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.

 

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow"

 

 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!"

 

- Matthew 13:1-9 

 

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

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up 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!"  My study Bible comments on today's reading that in the Old Testament, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5; Jeremiah 31:27-30; Hosea 2:21-23; Joel 3:12-14).  This is because such activity was part of daily life for the people.  Here, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah.  He is the sower in the earth, who had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

In today's reading, Jesus introduces parables into His ministry.  He begins with this key parable to all the rest of them, the parable of the Sower.  Above, we note that my study Bible explains the Sower is Christ Himself.  He sows His word.  In our following readings, Jesus Himself will be explaining the parable to His disciples.  But let's consider the setting.  As He goes and preaches by the sea, we're told, great multitudes were gathered together to Him.  So much so, that He got into a boat and sat to speak to them.  His position of sitting while the crowds listen standing on the shore is significant, for this is a position of a teacher.  But the great question is, why in parables?  And why now?  Certainly yesterday's reading holds one clue for us.  He spoke to the Pharisees and the scribes about an unclean spirit cast out of a person, an unclean spirit who can't find rest in the "dry places" he goes to afterward.  So he returns to the person who's like a house empty, swept, and put in order -- but takes seven spirits more wicked than himself.  If we understand Christ's teaching, He's telling the Pharisees (and us) that it's of no use merely to meet the basic standards of "clean" life, if we are not actively pursuing a deeper faith with God.  We want an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, an active and deepening journey of faith in which we pursue God for such depth and closeness.  We want to draw near to God with our hearts, not just our lips, so to speak.  So today, as these great multitudes now come to Him, Jesus effectively challenges the crowds.  They're going to have to make an effort to discern what He's talking about.  He's not going to simply feed people with mysteries and meanings and revelations if they're not committed to such a gift in the first place.  They have to have ears to hear.  That is, God wants us to have spiritual ears to hear with, to deeply desire what is offered so that we cultivate this kind of perception, as best we can.  My study Bible describes parables as stories in word-pictures, which reveal spiritual truth.  They give us seemingly simple pictures of daily life, but represent and communicate the deep things of God.  It notes, "Parables give us glimpses of Him whose thoughts are not our thoughts and whose ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9)."  The images in parables give us stories, as Christ understood human beings to need stories.  They reveal truth through a responsive heart that will ponder past the "entrance" and into the reality of God's Kingdom.  They are things that we can chew on, think about through the periods of our lives, and experience as revelatory from a number of angles as we do.  So let us be drawn in.  Everybody loves a story, and these stories come from Christ so that we might be drawn in to listen to Him, and reap a harvest of the Kingdom.  

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.

Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow"

 

 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!"

 

- Matthew 13:1-9 

 

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

 

 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea.  And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.  Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up 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!"  In the Old Testament, my study Bible explains, metaphors of sowing and harvesting are common (Psalm 126:5; Jeremiah 31:27-30; Hosea 2:21-23; Joel 3:12-14), as this was part of daily life.  Here in this beginning of preaching in parables, Jesus reveals Himself as the promised Messiah, who is the sower in the earth, and had been foretold in Isaiah 55:10-13.

In recent readings, Jesus has castigated the religious leadership for their false hearts, saying, "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit.  Brood of vipers!  How can you, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things."  In the phrase, "Brood of vipers!" He echoed the words of John the Baptist, who used the same agricultural metaphors, telling them to "bear fruits worthy of repentance" and that "even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  (See Matthew 3:7-10.)  In today's reading, Jesus begins to speak to the multitudes in parables, offering to the crowds an image of the kingdom of God at work in the world, and specifically of what He is doing in His ministry.  He is sowing seeds for growth, seeds that will be planted within human beings and in the world.  In the following lectionary readings, Jesus will offer explanations to the disciples regarding His reason for teaching in parables, and the meaning of this parable in detail.  So I will leave such specific teachings for the words of Jesus Himself in our readings to come.  But for now, let us consider Christ's metaphor of trees, of fruit-bearing, of planting.  As we see from the preaching of John the Baptist and Christ's earlier words to the religious leaders, they come up over and over again as images to teach about spiritual fruit, and the dynamic nature of human beings, of soul and spirit, capable of growth and interaction with God through faith.  The condition of the heart comes front and center in the spiritual language of Jesus, and it is clearly a place of choice, of potential for good or bad, a place of dynamic dialogue and interaction with forces or elements of good or evil.  It is a place for growth in either direction.  In yesterday's reading, above, Jesus spoke about His mother and brothers as those who do the will "of My Father in heaven."  This also indicates the power of growth within a person, of potential identity through faith.  Each of these teachings prepare us for an understanding of Christ as the Sower who sows the seeds of the Kingdom through His ministry.  In today's parable, the One who will become the chief cornerstone speaks of Himself as the One who sows the seeds for this foundation, looking for good ground, good conditions for growth, and those who will yield a crop in this dynamic ongoing mission of the Kingdom.  The seeds continue to be planted.  We are not simply material beings, made up of static elements which never change.  We are dynamic beings whose very cells are constantly in action and energy; even our DNA markers and physical make up is not static.  We are created as body, soul, and spirit, with hearts (that is, the very center of all that we are) capable of interacting in dynamic fashion with the seeds planted by the Sower and the energies of grace at work on receptive ground.  We are beings meant for growth in one direction or another; we make choices, we interact with one another, and also with the divine gifts of God.  Over the course of this chapter Jesus will give us varied metaphors in parables about the Kingdom and its potentials for growth in us, what it is truly like.  Let us pay attention and learn about ourselves and our capabilities in His sight.

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.

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 parable of the Sower to the multitudes, 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."  The text here gives us Jesus' explanation to His disciples of the parable of the Sower (which we read in Tuesday's reading):  For the sake of convenience, here is Jesus' telling of the parable:  "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.  Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up and because they had no depth of earth.  But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.  And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them.  But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop:  some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

Jesus' parable of the Sower really gives us emphasis on what happens internally with faith.  His word is the seeds that are sown; the rest of the parable is about reception, and what happens in our lives with that seed that is His word and teaching.  We note the interplay of the sower and the "wicked one."  The sower sows an idea, a teaching, a word (and He is the Word).  The parable gives us an idea of what happens to that word.  It falls upon those who don't comprehend it, and immediately the wicked one (the birds in the parable) snatches it away.  There is a force at work in the world that doesn't want this word to take root, to prevail, to be a part of our lives as we live them.  If this word doesn't find good soil, and rests in "stony places" then it is not long-lived.  To have a stony heart, in the language Jesus frequently uses, is a heart that at some level rejects this word, doesn't want to hear its teachings and have them go more deeply within.  Joy comes with first hearing, but when it means a struggle, especially (as told in Jesus' explanation) when outward forces push back against it, faith flees.  Tribulation or persecution is enough to overcome faith, and this person stumbles.  Other outward forces work upon us in our lives.  There are the thorns of the parable, which Jesus says are cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, which choke the word.   These are the conditions of the world in which we find ourselves, and these conditions have perhaps magnified for us in modern times.  They are with us throughout our lives.  An increasingly sophisticated and developed economy, combined with popular media, creates ever more demand by such thorns.  The cares of this world go hand in hand with the deceitfulness of riches, as often they are combined in our experience:  once we have what we learn to desire, the care comes when we must pay for it -- an endless cycle.  There are so many things we cannot control; one aspect of the deceit of riches is the illusion that wealth gives us full control over everything, even the state of health.  These remain huge issues for us to negotiate through our faith.  How much time do we give it?  What priority do we give it?  Where does humility come into the way in which we negotiate the cares of this world and the deceit of riches?  These are struggles that were with these disciples then, and they certainly remain in great force with us now.  Jesus presents them as thorns which choke the word.  Each of these scenaria presented in this simple parable of sowing seed and reaping harvest from growing plants gives us an idea of what our faith must overcome and struggle through, both as individuals and corporately:  as a communion, a group related by seeking to do the will of God.  (In Monday's reading, Jesus said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!  For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.")  Jesus speaks of the heart, but we need to remember that heart to heart, we do have communion.  We can affect and shore up one another's faith.  We struggle with this together.  We are able to give help to one another.  Those who've come before us, the saints of the Church, whose word we can read and know, also help us to shore up our faith and take strength in it, preparing good ground.  Prayer not only offers us help and connection with Creator, it is also ground for the communion of saints.  In our services and liturgies, we worship together with all of heaven, a great cloud of witnesses.  In Jesus' telling of this parable, we can consider all the ways these thorns have magnified, and also all the ways in which the Church has given us help for the struggle of the word and its fruitfulness within us.  We have one another, we have Scripture, we have those who've come before us and made the choices in the struggle, those who illuminate the word and share their light with us.  Let us remember the tools we're given, of humility and discipline, and the importance of our choices, surrounding ourselves and our hearts with support for the rootedness and growth of the word, and the Kingdom that it builds within us and among us.