Homily for Wednesday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time

The Parable of the Sower is one of Jesus' best-known stories. It is remarkable because it is the only parable that He would go on to explain to His disciples.

The different kinds of soil refer to various human responses to God's message. We are reminded that while God's Word is powerful, it needs our response to be effective. We must open ourselves to the Word if it is to bear fruit.

The parable specifies certain obstacles to our opening ourselves to God's Word. One is the absence of understanding; we need to know who Jesus is and what He has done and said if we are to respond to Him.

Another obstacle is our inclination to keep God at a distance, which thwarts His Word from rooting itself in us.

A third obstacle is our becoming too engaged in both the tensions and the delights of earthly life so that they become our primary reality.

In His later interpretation of the Parable of the Sower, Jesus shows a pragmatic understanding of the obstacles to His presence and His Word, which He must help us through. However, that practical vision should lead us to something other than discouragement. The Gospel's message is that God’s perseverance is more powerful than those obstacles. On one occasion, Jesus' disciples asked Him the rather cynical question, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”[1]

 

 

 

[1] Matthew 19:26