Therefore hear the parable of the sower

 

"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 

 

As we began chapter 13 of St. Matthew's Gospel, Jesus began a new kind of preaching.  He gave the parable of the Sower to the crowds.  (See Tuesday's reading.)  Yesterday, we read that following His giving of this parable, 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."  In today's reading, Jesus explains in detail to the disciples the meaning of the parable of the Sower.  

 

Jesus explains: "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."  In yesterday's commentary, we discussed the "two ways" found in the teachings of both Judaism and Christianity, and how Christ's words exemplified aspects of this understanding.  Here, He seems to give us hints regarding His words (in yesterday's reading) teaching about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, and those who have been given to understand, contrasted with those who haven't.  He said, "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."  Here He gives us an insight into how such wisdom works:  when people are exposed to the teachings of Christ regarding the kingdom, and they do not understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away the word that was sown in the heart.  Without our capacity for spiritual sight and hearing, the "wicked one," the devil, is able to leave us empty, to take away the good word we've been given.  Our lack of understanding, in this picture that Jesus gives us, leaves us vulnerable to the effects of evil and its active presence in our world.  Thus, we lose "even what we have" when we fail to grasp Christ's words.  We might presume, or so it seems, regarding Christ's statement to the disciples in yesterday's reading, that God is at work in this process.  He said to the disciples that "it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given."  Who is the Giver?  Why is something given to one, and not to another?  We must presume, therefore, that this giving and understanding (or receiving) is a kind of two-way street or effect, a synergistic reality that involves both God and the reception of the human being.  We don't know why something is given to one and not the other.  Equally mysterious, do we know why one understands and another does not?  We should recall that the words of Isaiah quoted by Jesus indicate a hardness of heart, a dullness created by habits of not caring, not paying attention, not seeking to understand.    Repentance, also, plays a strong hand in such matters of understanding, because repentance indicates a turning toward God, not simply regret or recognition of past mistakes. In repentance, we seek to place ourselves on the road toward Christ.  And so, we go into the parable of the Sower, and the word sown by Him.  How does that word take root within us?  What kind of soil do we need to provide for it?  And how do we get that, prepare it, fertilize it, make good things grow?  How do we take that word to heart, consider it precious, nurture it?  Do we treasure the word He offers, and what it means for us to be capable of living it?  We have to truly desire it.  This is the spiritual life the Word offers to us, as He sows His gospel of the kingdom of heaven.  Let us seek to produce the good crops He asks of us, a hundredfold, maybe sixty, even thirty.

 

 

 

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly

 

 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 the 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."

 

- Luke 21:29-36 

 

On Saturday, Jesus continued His discourse on the destruction of Jerusalem (and the temple) and the end times to His disciples:   "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 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 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."   We perhaps can take a double meaning to the phrase this generation.  The events of the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem would come within one generation of the time that Jesus was speaking these words. But, perhaps more significantly, Jesus is giving a warning to all believers at all times, the generation of the Church (as my study Bible puts it), and not only to those alive at the time of Christ.

 

 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the 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."   Jesus' emphasis, in all the warnings we have reported in the Gospels, is on the unknown time of His return, which will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.   His emphasis is repeatedly upon our own watchfulness, our understanding of the things we are to be about as His followers, and an awareness of the judgment to come at His return.

 

Jesus says, in His final words of warning in St. Luke's Gospel, "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly."  We might think there's an exaggeration here, that such behaviors as He warns about would not apply to His disciples (carousing, drunkenness).  But note that He is speaking not of some terribly flagrant sins or extreme behavior.  Jesus is warning us of things that weigh down our hearts.  We need to consider carefully His words here, for He's not just speaking of violations of some code against sinning.  He's speaking of things we do in our lives that might seem good, or divert us to some kind of pleasure, or even the necessary things of this world with which we must concern ourselves.  He's talking about being burdened with things that are, in fact, not necessary to ourselves and should not be the focus of our lives, should not divert us from the life in the Kingdom we are meant to live and to pursue as the center of our lives.  The things that weigh us down are unnecessary burdens, even things we might think we need, but we don't.  It's important to note that He places the cares of this life in the same category of weighing down our hearts with carousing and drunkenness.  Are we over-consumed with worry about what we look like, what we'll wear, what house we have?  Do we think all the time about our work lives, or even what college our kids will get into?  While all of these things may be necessary, they are not all good to focus on with the kind of all-consuming intensity they can take on.  This is because, like carousing and drunkenness, they become diversions from the things which are really and truly important in Jesus' perspective, that involve the care of our soul.  For what is salvation?  Is it getting the best house, or keeping our reputation in the society?  Is it making sure we put on a good show, or obsessing over having "perfect" lives according to someone's image or theory they've put before us? (See Luke 12:22-34.)   The primary importance of the time of our lives, in Christ's view, is the life of the Kingdom that He has for us.  That is, living prayerfully, and always aware of where we are at, what we are dealing with, what choices we're making, and mindful of His return and living so as to be prepared for that.  Do we love those whom we need to love?  How are we judging ourselves and others?  Are we spreading false values we don't really believe in?  Most of all, are we caring for our hearts?  How do we relieve ourselves of the burdens that weigh us down, and find Christ's help to do so?  Are we aware of the spiritual life that permeates our world and our part in participating in that?  These are things that are weightier and far more important matters to concern ourselves with according to Christ and His teachings.  Do we remember who we are?  Do we remember God?  Do we cherish the gifts we're given by God?  What do we do with them?  All of these things matter to Christ, and not the things that would distract us from living the fullness of that life, our awareness of His Kingdom that lives in and through us, and the care and love of neighbor as ourselves.  Let us be consumed with love for Him and for the life He offers and invites us to live instead.  For this is truly the "work" He has for us to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Therefore hear the parable of the sower

 

 "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 receive 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 yesterday's reading, Jesus taught the parable of the Sower:   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 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!"  And 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 receive 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 Christ explains to the disciples the parable of the Sower.  It is a story about how we receive the word of the kingdom.  A lack of comprehension makes us vulnerable to the wicked one, so that we lose the value of the teachings.  This is an indication of what we observed from Christ's teachings in yesterday's reading, a need to make an effort to grasp the teachings.  Then Christ moves on to the next stage in the possible progress of discipleship:  one who immediately receive the word with joy, but endures only for a while -- when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, he stumbles and falls away.  This teaches us about the depth of the heart that needs to be involved in receiving the word.  Joy is a beautiful thing, but love is a deeper communion that calls us to a more rooted place within ourselves.  The one who received seed among the thorns is illustrative of how we can be distracted: by the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches.   We should recall here Christ's teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, in which He taught against worry and anxiety (see this reading).  His example in this parable strikes us as warning against how our lives and life purpose can be carried away by such distractions, we are "choked" by these thorns of preoccupation and cares through an unbalanced focus on outward worldly concerns which leaves no room for the life which Christ offers.  In our present world of great distractions and preoccupations, an intensely materialist popular focus, and endless demands magnified by media of all types, this becomes an extensive concern, and one we must take quite seriously.  As popular forms of media give such a great focus to our own image in the eyes of others, such concerns become ever more magnified.  See St. John's Gospel passage regarding those religious leaders who valued the "praise of men" above the praise of God.  Although they believed in Christ, their fear of ostracism ruled their choices (see John 12:42-43).  In a modern context, we might consider how this is related to fear of "being cancelled."  Note that for Christ the problem is ultimately whether or not we live this life He teaches, and bear spiritual fruit.  Those who are choked by the thorns He describes as becoming unfruitful.  Finally, Jesus teaches, "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."   Note the process here:  we are called to truly hear and to understand -- and in the living of what we hear and understand we bear spiritual fruit.  This is the description of a lifelong process.  That is, not a one time-assent or belief, but of fully living out His word and teachings, seeking to grasp them and understand them, and then living them throughout our lives, with a clear promise of potential for spiritual fruits He as one would describe the multiplied produce of an agricultural crop at harvest:  a hundredfold, or sixty, or thirty.  Jesus does not ask us to compete with one another for that final count, but He does ask us to make the effort, to be a good disciple, as best we are able.  

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 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus taught the crowds the parable of the Sower, the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?"  He answered and said to the, "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 prophesy 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."  Today's passage is self-explanatory.  In some sense it is one of those rare occasions in which Jesus Himself teaches us the meaning of His own words.  This is very important, because it is consistent in the reporting this first parable all the Synoptic Gospels (see also Mark and Luke). 

One thing seems to be certain regarding the importance of this parable, and also the reporting of Jesus' explanation for it:  He is encouraging us to be persistent in our faith.  This parable, and Jesus' explanation, seems to be telling us that we may very well be in for a bumpy ride on our road of faith.  There will be things that can easily get in the way of the Christ's word and its work in us.  Looking at this parable in the past, and especially Christ's explanation, it has seemed that each one of these stages Christ describes of the word being sown could be a part of one's own individual journey of faith at any time.  Sometimes our own lack of understanding brings frustration, and so we might be tempted to dismiss altogether the faith, as we're called to persist in something we might find hard to understand.  There may be other times when a particularly difficult time shows up in our lives, or possibly we find hostility in others to us because of our faith.  That's a great temptation to follow the crowd, and not that word that got planted in our heart.  And then there is the seed that falls among the thorns.  How many of us have been, at times, so consumed with the cares of our lives that we don't find time for our spiritual practice or for prayer?  All kinds of issues can crop up that take our time, our concern, our anxieties and stresses -- and wind up crowding out and choking the word within us.  Those times when we worry about paying bills, caring for children or spouse or another loved one, or maybe even just keeping up with the Joneses and all the demands the world might seem to make upon us.  It gets hard, at times, to remember the one thing that is needed (Luke 10:38-42).  But it seems to me that when I do take the trouble to make that time -- which I don't think I have -- a space seems to open up for prayer and make room for itself.  Prayer and calling upon God, reading the Scriptures, attending or reading a service, or otherwise taking time to pursue my faith seems to actually fulfill Christ's promise in that it makes the rest of the things that stress seem to go easier.  Taking time for the word strengthens me to cope with stresses, putting things in order, and giving me a fresh wind -- often supplying a new angle, a different and needed perspective on a problem.  So let us think today about all of these aspects that Christ says may crowd out the word within us, tempt us to leave it by the wayside or forego its call to us, and find the way to produce the spiritual fruits He asks for.  For it is this word, growing in us, that produces the fruits that are needful, that make our lives renewed with a quality which we can't find otherwise:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

 

 

 

 

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 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 become 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 appointed twelve to be with Him as disciples and to be sent out on apostolic missions, 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 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!"   At this point in Mark's Gospel, Christ's ministry has progressed to the point where He has just appointed the Twelve who will be His disciples and apostles.  The crowds follow Him so that there is no room in the house where He goes, and He preaches by the sea with a small boat to be kept ready in case the crowds threaten to crush Him.  Here is a new turning point, marked by Christ's beginning to preach in parables, a very notable and significant highlight of Christ's preaching.  Apparently our Lord, being Logos (or the Word) in His divine identity, loved the use of language and words to convey meanings and substance about the kingdom of God.  We can say with great certainty that His vivid way of speaking and turns of phrase remain sayings in all languages to which the Gospel has gone and been proclaimed.  My study Bible focuses on parables in a lengthy comment, calling them stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  In Hebrew and Aramaic the words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  All the Scriptures -- and particularly the Gospels -- are filled with parables.  They are images drawn from daily life in the world in order to represent and communicate the deep things of God, giving us glimpses of the One whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).   Here, Jesus begins (as He does in the other Synoptic Gospels) with the parable of the Sower, a great clue as to the identity of Christ Himself, and the work He does for the kingdom of God.

 

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.'"  We note that the truth of Christ's parables is not obvious to all who hear; neither is the degree of understanding the same even for those who hear.  Therefore, my study Bible says, Jesus' statement that "to those who are outside, all things come in parables" may be translated as ". . . all things come in riddles."  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10 here.  This quotation does not mean that parables are used to blind people, or to lead them to punishment.  It shows, on the contrary, that people are responsible for their own lack of receptivity.  Those who have grown dull and insensitive are unwilling to accept the message of the parables.  My study Bible says that as the mission of Isaiah in the Old Testament was to open the eyes of Israel to see the acts of God, so the parables of Jesus are intended to open the eyes of His hearers to the truth and lead them to produce the fruit of righteousness.  

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 become 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."  Jesus explains the parable of the Sower.  In this parable, He reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  My study Bible also asks us to note that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which wasn't held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear here that it is possible to receive the word and endure only for a time, and then when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble.  In Luke we read that they "fall away" (Luke 8:5).

It's interesting that what we read here today affirms that faith is a kind of continuum, a progression, a "road," as Jesus tells us that He is "the way, the truth, and the life" (way in Greek also meaning "road").   It is possible we will hear the word and keep it for a while, and then over a challenge of some sort of tribulation or testing, we stumble.  Note that Jesus does not mince words when it comes to difficulties. He more or less promises the certainty of difficulties, just as He here tells the disciples that there will be times "when persecution arises for the word's sake."  There are other enemies to the word sown here as well.  He says that for some, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.  So there is no guarantee here of an easy road, or of immediate or guaranteed success in this journey of faith, our struggle to abide in His word.  We will face challenges.  But, if we're going to face challenges to something in life, the best way to meet challenges is with preparation -- and here Jesus, in the details of the parable, is preparing us for what it means to struggle with our faith for a lifetime's endurance.  Moreover, the parable tells us that endurance in the word is not simply for the sake of endurance alone, but that to live our faith means producing spiritual fruit.  That is, there are good changes, good effects, that accompany this endurance in the word and in faith.  But there are also important challenges, that remain always all-too-present to us, and perhaps especially at this time, with so many modern products of technology and economic prosperity.  Jesus distinctly notes that the "cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word."  It's not simply that these things are still with us 2,000 years after Christ preached these words.  But we have had 2,000 years in the mean time of accumulating "cares of this world."  While economic prosperity rises, goods are produced and traded worldwide to a degree simply unimaginable to human beings of the first century (perhaps even of the twentieth century), and riches continue to expand beyond previous measure (in our lifetimes alone, a "millionaire" is simply incomparable to today's "billionaires").  So we must assume that the deceitfulness of riches and the desire for other things has expanded right along with that prosperity and what we call material progress.  In accordance with this parable, it really doesn't seem to matter what our level of economic prosperity or poverty is, we're still going to face these obstacles to one degree or another -- and, like the poor whom Jesus loved, it seems that these things will always be with us (Matthew 26:11).  Neither does Christ say that the answer to these problems or stumbling blocks is abolishing either wealth or poverty altogether (there will always be those with "less"), but rather to cultivate our own strength of faith and awareness and to endure in His word.  We should expect challenges and difficulties, being ready for them through our awareness and our spiritual preparedness, including the tools of our faith:  worship services, our fellow faithful and the great cloud of witnesses mentioned by St. Paul in his own exhortation to preparedness for spiritual struggle in Hebrews 12:1-3, and of course our prayer lives and pastors.  This is the way, the truth, and the life of Christ:  He prepares us for challenges, not for a perfect world that He fixes for us.  He invites us into His own work of faith, and sets the example first and most powerfully of all.  If we're prepared for the difficulties and pitfalls (and here we are clearly forewarned by Christ), if we are enlightened as to the sense of ourselves on a journey in the experience of this Kingdom, then we are given a clear awareness of what our lives are all about as we seek to follow Him and His word and produce the fruits He asks.  In John's Gospel, Jesus preaches to the people, telling them, "A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going" (John 12:38).  He gives us a clear picture of this walk in the light, so that we know where we are going.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 

Therefore hear the parable of the sower

 

 "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 

 

Yesterday we read that 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 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!"  And 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 . . . " 

 "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 deceitfulnes 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."  In today's reading, Jesus gives the explanation (to His disciples) of the parable of the Sower (see yesterday's reading, above).  We should keep in mind that this explanation comes in the context of the question of why He has begun to teach in parables, and that by now there are great multitudes who come to see and hear Him.  He's renowned because of the healings He has done, but He is looking for faith, for the ones who receive seed on the good ground, who hear the word and understand it, who bear fruit and produce.

What does it mean to bear fruit, to bear spiritual fruit?  Clearly, Jesus implies here that to bear fruit, on His terms, is to produce a kind of harvest from His word, from His teachings.  If they fall on good ground, we "take it to heart," and it bears fruit in us:  changes in attitude and behavior, new thoughts that are produced through Christ's teachings about the Kingdom, new ways to see things, and a transformation in our sense of ourselves that can result.  This is an ongoing process, and happens similarly to the way that things grow in the world, especially like the plants which so often form metaphor in Christ's parables:  the growth can be mysterious, unseen, not necessarily closely observed, much of it taking place underground, so to speak.  But nevertheless fruitfulness does result, changes in us, new ways of thinking about what we work for, what it's worth putting our effort into, what makes for good results in our lives, things we can take heart in and that have real value for us and make our lives of genuine value and worthiness.  In his first example of the seed that falls by the wayside, Jesus says that this is the one who does not understand, and that then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart.  What is the wicked one?  Who is the wicked one?  This is a word often used interchangeably and translated as "the devil."  But if we look closely at this word, its various senses are quite important to understand.  It is πονηρός/poneros.  This word is derived from the word that means "pain."  It has several senses, but it's important to understand that it can indicate laborious trouble; that is, great effort that is fruitless, toil -- something that suggests even slave labor.  It emphasizes that evil is characterized by that which is painfully futile, onerous, a kind of torture of agony and misery.  We can see its connection to the rest of the parable by its stark contrast with those who are fruitful.  From this evil results only fruitless toil, misdirected energy that leads to misery, a kind of enslavement connected to painful futility.  All of these things are characteristic of evil in the Scriptures.  We can take a look at the effects on those who are possessed by demons whom Jesus heals:  the effects of the demons echo these meanings of this word for "evil" or the "evil one," such as pain, a wasted life, one separated from community, suffering.   So what we can understand from His explanation is that Jesus is connecting a lack of understanding with such onerous toil and futility, a painful condition of emptiness.  And He offers His word and our taking it to heart and allowing its effects to blossom within us as the alternative way of life to this futility and pain.  We think of His word because it leads to a better way of life, to one in which we find that what we do has value and substance to it.  Through Christ we seek that which is truly rewarding, which offers us good, what St. Paul calls "the good struggle" or the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12).  That word for "fight" used by St. Paul is ἀγῶνα/agona.  We can see its relation to the English word  that comes to us as "agony," but its meaning is struggle, as in an athletic contest for a prize, as in an Olympic arena, something that is worth the struggle and the effort and the discipline for the honor and glory that comes with its achievement.  Hence it is a "good fight."  Notice that in the rest of the explanation of this parable, Jesus uses words that imply a kind of struggle or effort:  when His good word takes root in us, it helps us to endure, even through tribulation and persecution.  To keep His word in a good way also means that we, with perhaps the focus we can attribute to a good athlete, are not defeated by the distraction of the cares of this world nor by the deceitfulness of riches which can choke the word in us and crash our efforts and discipline for what is of real value and a worthy struggle and goal.  Note that there is a quality implied by the "cares of this world" that is also toilsome and onerous, a quality that Jesus imputes to riches which is deceitful, false, entrapping, which does not live up to its attractive appearance.  These are all characteristics of what is evil, what tricks us with false promises that in the end harm us instead; they are even characteristic of addictions such as the lure of gambling, the promise of escape from pain with drugs, and all the things the world seems to clamor for us to scramble after to keep up with everyone else in all those images we consume.  Those narcissistic personalities who defraud others also share similar traits of false lures of a good life, but are instead merely predators who rob others not only of worldly goods, but even of purpose, often supplanting themselves as the purpose of another's life.  But to hold fast to Christ's word is a different sort of a struggle, a good fight for something that feels worthy in a place that is within us, where God touches us, a sense of what is good and at the same time truly free, because it helps us to discover ourselves and who we truly are, what we're made out of.  Most of all Christ's word is born of love for us, and it tells us the truth about ourselves and about life.   Note that Jesus doesn't make us false promises that there is no struggle, or that His life is simple and without effort.  But He does offer us fruitfulness, the kinds of spiritual fruit from which a good life is made, and good life for those around us as well.  His word offers us the values of compassion, the richness of true beauty, the worthiness of sacrifice for what is better -- an organizing principle of love for what is true and good and beautiful, a struggle for that which is truly worthy.

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.

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

Yesterday we read that 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 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!" And 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 that 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."  In today's reading, Jesus explains the parable of the Sower to the disciples.  He gives us a picture of the world as a place full of pitfalls for the word that He sows.  Note the synthesis between the inner conditions in us and the obstacles to the word in the world.   We do not understand, and the wicked one comes and is active in the world to snatch away what is sown in the heart.   We may take in the word with joy, but have no root in ourselves -- and tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, and we stumble.  We may hear the word but are surrounded with thorns, which are the cares of this word, and the deceitfulness of riches.  These work to choke the word and make us unfruitful.  But if we receive Christ's word on good ground, we are able to bear fruit and produce, even through the struggles in the world.

I don't think that Jesus means to imply by His parable of the Sower that there are only some people who face tribulation or persecution, or the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches.   The wicked one doesn't want to snatch away Christ's word from the heart of only a handful of people.  We are given to understand that these things will always be present and with us, that these obstacles to the good root of the word taking hold and producing fruit will always face difficulties and objects to overcome in the world.  We're not given a picture of the world as a friendly place to what Christ has to say and to teach us.  So by the very nature of what's implied in this parable, what Christ teaches us is that His word is going to face challenges within us, that we don't live in a perfect world simply awaiting the word -- the seed of the Sower -- in order to spring up its fruits.  What Christ teaches us is that so much depends upon us tending and tilling our good ground, protecting ourselves against the threats to these seeds of His word taking root within us, and our own steadfastness in guarding ourselves against threats like the cares of this world or the deceitfulness of riches.  He does not come into the world to take these things away.  Rather He comes into our world asking us to join the struggle for the word, to become the good ground, to work at this, and to be smart and aware of what's around and what threats there are to it.  This good and fertile ground is that which is within us, but there are threats to it.  There are struggles involved.  We need to be diligent and smart about it -- not complacent, or sleepy, or lazy.  We have forces that seek to mislead us, dissuade us, trip us up, and choke us with diversions or struggles or a multitude of cares.   In discipleship, then, He calls us to a struggle for something -- and what He really teaches is that despite the trouble and the things that will seek to throw us off, this word is worthy of every effort we make to fight the challenges.  This word, this seed He offers, is above all else prize-worthy to cherish in this contest of life in the world.  We hold fast to it, and our goal is to produce fruits which multiply -- perhaps a hundredfold, or sixty, or thirty.  Everything else, He implies, is worth struggling against or discarding for this prized seed He offers us.  His image gives us a sense of the difficulties of such struggle:  what is a little seed compared to the thorns of the world, or the work of the evil one, or the stony ground that does little to defy tribulation and persecutions?  And yet, it is the treasure of this seed that is worth fighting off, enduring, struggling through all the rest, holding fast to the goal of producing fruit.  Let us consider that Jesus does not minimize the difficulties.  Neither does He make them simply disappear from this world.  He invites us into a contest.  He asks us to weigh what is most important to us.  He asks us to forgo temptations to give in to care and struggle, or to be deceived by riches that seem like better treasure.  He offers us His hand in a journey to follow Him.  He invites us in to face life and take heart, to prize and to cherish what is so much better, to see what we're worthy and capable of in His sight.  Are we ready for that challenge? 

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

Harvest of life mosaic, detail.  4th century.  Santa Costanza, Rome, Italy

"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

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus preached the parable of the Sower, 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."  Jesus gives the explanation of His parable of the Sower to the disciples.  Let us keep in mind that this is the first time He's preached in parables, and it's the first parable that has been given.  He has spent time alone with the disciples explaining why He's begun preaching in parables.  There are those who will "hear" and those who will not, as the crowds who listen to Him have grown large.  There will be those who hear and want to know more, but there will be many who also do not.   Here in His explanation of the parable Jesus speaks of how different people will receive the word, the "seed" He distributes as "sower."  His explanation is clear, but one thing we can note:  Jesus emphasizes persistence, and also the overcoming of obstacles to the fruitfulness of the word within ourselves.  The fertile good ground is the region of the heart.  Jesus speaks of the worldly as that which interferes with the root and flowering of the word:  tribulation and persecution, cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches.

Jesus' emphasis is on persistence, overcoming obstacles.  He knows that there will be many ways in which it will be made difficult for His word to be followed, to take root, to flower, to produce fruit.  He knows there will be many dangers to His ministry -- both in His lifetime and also throughout the centuries to follow.  This parable applies at both a community level -- even a universal level -- and also at an individual level.  Ultimately, He speaks of the ground of the heart common to each person.  We should, in fact, take heart in Jesus' assumption that His word is going to fall in places of struggle and even of hostility.  In the whole of the Gospel, Christ is quite pragmatic in terms of the warnings He gives to the disciples, and to all those who would follow, that this is not going to be an easy journey.  At the very least, in this first parable, He teaches us that there are pitfalls and traps awaiting the faithful.  We might hear the word with great joy, but what about when we face challenges to that faith?  What about when we struggle to make ends meet, or to keep up with the neighbors (or others)?  What about when something unjust happens to us?  Sometimes we might need to sacrifice materially in order to follow our faith -- and that will really take faith to do.  I have had the experience of friends questioning why I would not put material profit first in making decisions -- and it has been surprising to me that I can't sufficiently explain there are other things more important.  Jesus warns us that persecutions will come, and tribulations.  Nothing is left out of this parable for the person who seeks to be a follower of Christ.  But then, He's quite specific about what He's looking for in His followers.  He calls us to persist, and in our persistence, to bear fruit.  This is not an overnight sensation of elation in our faith that gives us all easy answers to every question.  This is something within which we'll struggle and meet our own obstacles.  There are things we'll need time to work out in prayer, hard decisions that are not simple.  But the reward is a particular kind of joy, a medicine for our souls, a kind of truth and fruit to bear which nothing else can replace.  His is the one thing necessary for that place in us that longs for real truth, a genuine need for security in God's love, especially when the transitory nature of so much of life lets us down.  Let us turn to prayer in our struggles, and to those who offer us the truth, and support our choice for what He offers us.  Christ's way is the one that shows us the long road for the long game -- for an outcome that transcends everything else.  Along the way, we learn patience, forbearance, kindness, joy, a peace that passes understanding -- and bear the fruits He wishes.  St. Paul affirms this in Galatians 5:22-23, and so does the full experience of the Church and her faithful.  Let us consider where our lives intersect with that experience and that challenge today, for His truth remains just so.

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

 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."  

- Luke 21:29-36

In our current readings, Jesus has been teaching in the temple in Jerusalem.  He has been in disputes with the leadership, being tested by those who seek to trap Him.  He began to give a warning prophesy to His disciples about the destruction of the temple that was to come a generation after His Passion (see Friday's reading).  On Saturday, we read that He taught them, "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 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 expectations 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."   This generation seems to have a double meaning.  The events of the destruction of the temple and the Siege of Jerusalem will come to pass within a generation; but this generation also refers to all believers at all times, my study bible explains.  It is the generation of the Church, and not only those alive at the time of Christ.

"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."  Here is the warning that the Day of His return will come unexpectedly, and as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth.  The bywords of all of the accounts of Christ's prophecy of end times and of His second coming are watch and pray.  In this case, He tells us to pray always.  This is our disposition as followers of Christ, to be alert and awake to the spiritual realities of our lives, and to pray always in awareness and preparation for standing before Him.

I have had the experience of being responsible for the care of an elderly parent, who went through a long illness over several years.  Admitted to a hospital for care when her doctor was unavailable to check on her growing weakness, first an extreme crisis suddenly emerged to put her in ICU, which was resolved only with the help of a courageous battle-experienced surgeon.  But nevertheless, later life and death decisions had to be continually made as she remained in the hospital over a period of a few weeks.  Particularly in those times of judging whether additional care and treatments would be detrimental to her true well-being and wishes, and then determining the best possible help for her as she was in the final stages before dying, constant prayer was indispensable to this process.  Thankfully she passed very peacefully.  Christ's words to watch and pray always were the most worthy advice during that time of terrible stress and pressured decisions, where a renewed spirit from prayer was the only strength that made it possible to face each new decision with energy, courage, and resourcefulness.  Not only is it necessary, under such circumstances, to consult as fully as possible with expert opinion one may trust (that is, to seek and find good expert care), including good pastoral care, but also to make the decisions that only the party responsible for another's life and well-being can make.  Christ teaches His disciples in today's reading about the end times.  It is His final word both on the terrible devastation that is to come to Jerusalem and the people of Israel, and also on the time of the end and His return.  The times that He describes are times of terrible strain, facing death and calamity on a scale that is unimaginable to any of us if we have not lived through such fears and frightful experience of war, disaster, and death.  But death comes into our world nevertheless and affects our lives in various ways.  The times that Jesus describes are the most terrifying possible, but each of us in our own lives may also experience the stress of making choices for loved ones in times of deep strain on self and family relations.  During that time, as well as other times of extreme personal challenge, we must never neglect Christ's words and teachings about watchfulness and constant prayer.  This is the way to renew spirit and heart, to find the internal resources for the vigilance necessary to go through the strain that death brings to all concerned.  Such times may bring out the best and the worst of circumstances and of people involved, from professional caregivers to family members and friends.  But one friend we can count on is the One who gives the advice to remain watchful and to pray constantly.  There are prayers of the Church for every occasion, for times throughout the day, for prayers to saints and to the Virgin Mary. We may all consult our pastors and our fellow faithful for help in praying for us and with us.  But there is nothing that compares to personal commitment to prayer for keeping our strength and vigilance in times that draw out every strength we have, and touch the deepest wells of character and confidence and faith in order to cope with what is asked of us.  When Jesus warns us not to let our hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, He is speaking of the importance of being alert to His message and the state of our souls at all times.  None of these things must take us away from what is truly needful:  the care of spirit and soul in His love and faith and mindfulness of how we are to be living.  We seem to have two choices:  either we are going to "check out" and be blind to what is presented to us and is needful, or we are going to step up to the plate with prayer and watchfulness as our true help in life.  What He teaches us bears out its truth in times of deep trouble -- but He calls on us to remember God even when everything seems routine, during the ins and outs of life, through the good and through the bad and all that comes between.  He warns us that the Day will come as a snare, but then again, there is so much in life that also may come as a snare.  Let us be aware of the things we always need, and the depth of life He asks us to truly live, the place of prayer in which we are to dwell.

Hear the parable of the sower

 "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 awhile.  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

Yesterday we read about the beginning of Jesus' preaching in parables:   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 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 then.  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!"  And 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: . . . "  In yesterday's reading, Jesus gave us the parable of the Sower, and in private His disciples asked Him about the parable.   This is our introduction to parables.  It is the first time that He begins preaching using them.  Parables were already widely known in Jewish culture and tradition, and around the Middle East.  But Jesus' use of parables are an extraordinary example of His word.  They are designed to use the greatest simplicity, with stories drawn from everyday life (especially in an agrarian society for this one) which are meant to draw in those who may see and hear with faith.  And we note that in private He explains to His disciples as they ask Him questions.  Today He explains the parable of the Sower, which we can read above, from yesterday's reading.

"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."    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."  We remember that Jesus has chosen to begin using parables to preach to the large crowds who now gather to Him.  In a way, the parables mirror what we are told in this parable:  they sort of out those who receive His word in faith from those who do not.  Jesus explains that as the Sower, He comes spreading His word in a world that is not going to be perfectly receptive.  There is an enemy here, waiting to snatch away this word.

"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 awhile.  For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."  Here is the next thing we understand about the world and the word.  There are those who will receive His word with joy.  But like a planted crop, it must take root, and fails to do so again because of the conditions of the world and the lack of depth of rootedness faith in the person.  In the world, He will teach, as His followers we will have tribulation (John 16:33)  and we will have persecution (Mark 10:30).  Jesus does not offer us a life in which we do not face the realities of the world, but a life in which we nevertheless experience the blessedness and joy of the life of the Kingdom.

"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."  Here is more about the conditions of the world in which we are to live our lives in faith.  We're told that the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches are present to us.  From this understanding, it's clear that the faith of the Kingdom does not offer us a utopian dream, but rather a way of life through a difficult world.   We're also given to understand that Jesus seeks for us to be fruitful.  But His fruitfulness is not the same as the production of riches, which He describes as deceitful.

"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."  Each who hears the word and understands it bears fruit and produces."  We note that each produces according to potential; we are not meant to be the same people with the same output.  But that we do bear spiritual fruit is the desire of the Sower, the favored outcome of faith and good ground.

All of the conditions that Jesus names in which the word struggles for rootedness and fruitfulness are things that remain present to each one of us.  They are things with which we will contend in our lives.  We fail to understand, or we feel a fleeting joy that passes quickly.  Tribulation and persecution are temptations to give it all up, and all too often that is the result of seed "on stony places."  In Scripture, a "stony" or "hard" heart is frequently an expression denoting a lack of understanding or receptivity.   We live with the thorns or cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches -- things that look good to chase after but which really don't give back all the effort, the heart and soul, one may put into them.  We note how these things "choke" the word, they crowd it out and strangle it within us if we let them.  All of these experiences may belong to each one of us.  But the central point we can take away from this parable is one Jesus will emphasize, particularly when He begins to tell the apostles about the time when He will no longer be with them.  We learn from the parable the importance of endurance.  We live to try again, to continue, to start our devotion to His word and His faith once more.  This is the way to the spiritual productivity that He seeks.  Jesus does not offer us a perfect world, nor some utopian dream of an ideal perfect life.  He doesn't offer us wealth as the panacea we might seek for our struggles and problems, but rather warns that riches are deceitful.  The cares of this world are not to overrun and dominate our lives.  We're supposed to focus on something else, a different way of life.  Over the course of the past couple of weeks, we have been reading the Sermon on the Mount.  We have skipped over several chapters to read the parable of the Sower, in preparation for Ascension Day.  But it is in the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus teaches us about the blessed life He asks  of us, and teaches the fruitfulness meant as the response to His word.  The blessedness He offers is ours even though we face persecution or tribulation in or because of our faith.  What Jesus offers is the challenge of a life well-lived, a good life, something to have faith in and worthy of the sacrifice it takes to live it.  Its blessings are transcendent and not dependent upon external conditions.  Its fruitfulness remains within a communion in which others may share.  Its true place is within us and among us, where two or three are gathered in His name, or where we pray to our Father in secret.  It is a substance that remains with us and within us, a joy given not as the world gives, a peace that passes understanding.   This is what we seek first, all else may be added unto it.  But this illumines our view of the world and gives us our place in it, how we relate to everything and everyone else.  All from the place of the word, the seed He plants within us, and the good ground it needs to bear real fruit.