Reflection: The word of God inspires eager longing and hope.
The Gospel (Matthew 13:1-23)
A sower went out to sow.
“In today’s Gospel reading, after an introduction, there are three (or even four) sections, all united in theme. First, there is the introduction, giving the setting of this parable, or parables in general. After the parable of the sower itself, there is a question from his disciples as to why Jesus had chosen this particular method of instruction.
His answer is that his preaching of the Gospel has a dimension beyond the human. It is about the revelation of God’s plan of salvation, hidden for ages past but being revealed in his own person and preaching. It requires the gift of divine faith on the part of his hearers if they are to understand it properly. The apostles have this divine gift. The mysteries of the kingdom have been revealed to them, and they are blessed, they are happy, since many holy people throughout Israel’s history had longed to see and hear what the apostles saw and heard but never did.”
The word of God lasts forever.
“The text then goes on to give Jesus’ interpretation of the parable, an interpretation that has held true down through the centuries. Jesus, who first told the parable, does not say that he is the sower. The sower is anyone preaching the message down through the centuries. The first listeners would easily understand the imagery used, with various types of soils side by side: paths, thorns, stones, and rocks, as well as some rich soil. Church membership in any age will have a mixture of people corresponding to these soils. The parable has a message for all: to pray to have the gift of hearing faithfully the word of God’s mystery revealed in Christ, and thanking God and rejoicing that to us too has been revealed the mystery hidden from many just people for untold ages, but made known to us through Christ and his Church.
As reflection on the Gospel reading, we may recall that the theme of eager longing and hope runs through the three readings today, and invites us to reflect on them in our dialogue with our modern situation. The people of Israel, to whom the first reading was addressed, were in very low spirits during the exile in Babylon, with little hope of any meaningful future. The prophet communicated God’s word to them that the divine plans were quite different. God was with them in the past and the word of their God lasts forever. A new age was in store for them – a divine promise that awoke their eager longing for the better life. It is this longing and hope that led to action on their part.”
We should not worry if the seed often falls on rocky or barren ground, or among thorns and thistles.
“Likewise, in the text of Paul to the Romans, there are references to the groaning and eager awaiting of creation itself for the revelation of the freedom and the glory that are proper to the children of God. Paul regards creation as lacking something of what it was intended originally to have. Today, creation – the environment – is regarded as being in danger; not from God, but from human neglect or misuse. There is a special interest in the protection of the environment, something very much in keeping with the text of Paul read today.
With regard to the image of the sower, one may observe that the sower and seed sowing are very much part of Irish political and revolutionary history: the seed sown by former generations comes to fruition in a later harvest and inspires action by later generations. However, we should not forget that every believer in God and in Jesus is a seed sower, by their word and example. They, we, should not worry if the seed often falls on rocky or barren ground, or among thorns and thistles. This has always been the case. But there will always be fertile soil, immediately or in the future. Let the seed sowing continue.”
Fr Martin McNamara MSC
For more reflections from Fr Martin, please visit the Sunday Scripture Online.