The gospel for this Sunday, the parable of the sower, is so familiar to all of us. This is one of the parables that Jesus himself interpreted and explained to us. I don't think anyone can explain the parable better than Jesus. We all know what the parable means, but the point is how we heed to the words of Jesus and bring forth the fruits. There are different ways of accepting God's word, and they produce various kinds of fruit accordingly.
There is the prejudiced hearer who has a shut mind. Such a person is unteachable and blind to what he or she doesn't want to hear.
Then there is the shallow hearer. He or she fails to think things out or think them through; they lack depth. They may initially respond with an emotional reaction, but when it wears off, their mind wanders to something else.
Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important. Such a person is too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's word.
Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a person is at all times willing to listen and to learn. He or she is never too proud or too busy to learn. They listen in order to understand. God gives grace to those who hunger for his word that they may understand his will and have the strength to live according to it. Why do some produce fruit for the kingdom and others not? What is this fruit anyhow? In Gal 5:22 Paul says the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. These are the fruits of the Spirit that we learned for our Confirmation. Think of how beautiful our world would be if we all produced these fruits 100% all the time; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We would have heaven on earth! Jesus had a plan for our world that we would form a new society where these fruits would be practiced by everyone, a new society that would be the most harmonious society in which to live. That society has not yet come into existence because none of us is yet producing those fruits 100% all the time.
Jesus gives reasons why. Some people allow the devil to take the word from their heart. These are the people who receive the seed on the edge of the path. The second group, who do not produce 100% fruit, are those who fall away when some trial comes or some persecution. These people are like the seed sown on patches of rock; they spring up straight away but have no root and give up following Jesus when it gets tough. When the culture of the world is different from the new society, Jesus finds they are afraid to take their stand for him, so no fruit is produced. The third group Jesus lists are those who allow the worries of the world or the lure of riches to choke his message in us. They have forgotten that hearses do not pull trailers after them with the deceased possessions! These people are like the seed that fell among thorns, and the thorns that choked Jesus' message are the worries of the world and the lure of riches.
God's word can only take root in a receptive heart, which is docile and ready to hear what God has to say. How does God's word take root in us? The parables of Jesus will enlighten us if we approach them with an open mind and heart, ready to let them challenge us. If we approach them with the conviction that we already know the answer, then we, too, may look but not see, listen but not understand. God's word can only take root in a receptive heart that is ready to believe and willing to submit. One lesson from this parable is clear: the harvest is sure to come. While some seed will fall by the wayside and some land on shallow ground and never come to maturity, and some be choked to death by the thorns; nonetheless, a harvest will come. The seed that falls on good soil, on the receptive heart, will reap abundant fruit. God is always ready to speak to each of us and to give us an understanding of his word.
Let us pray, "Lord Jesus, faith in your word is the way to wisdom, and to ponder your divine plan is to grow in the truth. Open my eyes to your deeds, and my ears to the sound of your call, that I may understand your will for my life and live according to it," Amen.