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Gospel: Matthew 13: 1-9
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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Can you think of something, some moment, or someone that’s changed your life?
It could’ve been a college acceptance letter. A marriage proposal. A job opportunity. An “aha” moment. A word spoken in prayer.
For me, it’s been discovering the Bible. God’s Word has been my foundation since I was a boy. I remember being sixteen years old, reading the Bible from cover to cover, sparking my journey with Jesus.
Each page was like another seed planted, which slowly began changing me.
In the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “When I found your words, I devoured them. They became my happiness and the joy of my heart.”
Now that Word has touched even the harder to reach places of my heart.
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus likens his Father to a farmer who sows seed. He throws it everywhere – not only on rich, fertile soil, but also on arid, thorny, and rocky ground.
To me, that makes God seem like a lousy farmer, but a loving Father. A lousy farmer because he tosses seed everywhere– even in places that have little chance for growth.
But a loving Father for the very same reason; God holds out hope that even those arid, rocky, or thorny places inside of us may one day change and bear good fruit.
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So, what prevents our hearts from being fertile, or receptive to God’s Word?
Perhaps it’s the fear of change; an attachment to worldly things; doubt; or unhealthy habits. Things any human can experience. Still, the Lord speaks to us; he scatters the seed of his word, hoping one day it will take root.
Think of some of the Gospel verses we’ve heard in the last few weeks: “Do not be afraid.” … “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.” … “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The Lord knows the most resistant parts of our hearts can be cultivated with the right amount of care – and persistence. As the prophet Isaiah says in our first reading, God’s Word will not return to Him void.
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So, what makes soil fertile? Or how do we become receptive to God’s Word?
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In order to become fertile, soil must first be broken open, tossed about, and repeatedly separated. It’s a type of chaos that prepares the ground to receive seeds. Once planted and watered, those seeds begin taking root, and, eventually, bear fruit.
In a sense, our hearts must be broken open – or vulnerable in some way – before they can truly become receptive to God’s Word. Think about those days when I was a curious teenager searching for answers, reading the bible from cover to cover.
Or think about those 42 young people traveling with me to World Youth Day in two weeks. They’re open to God and his Word in a way they may never have been before.
Opportunity opens our hearts to grace.
But so does suffering.
Think about the first time a person walks into an AA meeting.
Or the moment a relationship you valued ends.
Or when life takes a sudden, unexpected turn for the worse.
These moments are chaotic; they stir something inside of us.
And God, the lousy farmer and loving Father, is there scattering seed, throwing his Word at us, hoping it may take root. As Jesus said in last week’s Gospel, “Come to me, all you who are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.”
When a weary heart is broken open, there’s a chance God’s Word will take root and bear fruit.
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Has the Word of God changed me?
Do I hear it only at Mass, or also at home?
Even something as simple as keeping a bible by your bedside, reading a few verses before you go to sleep can allow God to speak to you!
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Can you think of something, some moment, or someone that’s changed your life?
Hopefully we can all say, “The Bible.”
In the words of Jeremiah, the prophet, “When I read your words, I devoured them. They became my happiness and the joy of my heart,” even today.
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Image credits: (1) Vocal Media (2) Christianity (3) Knowing-Jesus.com