Matthew 13:1-9
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path, and the birds came and ate them up. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. 6 But when the sun rose, they were scorched, and since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 If you have ears, hear!”
“Listen! A sower went out to sow…
Today’s parable begins with all the promise in the world, “a sower went out to sow”. Everything that happens from that moment on is exposition.
“A sower went out to sow.” Well, of course they did. What else would a sower go out to do? If you want a stronger lead, you might try, “a sower went out to walk on a tightrope”. Now that would get people’s attention. There’s nothing particularly intriguing about a sower going out to sow, or about anyone else going out to do what they do. Unless…
…unless that is the heart of the message.
God has created each of us in God’s Image and endowed each of us with a unique set of gifts and affinities. We are happiest and most at peace when we are fulfilling our God-given purpose – when we are doing that for which we were created. That is also when we are giving glory to God most fully.
“A sower went out to sow.” Jesus goes on to explain all the different things that happened to the seed after it was sown, but those things aren’t relevant to the sower’s offering. Like that sower, we are called to get up every day, make the Sign of the Cross in remembrance of our Baptism, and go out to do what God has prepared for us. We may see the results of our efforts but, most of the time, we will never know how God uses the seeds we plant. We don’t need to know because we go out in faith and return with joy.
Prayer: God, Our Creator, thank you for sowing us out into the world to plant the unique seeds you have given to each of us. May they grow and flourish according to Your Good Pleasure. AMEN