Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand

 

 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 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 tings 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, having appointed the Twelve to become His apostles, Jesus and the disciples 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 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!"  As in the other Synoptic Gospels, Jesus begin preaching in parables with the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-3; Luke 8:4-5).  Let us note that He began to teach by the sea because by now there is a great multitude gathered to Him.  It's important to understand this beginning of teaching in parables comes when His ministry draws great crowds to Him.  Jesus' saying, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" is an echo of the Old Testament prophets; see Isaiah 6:9-10; Ezekiel 3:27; Jeremiah 5:21; Deuteronomy 29:4.

 

 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.' "  The disciples' question is answered first by Jesus not as to explain its meaning, but to give the reason for His preaching in parables.  He responds by a reference to the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9-10).  My study Bible comments that, according to St. John Chrysostom, Isaiah's prophecy does not mean that God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  This is a figure of speech which is common in Scripture and reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24-26).  God has permitted their self-chosen blindness and deafness.  People did not become blind and deaf to the message of Christ because it God spoke through Isaiah, but the prophet spoke because he foresaw their blindness.

 

 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."  In this parable, my study Bible comments, our Lord reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, the sower, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.  My study Bible asks us to note that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith (a view which was never held by the historic Church), the teaching of Jesus here is quite clear that it is possible for some to receive the word with gladness, but endure only for a time.

 

 In today's reading we first of all observe that Jesus begins speaking in parables only when His ministry has grown so that by now there is a great multitude which follows Him -- so many people that He must sit in a boat facing the shore to preach.  In the beginning of His ministry, the disciples whom He told to "Follow Me" were those who had already been disciples of St. John the Baptist, and were led by the Baptist to Christ (Mark 1:17; John 1:29).  Here He is before the crowds who have heard of Christ's fame -- and especially of His healing and casting out of demons.  They are drawn to Him not necessarily because they seek discipleship.  What we may conclude from Christ's choice to preach in parables before this multitude then, is that He desires a faith that is not based on coercion or manipulation or the appeal of miraculous occurrences.  Indeed, the faith that He is seeking is one that can perceive with a different set of eyes and ears, one not drawn simply by appearance or public acclaim.  And this dynamic surely plays out in our own lives, and even in every generation.  Moreover, the kind of faith He's looking for is one that will grow in us, and become through this process strong enough to endure through tribulation or persecution.  The sense of rootedness that He speaks of ("they have no root in themselves") is something that is deep within us, not merely on the surface through some sort of material attraction or promise.  Parables work, in some sense, as icons.  They are images drawn from daily life in the world to represent and communicate the deep things of God, as my study Bible puts it.  But, as the quotation from Isaiah indicates, these deep things are not evident to everybody.  What Christ is looking for are those with spiritual ears to hear -- and even then, not all people have the same degree of understanding.  These various possible outcomes conveyed by the parable, which Jesus explains in private to His disciples, are all things, in fact, that we may occasionally experience even as faithful.  We all may be tempted to stumble (for example as did St. Peter; see this reading).  But the rootedness of the faith Christ seeks is that which has endurance, forbearance, patience, and a deep love for the things of God:  those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit:  some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.  Note that the qualities Christ seeks in the parable all indicate a faithfulness through time.  For how else can we bear fruit, except through the times of our lives and the living out of our faith through all things?  This is an ever-deepening process, one with difficulties, and hard choices, and one subject to temptation.  The material-oriented life we lead in modern times, all the desires which are fed through coercion or persuasion, our impulses to rage, to take what we think we deserve from others, to shortcut or ignore the realities and values of the spiritual life:  these are all with us, and in some ways are perhaps stronger than ever.  But, yet, faith endures, and is the antidote to the easy things we think we can grab -- popular images we consume on social media, the temptation to addictions of all kinds, the lack of vision to persist through hardship and discomfort.  But our lives are made of more than this, and Christ asks for those who can seek it and live that fullness, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

Why do You speak to them in parables?

 

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up 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; . . . "

 

- Matthew 13:1-16 

 

In our recent readings, the lectionary has been taking us through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." 

 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!"  Today's reading skips forward in St. Matthew's Gospel, to chapter 13, in which Jesus introduces the concept of parables in His preaching.  In the setting of the Gospel, by this time in His ministry Jesus has garnered a wide following, so that great multitudes were gathered together to Him.  He sits, as if in an amphitheater by the sea, in a boat close to the shore, so that the people gather and listen to Him on shore.  The parable given today is the parable of the Sower.  This is a sort of "keystone" parable, the one with which Christ begins.  He introduces parables by introducing this one (and does so also in Mark 4 and Luke 8); it forms a kind of picture of His ministry.  Regarding parables themselves, my study Bible explains that metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5, Jeremiah 31:27-30; Hosea 2:21-23; Joel 3:12-14), as these were a part of people's everyday lives.  Here, He reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, who is the sower in the earth, foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

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."  My study Bible tells us that the mysteries of the kingdom do not refer to simply obscure concepts or various religious truths only given to the elite; and neither is the understanding of the parables a simple intellectual process.  Even the disciples find them hard to understand.  My study Bible notes that while Jesus taught the same message to all, it is the simple and innocent who are open to its message. 

"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; . . . "  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9-10.  My study Bible explains that, according to St. John Chrysostom, Isaiah's prophecy does not mean that God causes spiritual blindness in people who would otherwise have been faithful.  This is, instead, to be understood as a figure of speech common to Scripture, which reveals God as giving people up to their own devices (as in Romans 1:24-26).   He has blinded means that God has permitted a self-chosen blindness (compare Exodus 8:15, 32 with Exodus 10:20, 27).  The people did not become blind because God spoke through Isaiah, but rather Isaiah spoke (as all prophecy works) because he foresaw their blindness.

Today's lectionary reading has skipped forward to chapter 13 because we are being prepared for the Feast of the Ascension, which takes place on Thursday for Churches of the West (and also for the Armenian Apostolic Church).  For the Eastern Orthodox, the date of Easter/Pascha is calculated differently; it was celebrated yesterday, meaning that Christ's Ascension will be celebrated on June 6.  We're being prepared for the Feast of the Ascension with readings that skip forward in the lectionary.  On Friday we'll return where we left off, in the final verses of the Sermon on the Mount.  Today and tomorrow the readings focus on the parable of the Sower.  In the reading that follows this one, we will read Christ's own explanation to the disciples for this parable.  But for today, let us focus on what we're given.  First, in the context of Christ's answer to the disciples, who wonder why He now speaks in parables, Jesus gives an explanation:  "Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given"   Now this saying, while speaking of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, is in itself rather mysterious.  We need to look closely at His follow-up, as explanation:  "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."   What Jesus is implying here has to do with our discipleship.  How far have they followed Him already?  What have they grasped of His teaching?  Have the disciples begun to understand the ways of the Kingdom, and His ways as they have lived with Him?  What Jesus implies is that those who truly seek a close communion of love with God will receive all the more.  But those who fail to engage their own capacity for understanding will receive none; in fact, without some initiative on the part of the learner, even what he has will be taken away from him.  It is with this teaching in mind that Christ quotes from Isaiah: "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."  We need what Christ has to offer -- which in its entirety is the fullness of the love of God.  But without recognizing our own need, and making an effort to be a good student (a disciple, or "learner") we will make no progress in finding our own healing.  For true fulfillment of our identity as human beings, we need a communion with God, and what Christ has to offer us.  When we engage with our Lord, the mysteries that await are those things that will form and shape us, teach us who we are, give us identity within a family.  Regarding this family, it is important that we know the reading previous to this one in Matthew's Gospel is the one in which Christ declares, "For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (see Matthew 12:46-50).  Christ's love is always awaiting us, but it is we who must also make a positive effort to receive and take in that love which teaches us what and who we are, and in which we will need to repent and turn away from the things that cannot stand in that love.  This is the work of faith, the ground of the seeds the Sower must sow.

 

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 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 on 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 called the Twelve to become His apostles, they all 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 on 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!"  Once again we note that the text tells us Jesus began once more to teach by the sea, an affirmation of the growing numbers of people who are coming to hear Him preach.  This time it is described as a great multitude -- so many, in fact, that He must sit in a boat to preach to people on shore.  It is in this context that Jesus begins to teach in parables.  This first parable (also the first to be given in the other Synoptic Gospels) is the Parable of the Sower.  Let us note Jesus' words to the crowds:  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  It is an allusion to the words of the prophets of old, which Christ will repeat in private to His disciples. 

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.'"  Here Jesus quotes from the Old Testament prophets to indicate the reason for this new way of teaching by speaking in parables (see Isaiah 6:9-10; Jeremiah 5:21; Ezekiel 12:2).  These same concepts are repeated in Matthew 13:14; Luke 8:10; John 12:40; Romans 11:8.  My study Bible explains that the mystery is the reality of the presence of the Kingdom itself, revealed in Jesus and perceived by 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 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."  My study Bible explains that discipleship requires both that we have a personal relationship with Christ and that we understand what He teaches.  It adds as commentary on Christ's explanation of the parable that the gospel of God's Kingdom is powerful, but our heart response determines its fruitfulness in our lives.

It's makes particular sense that as those who come to hear Jesus expand in numbers, He begins to speak in parables.  Moreover this first-given parable of the Sower also makes sense in this context, for in recent readings we're told that He has just appointed the Twelve, who will be sent out as apostles, with the message of the Kingdom.  They are the ones who will be like the seeds of the Sower, spread out and planted in the world, as they also sow such seeds.  The calling and appointment of the Twelve is an important turning point in Christ's ministry, signaling the time is right to spread the gospel beyond the places Jesus has been with His message.  But let us note, also, that as the ministry expands in an extremely important way, at the same time opposition can be seen to Jesus (see yesterday's reading, above).  My study Bible explains that parables are stories in word pictures which reveal spiritual truth.  They are drawn from people's experiences in every day life; in this agrarian society, sowing and planting, watching crops grow and produce a harvest, are all images known and understood.  But parables are intended to teach us about the kingdom of God; as my study Bible puts it, to give us glimpses of the One whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9).  Hence, Jesus speaks of mysteries, and in particular regarding those people "with ears to hear."  These truths are not evident to all; and even among those who perceive, there are differences and degrees of understanding.  Parables were widely used in Jewish culture, but Jesus makes them central to His teaching and brings them to a profound level that continues to be explored in understanding and to challenge us to grow in our own depth of perception and faith.  While He explains the meaning of this parable to His disciples, we can clearly see that experiences of various types may be common to each of us:  there are times when we hear the word and it immediately goes by the wayside, other times when we fall away with a little challenge, and still others when we stumble when we face opposition or tribulation.  Which of us cannot relate to the notions of the thorns that choke the word:  the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in? My study Bible also comments that parables challenge the hearer and call for faith to perceive the mysteries of the Kingdom.  Insight into this Kingdom, importantly, does not come solely through an intellectual understanding of the parables.  It says that spiritual enlightenment is communicated through faith in the Person, words, and deeds of Jesus Christ.  Thus, parables are stories that work on levels deep in the heart, that speak to experience, and also tug at the places in our souls and spirits where we are open to more than we already think we know and can be led forward into the things that remain for us mysteries.  When we think of the word being sown, and Jesus Christ the Sower, who is also the Word Himself, let us consider that among those who listen are the Twelve.  They are newly chosen to be sent out to spread that word themselves, and yet they, too, need His explanation for the parable.  In terms of the present yield of their original planting and work, the numbers their word has reached are far more than thirtyfold or sixty or a hundred.  They are in fact incalculable to us now.  But we should remember that while we also encounter mysteries and need insight and understanding and deepening of our faith as do the disciples, we, too, are invited to join in to their work.  When Jesus reveals Himself to the Samaritan woman in John's Gospel, who then brings other villagers to Him, He tells the disciples that this saying is true:  "One sows and another reaps.’'  He says to them,  "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (see John 4:36-38).  Let us take in this parable and drink deeply of its mystery within ourselves, for we also are invited into this activity of the Kingdom, and to enter into labors that produce its fruits for all.

 

 

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 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 then 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.   These verses appear almost as they are a direct a continuation from yesterday's reading, in which we read of the great love of this woman, a notorious sinner, came to anoint Christ's feet with expensive oil in a deep display of love and faith, and whose sins were forgiven by Christ.  The Gospel presents us with these other women who were so essential to Christ's ministry.  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 proclaim the news of Christ's Resurrection (Luke 24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, my study bible teaches, 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!"  Here Jesus tells His first parable.  The parable of the Sower is given as Christ's first parable in all three Synoptic Gospels (see also Mark 4, Matthew 13).  At this stage in His ministry there is a great multitude gathered to hear Him, and they have come from every city to do so.  We have also just read of the women who support His ministry.  It is at this stage of great public attention that Christ shifts to teaching in parables, and gives this parable of the Sower first.  It is a parable about Himself and His ministry, a "word picture" with images from every day life in this agrarian society, given as a kind of riddle for people to seek to understand for themselves.  Thus Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" alluding to Isaiah's prophecy, from which He quotes to the disciples in the verses that follow.  As the sower in the parable, 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.'"   Mysteries, my study bible explains, are not obscure intellectual concepts, but they are 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 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."  Jesus quotes 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."  Here, Jesus explains the parable to the disciples, to those who are already committed to Him in faith.  My study bible asks us to note that while some might teach a person is permanently saved at the moment one professes faith -- a view which was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear that it's possible to believe for a while and then fall away.  

 

 My study bible tells us that the Hebrew and Aramaic words for parable also mean "allegory," "riddle," or "proverb."  These stories, which consist of images drawn from daily life in the world, are meant to represent and communicate the deep things of God.  It says that parables give us "glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9).   Just as important to our understanding that this is the way Christ has chosen to communicate is the fact that not everybody is going understand the parables.  This is built in to this style of teaching.  Why would Christ teach in ways that not everybody is going to understand?  In a world that is filled with all kinds of information -- so often irrelevant to our lives or professions -- why would someone, intent on public preaching, choose to do so in a way that is going to be obscure to at least some of His listeners?  That is a very important question.  As the parable itself indicates, so much about our faith also depends on us.  That is, we, the faithful.  Jesus' parable of the Sower speaks of struggles, of difficulties that come from the world and get in the way of faith -- things against which a believer struggles.  First there is the devil, who comes to those who've heard and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.  Then there are those people who receive Christ's word with joy, but in whom it doesn't take deep root -- therefore, they believe for a short time, but when they're tempted, they fall away.  And then there are the thorns of this world.  Jesus gives an image of people who've heard the word, but are then choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  The "cares, riches, and pleasures of life" are always with us, perhaps now more than ever, reaching into all economic strata on some level or another.  These things are presented by Jesus as that which takes away our attention and time from living and doing and fulfilling His word, because we are choked with these goals and distractions, pursuing what does not bear spiritual fruit.  I see this as a great struggle of modern life, technological advancement, and prosperity levels not seen in the world in times past.  Finally Jesus says, "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."   Let us note that even with a noble and good heart, there is a struggle here, because we bear fruit only with patience.  In the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus teaches, "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.  For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  If we read the Sermon on the Plain carefully (as well as the Sermon on the Mount), we see that Christ means a "good and noble heart" not as something we're either born with or not, but something we work at, build, protect, and nurture through time.  We are to take note, cultivate an awareness of our own flaws, and take decisive action to cast them aside.  Jesus does not present us with a world in which we are asked to simply "believe" and then everything will fall into place.   Neither is belief something that is handed to us like a child being spoon-fed.  Rather, these truths -- which are, importantly, mysteries -- are given to us through parables.  We are called upon to respond in order to derive benefit from them.  We are called to discipleship to cultivate a life in which these seeds can grow and bear fruit through nurturing, pruning, discernment, and support.  But front and center is Christ's commentary:  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  We are called upon to care about what He's teaching, to have a particular type of ears, attuned to hear the things of spiritual importance, to care enough to want what He's offering.  These things He's teaching in the parables are called mysteries because they point to something beyond themselves, to a deeper reality that is beyond the surface and behind the words.  He is Jesus, and He is teaching important things.  But He is also the Son of God, Second Person of the Trinity, and He's seeking to initiate us (that is, those who really want what He offers) into a communion of saints, a hierarchy of the divine, the things that will make us grow in stature and likeness to Him, and to be able to share in this communion that extends throughout a universe of creation we can't see.  It is an invitation into love and depth and a communion of wisdom and beauty, and this is what is on offer in the parables.  But we have to really, really want this.  We have to care about it, be drawn to it, into faith and trust and love.  And we have to want what's good.  We might be called but there are also those who are chosen.  We bear fruit through real desire, and through patience, and through following this word, keeping it precious, and working at it every day through the difficulties that come in spite of our faith, and maybe even because of it.  That is where He calls us, but can you hear and see it?  Let us take note of some of His most devoted followers, named in the first verses in today's reading.  They are women, and include Mary Magdalene, one who was given over completely to darkness.  At a certain point in the West, she somehow got assigned the label of prostitute, but this was never true in the East.  We don't really know how "darkness" was expressed in her life, only that Christ cast out seven demons -- and she became one of His greatest followers, and was given the title Apostle to the Apostles.  Those who truly desire what He offers cannot be defined by labels and appearance but are discerned through the heart, and through love of Christ.  Let us remember!

He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

 

 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.   These women mentioned here by Luke would prove to be faithful to Christ until the end (23:49, 55).  They were the first to receive and to proclaim the news of Christ's Resurrection (24:1-10).  In the Scriptures, my study bible says, seven frequently symbolizes totality and completeness, here 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!"  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."  Jesus begins speaking in parables here in Luke's Gospel.  As in the Gospel of Matthew, He begins with the parable of the Sower.  Note that regarding this "new" mode of preaching in parables, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6:9.   On today's entire passage, my study bible comments that, as the sower in the parable, Christ fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 55:10-13.  It says that while some suggest that a person is permanently saved from the moment there is a profession of faith -- and this is a view that was never held by the historic Church -- the teaching of Jesus is clear from the parable that some may believe for a while and then fall away.  When Jesus speaks of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, He isn't speaking about obscure intellectual concepts, but rather the presence of the kingdom of God which cannot be defined.  My study bible says that a person's unwillingness to understand Christ's parables is due to a rejection of His Kingdom.  St. John Chrysostom teaches, "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, God does not overthrow their free will."  To do so would have been not only to "no advantage for them, but an even greater condemnation."

With this step in His ministry, where Christ has preached extensively throughout Galilee, and now there are greater crowds which are gathered to Him (a great multitude), He begins to teach in parables.  Jesus says, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" bringing to mind Isaiah's language regarding a particular capacity to hear the words of the prophet, the call of the Lord.  As my study bible suggests, there is a kind of talent (if we can put it that way) or capacity which lies within each of us, but it may be dormant due to lack of use or lack of care.  The parables are designed to provoke a response from those whose capacity for hearing is not shut out or stopped up, for those in the crowds who really desire what Christ offers.  Of course, in the Gospel, we reach Christ's private explanation to His disciples.  Perhaps what is most striking about Jesus' explanations -- regarding those by the wayside who hear, but then the devil snatches the word out of their hearts, or those on the rock who  receive the word with joy, but have no root and so fall away in a time of temptation, or the ones falling among thorns are those choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and so bring no fruit to maturity --  is just that all of these things can be part of the struggle with faith at any time.  That is, these different failings of faith can be part of the journey at any time -- they may come to trip us up.  They are not, as they might appear, three separate groups of people, but rather different times of hearing the word, different possibilities that come up.  We can at any time find ourselves choked with the cares of the world.  Or possibly there is the evil one at work who desires that we might not be saved.  We might spend too much time obsessing about riches or pleasures to heed what Christ would sow in the heart, or our own shallowness renders us unrooted and easily swayed off course.  But to bear good spiritual fruit, He is clear, takes a consistent sort of rootedness, and, we can infer, a way to constantly make certain that our soil is in good shape -- healthy and weeded, properly watered, nurtured with all that it needs, with stones plucked out and possibly new topsoil when necessary, and all the things we can understand about what it takes to make things grow and to produce good fruit.  Each of these things can be clear metaphors for different times of our lives, and there is good reason why so many of Christ's parables focus on common themes of farming that were known to all people.  Anyone with a garden who has tried to coax good growth can also understand -- even that there are times to prune back what hasn't worked, so our "tree" has more energy it can devote to flowers and fruitfulness.  There are any number of ways that Christ would offer to us through this parable to understand a picture of what it means to be on our own journey of faith, cultivating our garden, growing whatever it is that He has given us to grow and to tend.  But it all takes focus, purpose, care, and a steady devotion to the things we really need to pursue.  It requires a constant state of attention, and nurturing as well through the Word and the influence of the Spirit, the tending of the heart.  Let us note in this context the passage on the faithful women, who travel with His ministry from Galilee, "nurturing" through their own means this growth, and will stay steady, faithful, supportive throughout -- and play such a vitally important role in the Resurrection.  They give us an important picture of the journey of faith:  of constant support, vigilance, and simply staying by rooted where they are supposed to be, indispensable to the fullness of Easter.  Let us pay attention, and be like them, the ones who hear the good news.