PARABLE OF THE SOWER

The Parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Matthew (13:1-23) highlights the message of hope and confidence. It points to the growth of the Kingdom of God because of the promise of a vast harvest. Nothing will frustrate God’s plan. The Word of God will not return to Him empty. Parables are metaphors, comparison and symbols drawn from everyday life or from nature. They reveal deep spiritual truth. The meaning is not given by the one telling the parable but by the listener. In order to understand parables, we must be attentive and open to the things of God and must be willing to listen and believe. Jesus is the generous sower who throws His Word, a seed of highest quality. He is the living Word of God and He is God communicating to us. He is Word that breathes love. He sows extravagantly. He works and produces results. The seed is the Word of God or teachings of Jesus lavishly sown because the Kingdom of God is for all. God’s Word is powerful and transformative. It makes thing happen. The soil symbolizes various types of people who hear and give responses to God’s Word. Some seed fell on the path. The image refers to those who hear the Word of God but do not understand it because of indifference. Their eyes and ears are closed and unreceptive to the word. Some seed fell on rocky ground. It refers to hardness of heart and the cares of the world that overwhelm it. Some seed fell among thorns. The seed has no roots because of competition. There is no discipline of spiritual life which includes fidelity to prayer, active participation in the life of the community and doing works of mercy. Some seed fell on good soil which refers to the soil of the soul. It points to those who trust, understand and love the Word of God with all their heart, soul and strength. Therefore, we are to love and serve, knowing full well that most of what we do will not seem to amount to anything, that failure and loss might stare us in the face, but trusting, nonetheless, in the incomprehensible abun-dance of the harvest. We do not focus on the result of our action. We leave the worrying to the Lord of the harvest. What God will make of our efforts is more than we can imagine. Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away but my Word will not pass away. We are to focus on Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. He is always in charge and in control.