And their sins be forgiven them.'"

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

- Mark 4:1-20

Yesterday we read that after Jesus chose the Twelve, they went into a house.  Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.  But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, "He is out of His mind."  And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebub," and, "By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons."  So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables:  "How can Satan cast out Satan?  If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.  And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end.  No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man.  And then he will plunder his house.  Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation" -- because they said, "He has an unclean spirit."  Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him.  And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You."  But He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brothers?"  And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother."

 And again He began to teach by the sea.  And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea.  Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching:  "Listen!  Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it.  Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away.  And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.  But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."  And He said to them, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  We who follow the developments in Mark's Gospel can now sense a shift in Jesus' ministry.  He has come to the attention of the religious and state authorities, who now seek to destroy Him.   We have also read of the growing crowds who follow Him, which at this point must be preached to at the shore because of the great number of people who seek Him.   He most likely sits in a boat to avoid being crushed (3:9).  The Twelve have been chosen, and they He has shared with them His power and authority to preach, to heal, and to cast out demons.  So Jesus' speaking in parables marks a new turning point in His ministry.  His call, He who has ears to hear, let him hear! is a reference to the Scripture He will quote from Isaiah, a little further down in our reading, when He speaks in private to the disciples.  The parable of the Sower is Jesus' first parable that He gives in this new style of preaching.   Parables were common forms of teaching by Jesus' time, but no one used them so skillfully as He did.   My study bible describes them as images drawn from daily life to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  Many concern farming, drawn from the daily lives of people in this agrarian society.  Parables, my study bible explains, give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).  Importantly, and relevant to the growing public attention and crowds who gather to Him, at this point in His ministry He makes it clear that not everybody who hears the parables are going to understand them.  Moreover, understanding and perception happens on different levels.  Most often, Jesus' parables illustrate the "hidden" life of the kingdom of God in our midst, how it works and what it does.

But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.  And He said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, "so that 'Seeing they may see and not perceive, And hearing they may hear and not understand; Lest they should turn, And their sins be forgiven them.'"   Jesus first explains in private to His disciples His new use of parables in and of itself.  He quotes from Isaiah 6:10.  The hidden messages in the illustrations in the parables are intended to draw those toward Him who are capable of real faith, who "have ears to hear."   God permits our self-chosen blindness; our love must be freely given.  Moreover, God gives people up to their own devices.  It is a way of expanding on Christ's pronouncement regarding blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in yesterday's reading (above).  A refusal of love is not a boundary God crosses to compel us to faith.

And He said to them, "Do you not understand this parable?  How then will you understand all the parables?  The sower sows the word.  And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown.  When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."   Christ reveals Himself to be the Sower, the one who sows the word.  My study bible explains that this is an image of the promised Messiah, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

Why this hidden nature of the kingdom of heaven?  Why aren't things obvious to us, completely visible?  Why do we need faith?  This is the nature of our world.  If we think about love, we can perhaps understand the nature of this reality a little bit better.  If there is someone that you love, you look upon them with a particular kind of seeing.  In the language of the Scriptures, we look with a particular kind of sight or "eyes that see."  Perhaps we see the good in the soul of the person we love.  There is a special sight that we have.  But the good we see might be at hidden depths, covered up by flaws and bad personal behavior, habits that get in the way of the good that we see.  Love may be simply a kind of faith that there is this depth of good that we somehow perceive.  Moreover, in our world, love may be confused with desire, a type of selfishness, wanting something for ourselves.  God is love (1 John 4:7-21), and from a reciprocal loving communion with God, we learn love.  But the nature of this learning is a long road, a kind of journey.  When Christ speaks of Himself as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), that word for way means "road" or "path" in the original Greek of the Gospels.  Today's parable gives us a sense of what that road is like, and where we might stumble on our way along this path of faith.  It illustrates for us the factors of our world and our lives that get in the way of that great good that is God and our communion with God.  This is not a one-way ticket, a "Get Out of Jail Free" card, or winning the Lotto.  It's a path, a journey -- and it's one that we live in a world that will give us all kinds of temptations to give up on it or to forget about it.  We are, of course, free to get back on that road at any time, but it remains just that:  a road, a journey we take through life that asks of us a daily practice, awareness, and will present us with challenges, as  any true pursuit in love or wisdom is wont to do.   In today's parable, Jesus gives us examples of the things that halt this journey and take it away from us.  In the first example illustrated in the parable, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in the heart.  Then there are those who immediately receive the word with gladness, but they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time.  When tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  Finally He illustrates the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.  These are not prophecies written in stone, but they are warnings to us about the reality of the world in which we live and struggle for our faith.  A daily prayer practice is designed simply to keep us on this path, to enable us to resist the temptations and pitfalls that Christ names, to keep our priorities straight -- and our eyes and ears truly hearing and truly seeing.  Like all relationships of love, this is something that asks us to work at it.  We don't create it all by ourselves and we don't invent things from scratch:  but our role to play is very real.  Our work is something Christ asks of us (John 6:28-29).  It asks of us vigilance and watchfulness, a guarding of the heart in which we come to know ourselves and our own weaknesses,  and an effort to protect what we know is good in us, our love of God and that good ground of the heart that Christ illustrates in the parable.  Our "yes" and our own growth in understanding is every bit as essential to this synergy Christ offers of the divine at work in us as God's work is for us in the first place.  Jesus lays out the struggle, and He speaks in parables, guaranteeing that out of all the crowds only those who really feel drawn to this love are the ones who will pursue it with the faith that stands up even to persecution and struggle.  In the loving relationships we know, even popular self-help manuals give us to understand that good loving relationships (such as marriage, for example) involve mutual commitment, work, and daily effort at nurturing, supporting, and protecting them.   God offers us love -- but how do we value and respond to God's love in a world full of temptations to do otherwise?

Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth

 Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.

- Luke 21:29-36

On Saturday, we read Jesus' continuing discourse about the events to come in Jerusalem, and His second coming:   "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those who are in the midst of her depart, and let not those who are in the country enter her.  For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!  For there will be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.  And they will fall by the edge of the sword, and be led away captive into all nations.  And Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.  And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near."

Then He spoke to them a parable:  "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.  When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near.  So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near.  Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."  While it is quite literally true that the generation of those to whom He was directly addressing would see the destruction of Jerusalem, His discourse includes events of His return, or second coming.  Therefore this generation actually refers to all believers at all times; that is, the generation of the Church, and not merely those alive at the time of Christ.  Furthermore, the age initiated continues, and will end only upon His return.  Therefore, all events discussed are tied to one another.

"But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.  For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."  And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple, but at night He went out and stayed on the mountain called Olivet.  Then early in the morning all the people came to Him in the temple to hear Him.  Here is one assurance Jesus gives us:  that when He does return, that Day will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  That is, only those truly watchful and wakeful will be expecting it at all.  But total involvement with the worldly weighs us down, we forget our spiritual senses, a life of prayer.   He warns of hearts weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and care of this life, giving us a picture of the things we do to divert ourselves, and the overwhelming concerns possible when we forget to make space for God in our daily life, a healthy detachment that puts life into a wider perspective than what the world offers to us.

For Jesus to say that His second coming will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth is quite an astounding statement indeed.  It implies that the world is full of things that will distract us from our purpose, and our own true good in life.  As Jesus puts it, there are things in life that may burden our hearts, weigh them down, to the point that we are no longer alert and awake to the things He teaches us about, to the reality we are to always keep in mind.  A snare is a trap, something that catches an animal unawares when it is being hunted (particularly used for birds).  The implication here is that by ignoring the things He calls us to be aware of, we may lose our true liberty, our freedom -- becoming subject to that which enslaves and captures.  How does this happen?  His implications of that are clear too:  the cares of the world, and the things that we chase as diversion or immediate pleasures, whatever it is that may serve to distract us from true purpose, and in particular a life of prayer so that we are awake to the things He would have us be mindful of in life.  A snare set for a bird gives us a sense that God calls us to a kind of watchfulness we need for our own good, for our survival, for the assurance of our own independence and liberty.  It gives us a picture of evil or sin as that which robs us of something -- a trick that offers what sounds good but has as its end a denial of our greatest good, our true place.  In this context, the one thing necessary becomes a focus on the place where all that is good comes from, the love of God from which every perfect gift comes.  It is in that love that we wish to abide and have our lives, so that we are aware of who we are and what we need to be about, and we can live a life of true health -- that which is truly good for us.  We are vulnerable human beings, and we live in a state where it is easy to lose sight of the fact of our limitations, our need for direction and guidance, a constant sustenance in the face of that which is adverse to us -- even to be aware that there is a type of adversity which may catch us unaware.  This is where we acknowledge our dependence on God, our true need for humility as a way to stay focused and real.  But it is also where we acknowledge our deep need for love, in a world that doesn't always give what it seems to be offering.

To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables

 Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.'

Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."

- Luke 8:1-15

Yesterday, we read that one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him.  And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat.  And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.  Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner."  And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you."  So he said, "Teacher, say it."  "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors.  One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty.  And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both.  Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?"  Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more."  And He said to him, "You have rightly judged."  Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?  I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.  You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in.  You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil.  Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.  But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."   Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."  And those who sat at table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?"  Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you.  Go in peace."

  Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.  And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.   My study bible notes that the women mentioned here will remain faithful to Christ until the end (23:49, 55).  They will be the first to receive and proclaim the news of His Resurrection (24:1-10).  The number seven in the Scriptures often symbolizes totality and completeness.  What it indicates here is that Mary called Magdalene had been completely given over to darkness before her healing by Christ.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:  "A sower went out to sow his seed.  And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it.  Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.  But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold."  When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"    Here is the core parable given in the Gospels that in some sense introduces us to Jesus' use of parables.  Using common images from daily life, Jesus illustrates the Kingdom and teaches truths about the nature of what He is offering.  The parable of the Sower draws on the images of agriculture and growth for harvest, planting and growing, with which all would be familiar.

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?"  And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that  'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'"  At this point, parables become a core of His preaching.  In private, they are explained to His disciples.  But to the public who listens (a great multitude) the parables draw those in who want to hear, who have ears to hear, as Jesus quotes from Isaiah at the end of the parable, above.  My study bible tells us that mysteries are not obscure intellectual concepts, but the presence of the Kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  A person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is a reflection of the rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom writes, "If the blindness were natural, it would have been proper for God to open their eyes; but because it was a voluntary and self-chosen blindness, He does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would be not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."  The quotation here is from Isaiah 6:9. 

"Now the parable is this:  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 the 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."  Jesus Himself is the sower in the parable.  As such, He fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 55:10-13.  My study bible notes the progress of faith as taught in this parable.  Salvation is not a one-time acceptance or profession of faith (a view never held by the historic Church).  Christ teaches that it is possible to believe for a while and then fall away (verse 13), as those with no root.   The key here is in the words Jesus choosing to describe the seeds that fell on good ground:  those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.

What does it mean to hear the word with a noble and good heart?  What exactly does such a life look like, of keeping the word in one's heart and bearing fruit with patience?  There are many clues here to the qualities that make for true and good discipleship.  First of all, Jesus reveals the mysteries hidden in the parable to those who are His disciples.  This is the first promise of persistent faith, of the work of discipleship.    Such mysteries are the notable difference between His disciples and the crowds who come to hear Him preach.  But His parable illustrates so much more of what it is to be a good disciple.  He speaks of the work of the devil snatching the word away from the hearts of people.  He speaks also of temptation as another way in which people fall away from the joy of the word.  And finally there are the things of everyday life with which all of us may struggle: cares, riches, and pleasures of life, all the things that may overwhelm our thoughts and concerns and exclude or crowd out others.  So much depends on what our focus is.  In the end these qualities Jesus names are what make for good discipleship and the fruit He looks for:  a noble and good heart, a character that works to guard the word inside the heart and keep it there, and the patience it takes to bear fruit.  All of this speaks of consistent effort through time and through struggles, ups and downs of life.   The parable doesn't exclude the faithful from any of it.  What we can be certain of is that the women disciples named at the beginning of the reading surely followed their faith in all of these things, right through to the end.   Some are known as the Myrrhbearing Women, as they brought myrrh to the tomb of Christ in order to anoint His body.   These are also known (and particularly Mary Magdalene) as Apostles to the Apostles, and even Equal to the Apostles.  An apostle is one who is sent out with a message:  it is these women, the first to hear the news of Resurrection, who bear that message to the Apostles.  We can look to them as images of those who struggled against temptations, cares, and all the things of the world in order to be the ministers they were to Christ's ministry.  We're told about the earlier life of Mary Magdalene; we know these women looked on at the Crucifixion.  Their struggles become the stuff of courage for us, too.  We can call upon them as saints to pray for us, to assist us spiritually in our prayer as part of the great communion of the Body of Christ.  They remain strong and gracious images for us to help us in our struggle for faith and discipleship as well.  Christ's parable of the Sower continues to give us a sense of where we are and who we are, what we nurture, and how that nurturing will endure struggles, and bear fruit with patience.  Let us not forget patience as we remember those who've come before, endured, struggled, and lived nurturing the Word Himself, and the word in their hearts as well.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The parable of the Sower

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that

'Seeing they may not see,

And hearing they may not understand.'

"Now the parable is this: 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 the 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 chocked 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."

- Luke 8:1-15

Yesterday, the lectionary gave us the story of the woman who bathed Jesus' feet with her tears, and anointed them with fragrant oil. Jesus was at dinner in a Pharisee's house -- the Pharisee, Simon, was scandalized because this was a sinful woman. But Jesus told a parable about forgiveness and love, which Simon understood. Jesus pointed out all that the woman had done for Him, in contrast to Simon, His host. And He said, "Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." He told the woman her sins were forgiven -- and those at table wondered who He was that He could do this. But He replied to her, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."

Now it came to pass, afterward, that He went through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him, and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities -- Mary called Magdalene, out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who provided for Him from their substance. After the story of the woman who washed His feet with her tears, and bathed them in fragrant oil, we get another picture of Jesus' ministry. Luke includes for us the many women who help, assist and follow Him. And again, as with so much of this Gospel, we see they are to a great extent outcasts of the society, former sinners. There is Mary Magdalene (by tradition called Apostle to the Apostles), out of whom was cast seven demons. Joanna is the wife of the steward of Herod, a high position in the house of a powerful and ruthless ruler, the one who has imprisoned John and whom Jesus will scathingly call "that fox." A steward is like a treasurer, someone who manages the finances of House such as Herod's. And we are told that these women and others like them -- "many others" -- provided for Jesus' ministry out of their own resources. So, Jesus keeps company with all those who love Him, while to others' eyes their identities, in so many 'worldly' ways, might cause scandal. In this is an echo and affirmation of the lessons from yesterday's reading. In Jesus is, in some great sense, the place in which conflicts are resolved, through the love and faith in Him.

And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable: "A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on rock; and as soon as it sprang up, it withered away because it lacked moisture. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and yielded a crop a hundredfold." When He had said these things He cried, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" Jesus gives us -- a part of the great multitude -- the parable of the Sower. This parable is found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. We are all familiar with this image of Christ (and by extension, those who are "sent out" to sow this seed) as the Sower. But we have to picture, if we will, the story told before the crowd, and how they might understand it. Imagine it told for the first time, without an explanation of its meaning. Jesus teaches us His intention, when we're told He says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Then His disciples asked Him, saying, "What does this parable mean?" And He said, "To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is given in parables, that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'" This quotation is from the Book of Isaiah. It gives us insight into the role of Jesus as judge in a messianic context. Who can understand? Who has ears to hear? To be allowed to participate in that kingdom depends on us: on what spiritual sight and hearing we cultivate within ourselves. Are our hearts open to the meanings in the words? to real understanding? or are they hardened as in the text from Isaiah?

"Now the parable is this: 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 the 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 chocked 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." What's interesting here about Jesus' explanation is the four "stages" or categories He describes. There are those who fall prey to the "evil one" -- the devil, in whose hearts the word is immediately taken away, so that they cannot be saved. There is the next stage in which faith seems to starting, but temptation plucks it out. Then there are those of us for whom the realities of this world are all too much: they cover up that seed and its fruit, and we lose sight of this purpose of the production of such fruits of faith. And finally there are those "having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience." Perhaps in some way we can all relate to each of these stages; after all, many of us will have experienced one or more or each of them. We may have stumbled on the road of faith in one way or another; it is a constant and always new journey. I think one great key to these passages though is in Jesus' final statement here: to "keep it and bear fruit with patience." And it is that great virtue of patience that we need to keep in mind, to cultivate and to understand. In loving God, one may at times find great loneliness, or loss. It is not always an easy road. We may be impatient to see great fruits we have built up in our expectations, but the life of wisdom the Spirit invites us to may be without the seemingly spectacular highs and lows of worldly life -- a cultivation of the joys of the heart of faith is something different and requires patience, including with the times when we may be faced with great changes we need to make in our lives and especially in ourselves and our outlook. We may perhaps experience these changes as a sense of loss. Patience is the great key to faith - we are all on the journey, and not on a race to an end.

There is so much to learn in the journey of faith. Christ keeps company with those who could scathingly be looked at as spiritual outsiders: former sinners, even the wife of Herod's steward. Yesterday we read of the great expression of genuine love and faith from a sinful woman in public (at a Pharisee's house, no less) toward Jesus. But all is accomplished in time. Just as in the Gospels there are so many lessons for us to take in, we mustn't forget that these lessons will be those we are called upon to learn in our own lives and through our own experiences. They are not just stories for us to memorize and learn from a Book! The Book of the Church is the Book in which we learn about the things that are alive in us, which we will be expected to live for ourselves and learn for ourselves, through our own experiences -- and for that we do need patience. To bear the fruits He asks of us takes patience, discernment, awareness, and the willingness to change what we are called upon to change. It is a day to day work -- not filled necessarily with great worldly rewards, but rewards nevertheless which will surprise us, fulfill us, keep us going. In my experience, these rewards come in unexpected forms -- and we must be prepared to receive them as we are given. Can you handle that, and the aloneness or disappointed expectations we may sometimes feel as we go forward? Can you receive the forms of reward you may not have expected (nor even previously desired)? The patience of the saints is something we may all have heard about -- but from each of us it is required to learn and grow and move on into the fruits of our personal faith. It's in the love of Christ that such conflicts are resolved. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.