Some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold
15th Sunday in Ordinary time A
Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 64: 10-14. Rv. Lk8:8, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23.
Isaiah 55:10-11, Psalm 64: 10-14. Rv. Lk8:8, Romans 8:18-23, Matthew 13:1-23.
The word that goes from my mouth does not return to me empty.
Abundance flows in your steps
The whole of creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal his sons.
Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ear because they hear.
Gospel
On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
Such large crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat down,
and the whole crowd stood along the shore.
And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:
“A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and birds came and ate it up.
Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.
It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,
and when the sun rose it was scorched,
and it withered for lack of roots.
Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.
But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,
a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
Whoever has ears ought to hear.”
The disciples approached him and said,
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
“Why do you speak to them in parables?”
He said to them in reply,
“Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven
has been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.
To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;
from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This is why I speak to them in parables, because
they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.
Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You shall indeed hear but not understand,
you shall indeed look but never see.
Gross is the heart of this people,
they will hardly hear with their ears,
they have closed their eyes,
lest they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their hearts and be converted,
and I heal them.
“But blessed are your eyes, because they see,
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
and your ears, because they hear.
Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people
longed to see what you see but did not see it,
and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
“Hear then the parable of the sower.
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
The seed sown on the path is the one
who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it,
and the evil one comes and steals away
what was sown in his heart.
The seed sown on rocky ground
is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy.
But he has no root and lasts only for a time.
When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
he immediately falls away.
The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word,
but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word
and it bears no fruit.
But the seed sown on rich soil
is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Barren land or fertile soil
The Word of God is like the rain. Without it nothing grows. But for a harvest it must fall on land ready to receive it. Let any amount of rain fall on rock. Nothing ever grows. Wild growth comes in barren land but harvests only come from tilled soil. The Word needs a heart ready to receive it. “Oh that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.” (Ps.95).
Blessed are your eyes and blessed are your ears! Many prophets and holy men longed to see what you see and never saw it, hear what you hear and never heard it.
The world looks the same to everyone but the gift of faith allows us to know the secrets of God’s kingdom. We know that God is more than just the Supreme Being, he is ‘Abba’, our loving Father, who is ever ready to give good things to those who ask him (Matt 7:11) and he loves us so much that he sent his only Son to be our Saviour and to die for us on a Cross. He will not now refuse us anything (Rom8:32). He gives us the Holy Spirit who recreates us making us in reality his children, born not of nature but of God. If we open our eyes and ears we can live in the divine world. Those who cultivate the faith can live in heaven even now. We live in the company of Christ the Bridegroom. With St. Paul we can say: for me life is Christ and death is gain.
We will not be spared hardships, sufferings and tragedies. Life is hard for everyone. Faith does not give a charmed life free of problems. Sickness comes and a loved one may meet an untimely death. But Christ changes the way we experience these. We know we lose nothing even if we lose our lives. We experience the consolation, which God gives his children.
The more positively we listen to the Word of God reflecting on it in our hearts in prayer the more our heart is prepared to produce the harvest. The world is as it is, but we are responsible for ‘the soil of our hearts’. We can become the good soil, which produces a harvest.
However when God speaks his creative Word nothing can resist it. Dead and barren land becomes rich and fertile. God speaks through his prophets. We never know when he will fire the arrow that will change our lives. “Dry bones, hear the Word of God: I am going to make breath enter you and you will live…they came to life and stood on their feet an immense army.” (Ezek 37:3ff)
Do you cultivate your heart by sitting in the presence of God and longing to hear his creative Word? Do you want him to produce a harvest in you?
Father, Jesus scatters his seed, may my heart produce a harvest to your glory and my salvation.
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