A sower went out to sow.
We can see that the sower was generous to the point of being reckless with his seed. It must have been fairly obvious that some of the seed was falling on parts of the ground that were unsuitable for growth. He didn't target only areas where a response was certain. And we see this in the ministry of Jesus himself who came and spoke to many who did not receive him, even though he knew that would be the result. He even made Judas one of the Twelve even though he knew he would be betrayed by him (see John 13:11). Whether or not people were willing to respond, his way of spreading the seed was proof that he desired all people to be saved.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
The seed the never makes it into the soil at all probably describes the result of ninety percent of our efforts at evangelization. The Gospel is heard but the world has become very efficient at targeting it with soundbites that seem to contradict it. The world prevents the Gospel from coming under the sustained attention of interested women and men. Instead, such individuals only ever hear the Gospel in fragmentary and stereotypical caricatures. These are easily dismissed by the the smug wisdom of the world. This feeds the birds of pride whose consuming of the seed tends to result in a feeling of superiority. They believe that their bird's eye view reveals that the seed's only possible use is as their food. They cannot see any seed beneath the soil and so they are unaware of the other possibilities it contains.
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.
We will only be aware of this second possibility when some seeds spring up around us. In the Catholic Church this possibility may seem uncommon. But is it uncommon because the soil is so good? Or is it instead the case that there isn't much breaking through the soil at all? It's true that in our experience we may not see dramatic and rapid conversions that eventually sputter out and collapse. But perhaps it is also true that we do not see many conversions deeply rooted in good soil that sustain themselves over time. This leads us to wonder how we've managed to seal the soil in such a way that both of these phenomena are uncommon. Why is the Church so uninviting that those people who feel the need to suddenly go all in on the Gospel promise tend to do so elsewhere? However, seen in another way, there is a positive here. The Church has been around for so long and is laden was such cultural baggage that it is all but impossible to be unaware of it or to not take it into account during one's conversion. When such conversions do come about they tend to be automatically more mature than other environments that seem pristine on the surface but which mask their own rocks in the soil.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
The other types of soil tend to be risks for targets of our efforts at evangelization. But the risk that chiefly affects ourselves is that of thorns choking off the fruit we ourselves are meant to bear. This is a risk that is hard to talk about or even consider since even now the thorns are probably pressing into us. By the discomfort and anxiety they cause they make us not only reluctant to bear fruit but reluctant to even think about bearing fruit or about the thorns themselves. Any analysis reveals that we must become more uncomfortable before we can do anything to remediate the issue. If we have become too cozy with thorns it isn't likely we'll be able to remove them or to relocate ourselves and remain entirely unscathed. But isn't it kind of terrible to live as a prisoner in this way? Maybe the frustration of being trapped and hemmed in can motivate us to do what is necessary to break free. But to do so we most first discern the problem, not in the abstract and in general, but in ourselves. What are the thorns that threaten us when we try to do good or make positive change?
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.
Why bear fruit? What's the point? Isn't that just someone else trying to use us for motives which we don't share? Absolutely not. It is called fruit because it is what we are intended to produce. It is the result of us being fully alive as creatures of God. If we, like Jeremiah, come to understand God's good plans for us we will learn to trust him. Jeremiah seemed to have thorns of his own that attempted to prevent his growth. But he listened to God and learned to trust him, giving the seed of his word room to grow inside him. May we do so as well.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
“Ah, Lord GOD!” I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young.”
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, “I am too young.”
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
No comments:
Post a Comment