A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to 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.”
REFLECTION: There is this story of Elias, who was a talented musician, but he also craved wealth and recognition. When he started playing in the local bar, his music was a hit. However, the late nights, the endless parties, and the attraction of easy money, slowly choked up his passion for music. The thorns of worldly desires grew tall and strong, leaving his music career barren. Some people take shots at blaming this or that, for those sad endings, but I choose not to even attempt to name them. However, in my humble opinion, I believe the reality always points back at the condition of the soil of our hearts, and how/what we do, to cultivate it.
The story of Elias is just one of many ways in which people, when facing that all is going well, stumble with the temptations of the world, and end up going the wrong path in life, all by their choices. And in most cases, the choices do not include God.
The parable of the Sower, found in today’s Gospel, tells the story of a farmer scattering seeds. Some seeds, fall on different types of ground. The farmer represents Jesus, and the seeds represent the Word of God. The different types of soil, rocky ground, thorny ground, and good soil, represent the hearts of the people and how they receive God’s Word. The parable emphasizes, that the success of the Gospel depends, on the receptiveness of the hearers. We hear in today’s Gospel; “Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Jesus wants His followers to understand, that not everyone will hear the Gospel the same way. It is not because the message, or the messenger, is deficient. The issue is, our human heart. The Pharisees, and many in the crowds, that followed Jesus, rejected Him. But they didn’t, and neither do many followers today, reject God because He is not offering sufficient proof, or because of their understanding, of the Word. They are rejecting God, because of their ignorance, meaning, lack of learning more, about what the Kingdom of God really is. Another factor might be, their desire for prosperity and power, and their love for this world, and the things in it. Those things, make the Word of God land among thorns, and the thorns grow up and choke it. Those thorns can be worldly concerns such as worries, riches, and other desires, that are a priority over God and His Word. These worldly concerns, like thorns, compete for resources such as time, devotion, and action, which are essential for His Word to take root, grow, and bear fruit. Being distracted and consumed by these earthly matters, can hinder the ability to deepen their faith, live out one’s calling, and experience the transformative power of God’s Word.
ACTION FOR THE DAY: Meditate on today’s Gospel, on what it says, not what it means. Then ask yourself; “What is my faith like?”
After that, reflect on your answer, to see if you would be willing, to have the same answer tomorrow morning, if you knew it meant, that you would get fired from your job? What if you knew, that saying “I love Jesus”, would mean, you would be killed tomorrow morning? Would you still say it?
If you find your faith deficient, today’s Gospel of Matthew invites you, to find in God’s Word, a Kingdom worth living and dying for, a savior worth loving more than anything in this world, and a mission worth giving our life to.
AUDIO REFLECTION
