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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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There are different ways of receiving the Word of God. The fruit it bears depends upon a person’s heart.
Some hear it without understanding. Others receive the Word with joy, but their faith lacks any root. Once a trial comes their way, belief is the first thing to go.
Still others receive the Word, but when left to choose, they prefer the things of this world to the things that are eternal.
Finally, there are those whose hearts are like rich, fertile soil. They hear the Word of God and are permanently changed by it.
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But consider the effort it takes to make soil fertile – and by extension, to make a human heart deeply receptive to the Word of God.
In order to make soil fertile, you must dig into it; break it; and repeatedly separate it. That period of chaos is what opens up the ground, allowing it to receive seeds, and ultimately, to give life.
Any sturdy plant was once a tiny seed placed inside broken, fertile soil.
So, what does that mean for us?
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Our hearts are most fertile after being broken.
Think of any stressful, frustrating, or traumatic experience in life. In those moments, it feels like we’ve been tossed about – broken inside – much like rich, fertile soil.
They are blessed, Jesus says, who turn to him in that hour. It’s then that the Word of God has the greatest chance to take deep root, to change us, to strengthen us, and to bear good fruit.
As Saint Paul says, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These gifts come from within; they are the fruit of a heart once broken, but receptive to the Lord.
May Jesus take any brokenness within us, bless it with his Word, and allow it to bear good fruit within – thirty, sixty, even a hundredfold.
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Image credits: (1) AZ Quotes (2) Pinterest (3) C D Swanson