by Fr. Tommy Lane
When we hear a parable by Jesus, we can compare ourselves with the characters in the parable to see whom we are most like in the parable. The word “parable” is a Greek word that means “throw down beside” and when we hear a parable, it is, so to speak, thrown down beside us and we see where we stand in relation to the elements of the parable.
Jesus’ Parable of the Sower today (Matt 13) obviously raises many questions for us. Obvious questions are “What is Jesus’ word that he sows in us?” and “Which type of soil are we?” and “Are we producing fruit from the word that Jesus sows in us?” We ask these questions because we want to produce a hundredfold for Jesus. One thing is sure: if we are not producing fruit for the kingdom as Jesus would wish, he is disappointed. We can see this from Jesus’ reactions to people who disappointed him. When Jesus visited the home of Martha and Mary, Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to him while Martha was busy preparing a meal. Jesus would have preferred if Martha had spent time with him like Mary. He said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10:41) Jesus clearly valued Mary spending time with him. When people were watching Jesus to see if he would cure a man on the sabbath, Mark tells us Jesus grieved over their hardness of heart. He asked the man to stretch out his hand and he cured it (Mark 3:1-5). Jesus was grieved by their obstinacy, grieved by their refusal to open their hearts to him. When Jesus was in Nazareth, Mark tells us Jesus was not able to perform any mighty deed there because of their lack of faith. Mark tells us Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith (Mark 6:5-6). Just before his Passion, Jesus visited Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with oil and dried them with her hair. Judas complained but Jesus reprimanded Judas. Clearly, Jesus appreciated the act of love and devotion shown to him by Mary. What they did not know is that on the following Friday Jesus would be buried so hurriedly that they would not even have time to anoint him properly for his burial (John 12:1-8). In these, and in so many other examples throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus grieved when people are obstinate and hard of heart and refuse to open their hearts to him.
So thinking about the Parable of the Sower and bearing in mind that Jesus is disappointed when people do not respond to him as he wishes, we obviously want to produce fruit from the word or seed that Jesus sows in us. As we listen to Jesus’ parable today, it is up to each of us to compare ourselves with the parable thrown down beside us and ask what type of soil we are and if we are producing fruit for the kingdom. If there is something holding us back from producing fruit as we ought for the kingdom of God, can we work on overcoming that? That is what Jesus would want and we do not want to be a disappointment to him.
Jesus’ word, the seed he sows in us, comes to us in many ways but obviously because of the parable we think today about Jesus giving himself to us in his words in Sacred Scripture, in the Bible. Jesus comes to us in his word in Sacred Scripture proclaimed in the readings at Mass and as we read the Bible home. As we listen, we are listening to texts inspired by God. Although written by humans, their author is really God. That’s what we mean by saying the Bible is inspired; its author is God although it is written by humans.
It is good to spend time with Sacred Scripture, pondering its meaning, throwing it down beside our lives to shed light on our lives, and forming resolutions based on our meditation on Scripture. That is allowing Jesus’ word, Jesus’ himself, into our lives. To benefit even more from pondering on Sacred Scripture, and to understand it better, there are many good helps available, to name just one, A Catholic Introduction to the Bible by the well-known US Scripture scholars Bergsma and Pitre. The Old Testament volume is published and very good for people in parishes and we look forward to their volume on the New Testament. When people reflect and pray on Sacred Scripture, there are two paths that people generally choose: either start at the beginning of a book in the Bible and pray through it daily paragraph by paragraph, or use the Scripture readings from Mass that day for prayer and reflection. There are various publications with the Scripture readings for Mass each day or they are free online on websites (for those in the USA https://bible.usccb.org/daily-bible-reading or, for those outside the USA https://www.universalis.com/mass.htm
Jesus’ Parable of the Sower today (Matt 13) raises many questions for us. One thing is sure: if Jesus’ word is not producing fruit for the kingdom as Jesus would wish, he is disappointed. We want to produce a hundredfold for Jesus.
© Fr. Tommy Lane 2023
This homily was delivered in a parish in Ireland.
More Homilies for the Fifteenth Sunday of Year A
We need spiritual cardiac surgery to be fertile soil for Jesus’ Words 2008
May the Word Jesus sows in us produce fruit
Related: Homilies on the Word of God
Second Reading Related: Faith in the Resurrection enables us to endure Suffering
Stories: Parable of the Sower (a dialogue)