READ: Matthew 13:1-52
Verses
chosen for meditation: Matthew 13:3-8
3 And he told them
many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And
as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured
them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where
they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, 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 produced grain, some a hundredfold, some
sixty, some thirty.
REFLECT
This
chapter compiles parables related to the kingdom of heaven and people’s
responses to the word. The parable in today’s passage is about a sower who
scatters seeds over the prepared soil.
To
get maximum harvest, some seeds are scattered even beyond the area of the
prepared field, hence falling onto hard ground. Birds swoop in to eat those
seeds. Other seeds landed on thin soil and begun to grow, but the rocks beneath
prevent them from being rooted, hampering growth. These seeds do not survive
past the heat wave. Some seeds fell among thorns. As they grew, they were
choked by the thorns, not being able to bear fruit. Those landing on good soil obviously
grew smoothly, providing abundant harvest.
This
parable is named after the sower, yet interpretations of this parable often
focus on the hearers’ applications, in preparing their “soil”, and rightfully
so. But let’s take a moment to stay with the sower. The sower here refers to
Jesus as the preacher of the kingdom and the seeds being the word of the kingdom.
Since
the sower is Jesus, we can rest assured that he knows what he’s doing and what
to expect. He is not daunted by the areas with bad or inadequate soil,
expecting a good harvest at the end, even from small areas of good soil. It is
a declaration of his Messianic role, despite having small beginnings, will lead
to a great harvest.
As
the sower, he understands his soil well, which refers to the response of the
hearers of the word. The sower and the seeds are the same for all 4 soils. It
is comforting to know that Jesus does not neglect any part of the field. Good
or bad, they receive the same seeds. He does his part to pursue and ensure everyone
receives the word that is life-giving. It is up to the rest of us what we do
with it.
RELATE
Jesus’
use of parables was ingenious and effective, as it links what people experience
in their daily lives to eternal lessons. In those times, it was the world of
farming, so people understood the examples perfectly. But Jesus often does not break
down and explain fully his parables. Hearers must puzzle through, searching
deeper to get the most out of it. If things are being spoon fed, learning wouldn’t
be as effective. However, not all can be bothered to do that. This search for
truth to fully understand the parable’s teaching and apply correctly requires a
serious seeking attitude. Now, we must do the same.
Let’s
look into the soils. The 1st type are the indifferent. Their hearts
are like the soil on the hard paths, hardened and resistant. The message can’t
even penetrate the surface. Satan will then snatch the truth from them, like
the birds snatching away the seeds. This allows Satan to influence easily and
lead us into doom. Not taking the word seriously is that dangerous.
The
2nd are the shallow. They appear to accept the truth, even proclaiming
to give their lives to Jesus, but as soon as they encounter difficulty in their
walk, they relinquish the faith. This shows the importance of building deep so
that our faith does not wither easily. It also informs of the work we need to
do in disciple-making. Many churches may have grown to focus more on conversion
of numbers rather than building deep, because growing a person through ups and
downs requires much effort. But God celebrates with 1 transformed life, as
compared to thousands filling the hall but none transformed.
The
3rd are the distracted. I identify most with this group. I want to
take my walk with God seriously, but often encounter thorns which represent the
competing interests of the world, taking away my capacity to be fruitful. It
can be the pursuit of wealth, unregulated time in hobbies or busyness in work.
Even work for God can be deceptive, when it takes God’s place in my heart, and my
capacity to immerse in the word. This is an era of distractions. We are over stimulated.
If Satan can’t win us over, he will distract, and the result is that we can’t
be fruitful.
The
4th are the responsive. They not only welcome the word. They hunger
for it and do something good with it. The parable is realistic, because even
among good soil, there are variations. Such variations may depend on how much
we rely on God, how much we believe He can provide, and how much we allow Him
to use us.
We
have a choice, because the soil refers to our response, not anything innate like
our DNA or personality type. How can we prepare our soil, to receive the
kingdom of God, and help others do the same?
REST
Jesus, thank for pursuing us with your word. Soften
my heart and give me a desire to bear fruit for your kingdom. In your name I
pray, Amen.
Chris
Chong
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