Our Lord often taught in parables, stories that his audience could relate to and remember; today’s gospel lesson is no exception—the parable of the sower. As I have been spending my time tending to the eleven raised beds at our place, this parable is one with which I can readily identify. The basic elements of the parable are well known by all of us: some seed falls on the path and is quickly eaten by the birds, some falls on rocky, shallow ground where it dies soon after sprouting because the soil is shallow, some falls among the weeds and is choked out and some falls on good soil and produces the bounty the sower is hoping for. Like all parables this one can be read on many levels; so, let’s explore it a bit more.
The seed which falls on the path falls on ground that is well trodden upon and therefore compacted; nothing can take root so the seed is easy pickings for the birds. Rocky, shallow soil is generally warmer and, therefore, it is easy for seeds to root and sprout, but the same capacity of warmth also means that the seedlings can easily wither and burn out. Weeds are opportunistic and aggressive as we all know from the back-breaking chore of removing them. And good soil, ripe for planting, well, that’s where the harvest will be found. But notice that the sower is none too picky about where the seeds land. Our typical way of reading Jesus’ intent in telling the parable of the sower is to imagine our Lord spreading the Good News of salvation; some people are impervious to the message and therefore miss the blessings of salvation; some folks are initially enthusiastic about the feel-good message, but fall quickly away when they learn that discipleship has a cost to be borne; others, filled with all the cares of the world find their faith slowly choked out by concerns they deem to be more central while faith becomes relegated to an hour, if that, on a Sunday morning. Then there are the rest of us good folks in whom the word of God takes root in mature faith.
In the spirit of late-night infomercials, “But wait; that’s not all; there’s more….” The parable of the sower is also at root (pun very much intended) a cautionary tale. Where are the well-worn paths in our lives, the places where our unexamined assumptions and beliefs make us impervious to God’s word? Where do we read the words of the Bible and say to ourselves, “That makes no sense; Jesus can’t really mean that”? Where in our lives are we more comfortable with the Jesus who heals our wounds and offers encouragement and hope than we are with the Jesus who overturns the tables of the money changers? Where in our day to day activities do we exclude our Lord or ignore His presence?
Remember, too, that the good soil in the parable did not get that way by accident. It took work by the farmer to clear the ground, eliminate the weeds, dig out the stones, and till the soil in preparation to receive the seed so that a bountiful harvest was possible. The same is true for your spiritual lives. We prepare to receive the seeds (the Word) by disciplined attention to prayer, reading our Bibles, and being ever attentive to the presence of the Sower in our midst.
Here’s a final thought. The sower is concerned about the fruitfulness of the soil, though it does not appear that much concern is given as to the amount: one hundred fold or thirty fold. As long as we continue to bear fruit, God’s purpose is served.
