Parable of the sower

Today Jesus talks to us with a parable. Why? Because we find difficult to understand his message. He needs to use images, comparisons, material things for us to reach the spiritual ones. We are body and soul, and through our body we reach the soul. The kingdom of heaven is so rich that Jesus needs to use different earthly images for us to understand things better, to grasp some of its aspects. Man before he learned how to write, he began to paint. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Jesus’ parables are ingrained in our culture. When we talk about the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Lost Sheep, people understand what we are talking about. We remember parables better than abstract concepts. In our society, where screens surround us, images are very important.

Today Jesus proposes to us the parable of the sower. It is something alien to us. Most of us haven’t seen anybody sowing seeds. These days we use machines for that. In the good old days it was done by hand, throwing the seed as they walked. Jesus is the sower. He throws his seed to us, his graces, his power, and it is up to us to pick them up, to place them in the right soil, to make them fruitful. He respects our freedom; he doesn’t impose himself. He let us be the one to accept his seed, to make it part of our lives, to look after it. He expects from us an attitude of receiving and nurturing. We should be very grateful to his generosity: he always throws an abundance of seed. We shouldn’t squander it.

It is very important for the sower to use the right seed. There are big companies always trying to improve the seeds, to yield more fruit, to be resistant to diseases, to withstand frosts, to be able to use less water. Jesus’ seed is the best one. You cannot find a better one. And it is free. It is his word in the Scriptures, his living water in Baptism, the bread of life in the Eucharist, the good wine of Cana, the oil of healing, the absolution in confession, the mustard seed that grows to a big tree, the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great value, the net that catches many fish, the two coins of the widow. His seed has the potential of always being fruitful. It is up to us to make it happen.

We are the soil. Our heart is the good soil. But we need to prepare it beforehand. It cannot be either too hard or too soft; just right. Our heart sometimes is very hard; we don’t share Jesus’ feelings. We need to soften it, to make it more capable of receiving Jesus’ seed. Maybe we need to go more often to confession, receive communion regularly, make acts of contrition, to apologize or ask for mercy. Maybe it is too soft and crumbles very easily; at the first difficulty it collapses. It needs to withstand strong winds. We need to face obstacles with stronger determination. If our heart is rocky ground, we need to dig the stones out. What are the stones in my life that don’t allow me to see God? If there are thorns, we should pull them out. What are the thorns in my heart that choke the seed?

It is not enough to have good soil. We should keep an eye for the right conditions for the seed to grow. The soil should be deep enough for the roots to grow and the plants to establish themselves. We have to plant the seed at the right time, spread fertiliser, water it sufficiently, spray the bugs, prune when it is necessary. It is a little seed that needs to be nurtured, to be planted in the right place, covered from the winds, with enough sun to grow. We cannot fall asleep and leave the plants alone.

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