"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; that is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
Theme
The parable of the sower and its interpretation present us with two diverse themes. The parable itself, verses 1-9, is an exhortation to persistence against opposition. Despite the difficulties in life that produce unfruitfulness in certain venues, those who courageously accept the challenge to continue to sow, to maintain one's goals and work, will produce an abundant harvest, a yield which only God can provide.
The allegorical interpretation of the parable, verses 18-23, suggests the need to stand strong against temptation, tribulation, and defeat in order to produce a rich harvest. Understanding God's word and appropriating it as a part of one's life will reap a wonderful reward. Strength in the face of opposition will bring one home to God.
Spiritual Food For The Journey
All of us as children learned the famous tale of "The Little Engine That Could" and its simple but profound message of the need to persevere. We are also familiar with the Gospel story of the persistent woman who kept pestering the judge until he ruled in her favor (Luke 18:1-8). Perseverance, persistence, and constant vigilance to the task are virtues of great importance in today's world, which often frustrates, almost on a daily basis, our will to negotiate the many obstacles and detours we face. If we do not demonstrate a persistent attitude in the way we approach life, then we will surely be defeated. One cannot expect to succeed in a task, whether it be running a mile under six minutes, publishing an article, convincing a relative or friend that he must seek professional guidance, or feeling confident about God's call in one's life, on the first effort. Those who possess the ability to come back again and again to the task at hand will be the ones who will experience victory in the end. The persistence of God's search for us, leaving no stone unturned in an effort to find us and bring us home, must be the model we use in our daily walk with the Lord. We must doggedly pursue all our endeavors as aggressively as Francis Thompson's immortal "Hound of Heaven" pursues our soul, never tiring and without rest.
As well as being persistent in our efforts, we must never be defeated by opposition. The world can be a cruel place which seems anything but hospitable, especially to those who desire to walk with the Lord. We will get knocked down, proverbially to our knees, on numerous occasions in life, but the true Christian is one who refuses simply to lie in the dust, but rather picks oneself up, dusts off, and continues to move along the road that leads to life. We may at times think that we walk alone, that God has forgotten us, but God is ever faithful. As the Scriptures relate: "If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful -- for he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:11-13). The anonymous author of the poem "Footprints" understood our relationship with God: "The Lord replied, 'My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.' "
Application Of The Parable To Contemporary Life
Sermon Openings
1. For the theme of persistence:
History records the expression, Athanasius contra mundum -- Athanasius against the world. These words aptly express the situation in the fourth century Church when heresy almost reigned supreme -- save Athanasius, a bishop who was a persistent and staunch defender of the faith. Athanasius was born into a Christian family in Alexandria, Egypt, in 295 AD. In his early twenties he was ordained and entered the service of Alexander, bishop of Alexandria. He accompanied the bishop to the first ecumenical council of the church at Nicaea when, among other matters, the heresy of Arianism, which promoted the idea that Jesus was not God, was first condemned.
Three years later in 328, Alexander died and Athanasius was selected as the new bishop of Alexandria. It was at this time that his life as a persistent defender of the faith began. His first opponent was Melitius, a fellow bishop, who believed that it was wrong for the Church to welcome back those who had apostacized. His greatest nemesis, however, was the Arians, who although condemned continued to grow and attract many to their theological perspective. In fact, the number of Arians was so great that Saint Jerome, the original translator of the Scriptures into the Latin (the Vulgate), once wrote, "The world awoke and found itself Arian."
Between 335 and 366 Athanasius, as one of the few bishops in the eastern church who held the orthodox faith, was exiled on five different occasions for a total of seventeen years. Trumped-up charges, false testimony, and the events of the day combined to work against Athanasius. But each time that he returned from exile he was that much more determined to defend the true faith. During his exiles he wrote many important treatises, including The Life of Antony, a biography of Antony of the Desert, one of the first desert monks and a precursor to the monastic life. Through tenacity, perseverance, and the fact that he was able to outlive almost all his opponents, Athanasius, in the end, was able to prevail. He died in 373, living his last seven years in relative peace. His greatest triumph came, however, in 381 at the Council of Constantinople when the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, the one professed each Sunday in our churches, was written and accepted. It was a testimony to Athanasius' persistence and dedication. He triumphed, became a saint, and inherited eternal life.
Saint Athanasius' life provides a good example of what today's Gospel describes, that persistence, which is neceesary in all that we do, will be rewarded -- thirty, sixty, a hundredfold.
2. For the theme of understanding God's word, appropriating it to one's life, despite opposition:
Three sisters lived in the forest. The oldest was named Bean Plant, the middle sister was named Marigold, and the youngest's name was Lily. It was summer; the weather was beautiful and all who lived in the forest were happy and gay.
Bean Plant, the eldest sister, was one who attracted a lot of attention in the forest. She provided something that attracted all the animals to her. She provided them with food, the lush and rich beans which she produced so abundantly. All the squirrels, rabbits, and other animals came and ate their meals at Bean Plant's house. Bean Plant was proud; she found importance in what she had produced.
Marigold, the middle sister, was also very popular. She produced nothing of value, but she attracted a lot of attention nonetheless. The reason was that Marigold was radiantly beautiful. The gold, yellow, and orange blossoms which she produced brought her many suitors. They were all tall, dark, and handsome and had names of spruce, elm, and oak. Marigold lived in her radiant beauty as the summer days passed.
The youngest sister, Lily, did not attract a lot of attention. She produced no fruit; she was not radiantly beautiful. Lily was short, skinny, and just plain green. Lily had one other habit which her sisters thought was odd; she was constantly talking with the sun. Each day the two friends spoke on several occasions. At dawn when the sun rose in the eastern sky Lily said, "Good morning," and the sun answered, "Good morning, I hope you slept well." Lily spoke with the sun at midday when it was high overhead and bathed the forest with its warm rays. She also spoke to her friend when the sun was on the western horizon, saying, "Good night, thanks for the day. See you tomorrow." Bean Plant and Marigold thought their sister was odd. "You can't speak with the sun," they insisted. But Lily always resisted the opposition of her sisters, replying, "Maybe yes, maybe no, but I will continue to talk with my friend the sun."
One day Lily came to her two older sisters; she was in tears. "The sun is dying," she said, "the sun is dying." Now her sisters truly knew that Lily was crazy. How can the sun be dying? It comes up every day and goes down each night. The sun is strong and powerful, how can it be dying? But, what of it, the older sisters said. We really don't need the sun after all. Yet, Lily insisted that it was true, the sun had told her. Bean Plant and Marigold had to agree about two things, however. The sun seemed to come up a little later and go down a little earlier each day. Additionally, they noticed that the sun was not as high in the sky as it had been earlier. It just was not as warm these days in the forest. "But what of it?" they said. "We don't really need the sun."
As the warmth of the summer months turned into the cooler months of autumn Lily continued to speak with her friend the sun. One fall day there came a strong driving wind which rushed through the forest. The wind blew the beauty that once was Marigold all over the forest. Her suitors no longer thought her attractive. They lost their interest in her, dropped their leaves, and decided to sleep for the rest of the winter. A couple weeks later the first frost came to the forest. The fruit which Bean Plant produced began to shrivel up; it was no longer attractive to the animals of the forest. They too decided to sleep for the winter. One day the cold became so intense that Bean Plant was snapped off at the base; she was no more. But before the sun's strength went away totally, it bent down and kissed its friend Lily and said, "Thank you for talking with me. I love you very much." With that winter came to the forest with all its fury.
After a few months life once again began to appear in the forest. The snows melted and streams again began to run freely. Budding leaves appeared on the trees and the animals again began to forage for food. And there in the middle of the forest appeared one day the most beautiful snow white Lily. As the sun arose in the eastern sky Lily turned and opened her beautiful flower to her friend and said, "Thank you for talking with me. I love you too."1
The story of Lily and her two sisters shows the contrast between one who places trust in God and others who cannot. In a world which opposes the Christian message and often frustrates our efforts, we must learn the need to overcome the obstacles of life, always to speak with the Son, so as to find our way home to God.
Points Of Challenge And Questions To Ponder
1. How persistent are we in working toward the achievement of our goals? Do we expect instant results with our projects or are we willing to try again and again as might be necessary?
2. How persistent are we in speaking with God? Often we become frustrated in prayer because that which we seek does not arrive or happen in the way we wish or in the time frame we expect. God is ever vigilant, but we must always remember that God does not operate on the human clock or answer as we often "demand."
3. How patient are we in the conduct of our daily lives? Impatience is often rooted in a lack of perseverance. We want things now; we are unwilling to wait. The parable of the sower suggests that we must continue our efforts without losing heart or patience.
4. What are our expectations in life? All of us have expectations -- of situations, events, and especially people. High expectations are good because they challenge us to look to the best and not the worst. However, high expectations are a two-edged sword; the good comes with the bad, namely the possibility that an expectation may not be met. Unfulfilled expectations bring disappointment. It is not the situation, event, or person that is problematic, but rather the level of our expectation that causes us difficulty.
5. When the challenges of life in their varied forms become obstacles and create roadblocks in our lives, what is the solution we seek? Do we seek human solutions or do we place our hope and trust in God? Is God's word with its message of hope our refuge and strength in time of need?
Exegesis And Explanation Of The Parable
Scholars who study the parables of Jesus, despite their many and varied interpretations of Christian history, have made two general conclusions. First, many of the parables, as they are related in the accounts of the four evangelists, are reinterpretations by writers living in the post-resurrection experience of the church. Second, the parables were not intended to be allegorical, but rather, they were intended to make one point only. Biblical commentators today maintain, therefore, that to discover Jesus' original intention it is necessary to remove allegorical interpretations that have been created in attempts to apply the message of the parable to a contemporary context.
The parable of the sower, Matthew 13:1-9, and its allegorical interpretation, 13:28-23, present an excellent example of the problem of understanding Jesus' original intent against an interpretation written at a later time to apply to a different situation. The actual parable, verses 1-9, accurately describes Jesus' own experience. He preached the word, his message of a new covenant, with great persistence and unfailing devotion. Jesus echoed a long tradition in the Hebrew Scriptures of God as sower (Genesis 1:11-12, Jeremiah 31:27, and Hosea 2:23) in this parable. God was ever faithful to the Hebrews. The Lord sent prophets to proclaim God's message, was patient, gave people their freedom to act, and forgave the people's transgressions as the Jews transformed their lives along the direction given by God. Despite some losses, God has produced a rich harvest in the people through persistence. As an observation in history, the parable could be understood that in the history of Israel, in spite of barren periods and unfruitful areas of life, God had never ceased to raise up prophets and leaders to continue the sowing, leading to a rich harvest.
Those who heard this parable could observe in their own lives that in spite of the inevitable loss of some seed, the rewards are so abundantly great that the sower finds it worthwhile to sow year after year, knowing that the harvest will outweigh the loss. The failure of some of the seed to reach maturity and bear fruit was simply an illustration of the frustrations that a farmer must face. The parable, without its explanation, ends on a positive note, a super-abundant harvest. Farmers in the apostolic era considered a yield of ten to one to be good. Thus, Jesus' suggestion of thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold demonstrates how fruitful one's efforts will be if such an endeavor is sustained. As God has been ever faithful and persistent in seeking out the Hebrews, so the Jews of Jesus' age could see the need to be persistent in their daily tasks as well. Additionally, the parable spoke to the people of how God remained faithful through the person, message, and ministry of Jesus. Spiritual unfruitfulness will always be manifest, yet God's word will have an abundant result. Jesus will be persistent in his message despite opposition by some and a lack of fruit in others. The parable of the sower was preached by Jesus to strenghten his followers against discouragement in the face of opposition.
The allegorical interpretation of the parable of the sower, verses 18-23, presents a picture that is inconsistent with the pericope's original meaning. These verses associate the difficulties of natural hazards experienced by a sower with the causes in daily life for the frequent failure of the Christian evangelist to win converts who will remain steadfast. These verses make no reference to the abundance of the harvest which more than rewards the sower for all efforts. The allegorist is more interested in illustrating the various ways in which people who hear the gospel fail to endure and bear fruit as Christians. The interpretation thus moves away from the positive message of abundance created through persistence to a concentration on the forms of failure.
Most commentators see the allegory as a secondary development of oral tradition. The parable is simple, direct, and natural while the interpretation is a standard allegory. In the parable everything mentioned belongs to the local scene, while in the interpretation outside interests come in at every point. Allegorical language is present throughout verses 18-23 -- "receive it with joy," "endures only for a while," "care of the world," "lure of wealth." The author of this allegory may have placed more emphasis on the need to avoid failure when it became clear that Jesus and the early church had failed to win the majority to the new message. The allegory's interpretation is clear to most commentators: Those who receive the word and understand it, that is, have appropriated it intellectually and through commitment in the depths of the heart, will be able to withstand the onslaught of temptation and tribulation and, in the end, produce a bountiful harvest in terms of good fruits of obedience to God's will.
Many Scripture scholars see the parable of the sower as the parable of parables. It is not necessarily the most outstanding of this Gospel literary genre, but it is four parables in one. Yet, all four parts (seed on path, rocks, thorns, and good soil) are all aspects of one significant truth: the word of God is proclaimed and causes a division among those who hear. Some of God's people receive the word, understand it, and obediently fulfill it; others fail to listen because of a hardened past, a basic superficiality, or a vested interest in riches and possessions. These people fail to bear fruit, and even what they have -- spiritually speaking -- will be taken away from them. The parable, therefore, touches people who are truly in the church and those who are "outside." In the end, however, the faithful proclamation of the gospel will never fail to bring forth an abuandant harvest of fruit -- thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold.
Context Of The Parable
Context In The Church Year
With the celebration of the Paschal Mystery long past and the preparation time of Advent far in the future, the church finds itself in a period of no special celebration. While there is never anything ordinary about our community worship, this period of Pentecost or Ordinary Time can at times become routine. Like anything in life that is not marked by special events, people, or circumstances, this period in the church liturgical year requires a bit more effort on our part to celebrate worthily.
The parable of the sower, with its original theme of persistence, is an important message on any occasion, but especially at a time when we may become complacent. Jesus' message of the need to continue along the road, despite life's difficulties and times of barrenness, encourages us to persevere in our daily walk with the Lord. Despite the obstacles, the person who makes the effort to continue on course will produce an abundance today and one day to eternal life.
Context With Other Gospels
The parable of the sower, found in all the synoptics (Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 and Luke 8:4-8, 11-15) is certainly one of the best known, yet least understood. The misunderstanding is explained by the fact that over the centuries the allegorical interpretation offered by each evangelist has been more popular and apparently of greater use than the parable itself. The fact that the synoptic writers all presented this parable demonstrates the importance of its message to their varied audiences.
Each version of the basic parable and its interpretation provides certain elements of importance to its original hearers. Scholars believe the Markan version to be the original. In this version Jesus provides the fullest account of the parable's interpretation. Like Matthew, Mark stresses the pedagogical aspect of the parable and its application in contemporaneous times. Luke's version is abbreviated but contains all the essential elements of the Markan and Matthean parables. Each evangelist in his interpretation uses different language to speak of the seed: Matthew calls it the "word of the kingdom," Mark uses "the word," and Luke refers to the seed as "the word of God." Matthew thus uses eschatological language, Mark maintains his emphasis on the person of Jesus as teacher, and Luke stresses the importance of the Lord's message.
Context With First And Second Lessons
First Lesson: Isaiah 55:10-13. The poetic words of Isaiah the prophet speak clearly to us of the efficacious nature of the word of God. As the rains water the seed that is sown, allowing it to bear much fruit, so God's word, the message proclaimed by Isaiah and all the prophets, will achieve its rightful purpose. God, through the words of Isaiah, wants the Hebrews to know that they must nurture their lives on God's word. The message of God will provide the sustenance needed to overcome all obstacles. For the Hebrews, living in exile in Babylon, this message brought hope that God had not abandoned them. If the people keep faith, God, who has ever been faithful, will sustain them and bring the people home. God's message will save the people.
Second Lesson: Romans 8:1-11. Saint Paul's message to the Christian community at Rome is filled with hope. The people to whom Paul wrote, as the apostle himself, lived under the shadow of constant scrutiny by officials of a pagan government that was not open to the new Christian way. Paul knew the people were suffering, but it was not without hope, for one day the people will share in the glorious freedom which will only come to God's children. Paul exhorts the Romans to place their confidence in the spirit, not in the flesh. To do this it is necessary to realize that God is ever present but that we must persevere in order to discover the Lord. We may find ourselves in different places along the path of life at various points, but we must always be vigilant in our quest for God. God will never give up on us; we can never give up on God or ourselves.
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1. Paraphrase from "Lily" in Walter Wangerin, Jr., Ragman and Other Cries of Faith (San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1984), pp. 44-52.
