REFLECTION

Gospel    

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 disciples approached him and said, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He said to them in reply, "Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of these people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it. "Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. 

When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.

Matthew 13: 1-23

Reflection

Jesus speaks in parables a lot, and in the gospel today his disciples ask him why. He has just delivered the parable about sowing seeds – some seed gets eaten by birds and does not grow, some falls in rocky ground and cannot grow, some gets burned up by the sun, some is choked out by weeds, but some lands in good soil and grows strong and plentiful plants. This parable is kind of about speaking in parables.

The first reading tells of rain and snow falling on the earth making it fertile and fruitful. The precipitation nourishes the earth before it returns to the sky through evaporation. That’s sort of a parable of Jesus who came to earth to teach and nourish his people before returning to the heavens.

Jesus tells the disciples that he speaks in parables because, like the example of the seeds and the sower, not everyone who hears will listen. Not everyone who hears will understand. Some people hear the word, but they turn away and defile the land like the seeds choked by weeds. But there are some who will hear, and listen, and understand. They are the good soil and the words of the Lord are the seeds that will bear good fruit. “The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower.” The very disciples who are confused about his methods are the ones who can benefit from them. They are listening carefully and understanding the deeper meanings too as well as the symbolism. With the parables, the disciples can understand the bigger context of Jesus’ words, and then help share that with others as well.

We need to be aware and be like the disciples who listen carefully and critically. Let these words fall on us like the seeds in the good rich soil that will bring forth good and plentiful fruit.

Julie Leonard Religious Education Leader/Wellbeing Leader