The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom
without understanding it,
and the Evil One comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The world is full of such paths. We can't say that there are many people in modern society or contemporary society who haven't heard anything about the word of God. But there are very few who understand what they hear. The seed remains at too shallow of a level to begin the process of growth. Since it remains on the path this happens both accidentally, when people kick and crush the seed without understanding its value, and intentionally, as when the Evil One comes and intentionally targets the seed. What might have just been misunderstandings that could have been cleared up instead become flash points in the culture war as he makes Christianity appear to be a religion of hatred and cultural imperialism.
On one hand, we would want to consider how we can state the central message of Christianity more succinctly, in order to be clear that what is on offer is not what people think they already heard and categorized as backward. As Fulton Sheen once said, "There are not even 100 people in this country who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think the Catholic Church to be". And this is certainly so. And yet, another implication of the parable is that some of this misunderstanding is inevitable. If the seed is going where it is supposed to go, which is all over the place and everywhere, then there are some places it will land that will only have superficial results. This means that we shouldn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good by only doing our own sowing where the results are guaranteed. We can be content to do our best and expect that at least some of the results will be like seed on the path.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
Why don't people put down the roots that they will need to sustain them in trial? Is it because doing so is an investment that requires commitment and effort? It certainly would be easier to simply enjoy the above ground experience but without changing one's life so as to go all in. This sort of seed is like one who is happy to enjoy well preached sermons and solid worship but never quite makes it to the point of making the changes she knows the word of God would require of her. She would prefer to keep her options open, to be able to move at any moment to something more suited to her preferences. But it is the very roots that grow from conversion and transformation of life that also sustain in times of tribulation and persecution. The process of growth is difficult and requires endurance. But it makes future and greater endurance possible. If one doesn't want to be blown around by every wind of doctrine she needs something that holds her in one place, commitment to one truth and one creed. And a corollary of this being a genuine commitment is a transformation of life to coincide with her beliefs. Any other kind of commitment remains merely at the level of imagination, is not a real root, and cannot actually nourish.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
We don't generally imagine ourselves to be fixated on riches. Yet what is our anxiety all about if not worldly things? There is never any need to be anxious about the treasures of the Kingdom, for those cannot be stolen from us. But our anxieties tend to be expressions of fear about whether we will be able to retain a consistent level of comfort in this life. Even when we mask such fears by describing them as concern about nations and peoples and even family we are still expressing an attachment to our own control over such situations that we are not intended to have. We aren't good enough at playing God to be so insistent on doing so. We are meant to make all such requests known to God (because we are supposed to care about such things) but then to trust him and to allow his own peace to guard our hearts.
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 4:6-7).
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
There really is a place beneath the soil where the seed can be safely nourished, where the enemy can't steal it, and where thorns can't choke the life from it. But this level of depth is an engagement that does not happen by accident. It calls us to be intentional about focused attention toward the things of God, consciously choosing to regard them as more important than anything else in the world. This is what adult faith is meant to be. It can't be done entirely for us without our involvement. God himself provides all that is needed, a grace that is meant to make us grow. But we, for our part, must embrace it.
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