15^th Sunday in O.T.; July 12, 2020

Is 55:10-11.  Ps 65.  Rom 8:18-23. Mt 13:1-23

Deacon Jim McFadden

       Today’s Gospel is about the parable of the Sower, which has been painted by a number of artists, most notably Vincent Van Gogh.  As you reflect upon the parable, I’d encourage you to have Van Gogh’s image before you as a meditative icon.  On Matthew’s telling Jesus goes to the Sea of Galilee where he attracts enormous crowds, which represent our hunger for God which we hear from the Psalmist: “Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you my God. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life” (Ps 41 (42): 1-2).  The crowds sense that Jesus can assuage their longing for God; that’s why they’re eager to receive his Word in their hearts.  And, today, that still goes with us.  We’re all wired for God.  So, we listen.

Matthew notes that Jesus “spoke to them at length in parables” (Mt 13:13a), which is a typical literary form he used to teach.  Why did he use parables; why didn’t he use a straight-forward explanation?  Why did he teach this round-about way with riddles and puzzles?  It can be frustrating because we want to know what he really means.  Jesus often teaches by way of stories because that’s how he can get to the underlying reality of the Kingdom of Heaven, which doesn’t lend itself to a definitive explanation.  So, he uses symbols and metaphors for a purpose: to draw us into the Kingdom.  The parables are also purposely open-ended: with the exception of Matthew 25:31-46, The Judgment of the Nations, Jesus does not  neatly conclude the parable, but invites the listener to make a choice: to enter the Kingdom or not.

So, let’s look at the parable of the Sower.  Let’s assume that the Sower is Jesus and the seeds represent Word, which draws us into the Kingdom.  Notice that the Sower does not super-impose himself on the soil, but rather offers himself.  He does so, not by dominating or conquering the field, but by donating himself: he casts seeds all over the place with abandon.  Jesus spreads his Word, which is not a cage or a trap, but a seed which can liberate us and bear much fruit.  But, for that to happen, a seed must be welcomed by open hearts, which is represented by the “good soil.”  Juxtapose this with the rocky soil of laziness or the thorns of vice.  Since the soil represents us in various stage of spiritual growth, we must be willing to reclaim our soil, to embrace repentance, metanoia which is a change of heart and consciousness.  For this transformation to happen, we must ask Jesus to purify our hearts by removing the rocks and the thorns which choke his Word, thus preventing his grace to enter our soul.

The initial seeds “fell on the path, and birds came in and ate it up” (Mt 13:4).  This is “rocky” ground that does not have much soil; so, the seed does land there, but is unable to put down deep roots.  This is an apt description of a shallow heart: it welcomes the Lord initially, even prays occasionally, wants to follow Jesus when it’s  convenient to do so, but does not persevere.  Why?  Their  life is really about themselves and not Jesus; so, they become tired and their faith never really takes off.  It is a heart that lacks depth; that stays at the surface level of existence, where the rocks of laziness and self-indulgence prevail over the good soil, where it is fickle and fleeting as one chases  one trendy attraction after another.

Then there is the thorny ground, which is filled with briars, which choke the good plants.  What do these thorns represent?  The cares of the world and the delight in riches” (v. 22), which Jesus explicitly states.  The thorns  are the vices which come into direct opposition to the Father’s will.  Jesus challenges us that we are either for or against him.  When we resist him, we embrace a lifestyle that choke his presence.  St. Thomas Aquinas has described this rebellion as pursuing the goods of the world, which are the idols of worldly wealth, self-indulgence, status and acclaim, and dominative power.  Eventually, these God-substitutes choke our faith, which becomes diminished.

Whether we have big or small thorns, vices that occupy our heart, or formidable briars that are deeply rooted that prevent us from having a pure heart, they have to be addressed if we’re going to become fully human.  It is necessary to name them, tear them out;  otherwise, the Word cannot bear fruit, the seed will not grow.

But we can be transformed!  We hear that some seed “fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundredfold” (v. 8). When we surrender ourselves completely to our Lord Jesus, we will experience new Life, joy, and his Resurrected presence.  When that happens, watch out:  his divine Life will explode in our lives like spiritual dynamite, which will produce much life-giving fruit in all our relationships.

This parable is inviting us to take spiritual inventory: to give thanks for our good soil and to tend to the soil that needs more work.  Let us ask ourselves if our heart is open to welcome the Sower and the seed of the Word of God with faith.  Let us ask ourselves if our rocks of laziness are still numerous and large; let us identify our thorns and vices and call them for what they are.  Let us find the courage to reclaim the soil, to effect a conversion of our heart, bringing to the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation our rocks and thorns.  In doing this, Jesus, the Good Sower, will be glad to carry out the final task: to purify our hearts by removing the rocks and thorns which choke his Word so that we may be at-one with Him and the One who sent him.  Amen.