Before Mass
You know how we talk a lot about ‘sharing the good news’? What is the good news? I mean, a lot of times we hear the Gospels and honestly, it doesn’t SOUND like good news. For many people, religion is just a list of rules to make us feel guilty. You ever feel that way?
Well – today’s Gospel is the story of the Sower and the Seed – and at first it doesn’t really feel like all that good of news. So I want you to challenge yourself as you listen today with a few of questions: First – what’s the obvious interpretation of the parable. Second – what’s the REAL point of the parable? And Third – a question we should ask everyday: How is THIS scripture GOOD NEWS?
Homily
So what do you think – was that parable ‘good news’?
My gut reaction is ‘no’… it’s yet another scripture which is supposed to worry us – like ‘am I doing enough’? I mean, obviously from the text you and I are the dirt – and we gotta be worried about what kind of weeds and thorns we allow to grow around us – and how many birds we allow to steel away the seed – and whether our dirt is too packed-down to allow the seed to sink in. That’s the most obvious reading of this parable – and it’s valid… but is that really the focus?
Notice - the name often given to the parable is ‘the sower and the seed’. The focus is not about the dirt… the focus is not on you and me… it’s on the Sower …and the Seed. So let’s back up and see if there’s something else we’re supposed to learn.
The Gospel began with what seems like an throw-away sentence, “On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.” See anything interesting about that?
On that day… what day? If we go to the prior chapter of Matthew, we’ll see that Jesus had been teaching in the synagogue and close to towns and the religious leaders were watching him very closely. In fact, they had just accused him of driving out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Pretty much, no matter what He did or said, they were trying to cancel Him.
So Jesus ‘went out of the house’ - took his teachings outside – away from the cities, more to the point – he took his teachings outside of synagogues, the very places where you would EXPECT to hear the word of God. Instead he sat down by the sea – his ministry changed that day to do much of his teaching outside the cities, away from the watchful eyes of the religious leaders.
Another significant change that day was the way he taught. If I asked you how Jesus typically taught, what would be your answer? Parables, right? Everybody KNOWS that Jesus taught in parables - But I hadn’t realized that up to THIS point in Matthew’s Gospel, he hasn’t told one parable. But that changed TODAY. The apostles apparently noticed the change in tactics, because they asked him – ‘why do you speak to them in parables?’ And he gave an archaic answer – “This is why I speak to them in parables, because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
At first, I’m like – that’s Not helpful, Jesus – why don’t you just speak plainly? Actually he’s quoting Isaiah who said that the people will close their ears on purpose to AVOID hearing because they don’t WANT the truth and they don’t WANT to be healed.
I think it’s because of all the pushback he was getting from religious leaders. Anyone who WANTED to understand him was going to understand the parables, but anyone who was just looking for a reason to complain and cancel him was going to find SOMEthing to get ticked about. But a PARABLE is different. To those who WANT to hear truth, a parable reveals truth - but if you’re just looking for something to complain about, the parable just sounds like a nice story about a stupid farmer who doesn’t know how to plant properly. Jesus says – whoever has ears ought to hear. If we’re really listening – and wanting Jesus to speak to our hearts, his teachings WILL sink in. We WILL hear and understand.
This is where the parable starts to make sense to me… Jesus’ words are what is being scattered. His words are the seeds. He scatters them freely and they land on everyone… yes EVERYone. But not everyone WANTS to hear him, so the seed bounces off their hard hearts like a seed bouncing on the pavement. Some people are caught up emotionally by His teachings, but when they meet any pushback or difficulties from the world around them, it’s like thorns choking out the tender plants or the sun baking them. But those people with ears – those who WANT to receive the word – are like the soft soil, and they gladly hear and accept the Word and it produces great fruit in them.
Notice too that God spreads the seed in abundance! Whether the soil wants the seed or not, God dips his hand into his satchel and grabs a bunch of seed and throws it EVERYWHERE…and he goes back for another handful. God does not spread sparingly – you might even say he doesn’t spread very wisely – I mean, what kind of farmer would purposely waste seed by allowing it to go where He knows it can’t grow. God’s seed is infinitely abundant and he is reckless is giving it away.
Here’s the thing –God makes the dirt – God makes the seed – God spreads the seed – God sends the rain and sunshine. Making seeds grow has nothing to do with OUR effort – it’s all God’s effort. So what’s the lesson that you and I are supposed to leave with?
The ONLY part of this that you and I control is whether we WANT to hear and accept the Word. If we long to hear, we will be blessed to hear. If we long to see, we will be blessed to see. But God even helps us with THAT! Just like He sends rain to soften the soil and break up the clods, God has built this entire world around us to SHOW us His Glory! He’s filled our lives with experiences which are meant to soften our hearts and DRAW US TO SEEK HIM. That’s right – God actually gives us EVERYTHING we need to produce fruit. All we gotta do is pay attention… allow the WORD of God to sink into our hearts and grow.
Then we produce 100 fold. That’s like cherry tomatoes or tomatillos – once you plant one plant, you’ll have hundreds every year after that. Once you and I allow the word of God to produce fruit in our hearts, then WE become spreaders of the seeds of God’s love by spreading to those around us.
THAT is when the Kingdom of God overtakes the entire garden.
