Wednesday of the Third Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 319
Lectionary: 319
That night the LORD spoke to
Nathan and said:
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
I have not dwelt in a house
from the day on which I led the children of Israel
out of Egypt to the present,
but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.
In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel,
did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges
whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask:
Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’
“Go, tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?
I have not dwelt in a house
from the day on which I led the children of Israel
out of Egypt to the present,
but I have been going about in a tent under cloth.
In all my wanderings everywhere among the children of Israel,
did I ever utter a word to any one of the judges
whom I charged to tend my people Israel, to ask:
Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’
“Now then, speak thus to my
servant David,
‘The LORD of hosts has this to say:
It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
And if he does wrong,
I will correct him with the rod of men
and with human chastisements;
but I will not withdraw my favor from him
as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul,
whom I removed from my presence.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
‘The LORD of hosts has this to say:
It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his Kingdom firm.
It is he who shall build a house for my name.
And I will make his royal throne firm forever.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
And if he does wrong,
I will correct him with the rod of men
and with human chastisements;
but I will not withdraw my favor from him
as I withdrew it from your predecessor Saul,
whom I removed from my presence.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever.’”
Responsorial
Psalm89:4-5, 27-28, 29-30
R. (29a) For ever I will
maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’
I myself make him firstborn,
Most High over the kings of the earth.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my love for him;
my covenant with him stands firm.
I will establish his dynasty forever,
his throne as the days of the heavens.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn to David my servant:
I will make your dynasty stand forever
and establish your throne through all ages.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father,
my God, the Rock that brings me victory!’
I myself make him firstborn,
Most High over the kings of the earth.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
“Forever I will maintain my love for him;
my covenant with him stands firm.
I will establish his dynasty forever,
his throne as the days of the heavens.”
R. For ever I will maintain my love for my servant.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower;
all who come to him will live for ever.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
GospelMK 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began
to teach by the sea.
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed 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
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
A very large crowd gathered around him
so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.
And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.
And he taught them at length in parables,
and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,
and the birds came and ate it up.
Other seed 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
and it produced no grain.
And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.
It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”
He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”
And when he was alone,
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
those present along with the Twelve
questioned him about the parables.
He answered them,
“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.
But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that
they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand,
in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.”
Jesus said to them, “Do you not
understand this parable?
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Then how will you understand any of the parables?
The sower sows the word.
These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once
and takes away the word sown in them.
And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who,
when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.
But they have no roots; they last only for a time.
Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word,
they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort.
They are the people who hear the word,
but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches,
and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word,
and it bears no fruit.
But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it
and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”
Meditation:
Jesus
taught people using parables
Why
did Jesus speak to people in parables? Like the rabbis of his time, Jesus used
simple word-pictures, called parables, to help people understand who God is and
what his kingdom or reign is like. Jesus used images and characters taken from
everyday life to create a miniature play or drama to illustrate his message.
This was Jesus' most common way of teaching. His stories appealed to the young
and old, poor and rich, and to the learned and unlearned as well. Over a third
of the Gospels by Matthew, Mark, and Luke contain parables told by Jesus.
Cyril
of Alexandria (150-215 AD ), an early church teacher, described the purpose of
Jesus' parables: "Parables are word pictures not of visible things, but
rather of things of the mind and the spirit. That which cannot be seen with the
eyes of the body, a parable will reveal to the eyes of the mind, informing the
subtlety of the intellect by means of things perceivable by the senses, and as
it were tangible." (COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF LUKE 8.5.4)
Parable
of the sower
What does the parable about seeds and roots say to us about the kingdom of God? Any farmer will attest to the importance of good soil for supplying nutrients for growth. And how does a plant get the necessary food and water it needs except by its roots? The Scriptures frequently use the image of fruit-bearing plants or trees to convey the principle of spiritual life and death. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; see also Psalm 1:3).
What does the parable about seeds and roots say to us about the kingdom of God? Any farmer will attest to the importance of good soil for supplying nutrients for growth. And how does a plant get the necessary food and water it needs except by its roots? The Scriptures frequently use the image of fruit-bearing plants or trees to convey the principle of spiritual life and death. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; see also Psalm 1:3).
Jesus'
parable of the sower is aimed at the hearers of his word. There are different
ways of accepting God's word and they produce different 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. Do you hunger for God's word?
Secrets
of the kingdom
Why does Jesus say that the secrets of the kingdom of God will be revealed to some while others will not be able to recognize nor understand the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11-12)? Origen (185-254 AD), an early church Bible scholar, comments on why Jesus makes a distinction between those who are ready to hear and understand his message with those who are not ready to hear nor understand:
Why does Jesus say that the secrets of the kingdom of God will be revealed to some while others will not be able to recognize nor understand the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11-12)? Origen (185-254 AD), an early church Bible scholar, comments on why Jesus makes a distinction between those who are ready to hear and understand his message with those who are not ready to hear nor understand:
"Sometimes
it does not turn out to be an advantage for one to be healed quickly or
superficially, especially if the disease by this means becomes even more shut
up in the internal organs where it rages more fiercely. Therefore God, who
perceives secret things and who knows all things before they come to be, in his
great goodness delays the healing of such persons and defers the remedy to a
later time. If I may speak paradoxically, God heals them by not healing them,
lest a premature recovery of health should render them incurable. This pertains
to those whom our Lord and Savior addressed as 'those outside,' whose hearts
and reins he searches out. Jesus covered up the deeper mysteries of the faith
in veiled speech to those who were not yet ready to receive his teaching in
straightforward terms. The Lord wanted to prevent the unready from being too
speedily converted and only cosmetically healed. If the forgiveness of their
sins were too easily obtained, they would soon fall again into the same
disorder of sin which they imagined could be cured without any
difficulty." (ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 3.1.7)
The Lord Jesus will give us perceiving eyes and listening ears to understand the message of his kingdom if we approach him with faith and humility and the readiness to be taught. The proud cannot see nor hear the truth of God's kingdom because they trust in their own opinion and perception of what is true or real. They have shut their minds to the supernatural truth of God and his word. Do you approach God's word with trust and humility or with doubtful pride and skepticism?
The Lord Jesus will give us perceiving eyes and listening ears to understand the message of his kingdom if we approach him with faith and humility and the readiness to be taught. The proud cannot see nor hear the truth of God's kingdom because they trust in their own opinion and perception of what is true or real. They have shut their minds to the supernatural truth of God and his word. Do you approach God's word with trust and humility or with doubtful pride and skepticism?
"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".
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: Why does this generation seek a sign,
by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"As
the sower fairly and indiscriminately disperses seed broadly over all his
field, so does God offer gifts to all,11 making no distinction between rich and
poor, wise and foolish, lazy or diligent, brave or cowardly. He addresses
everyone, fulfilling his part, although knowing the results beforehand... Why
then, tell me, was so much of the seed lost? Not through the sower, but through
the ground that received it - meaning the soul that did not listen... Even
though more seed would be lost than survive, the disciples were not to lose
heart. For it is the way of the Lord never to stop sowing the seed, even when
he knows beforehand that some of it will not respond. But how can it be
reasonable, one asks, to sow among the thorns, or on the rock, or alongside the
road? Maybe it is not reasonable insofar as it pertains only to seeds and
earth, for the bare rock is not likely to turn into tillable soil, and the
roadside will remain roadside and the thorns, thorns. But in the case of free
wills and their reasonable instruction, this kind of sowing is praiseworthy.
For the rocky soul can in time turn into rich soil. Among souls, the wayside
may come no longer to be trampled by all that pass, and may become a fertile
field. The thorns may be destroyed and the seed enjoy full growth. For had this
not been impossible, this sower would not have sown. And even if no change
whatever occurs in the soul, this is no fault of the sower, but of those who
are unwilling to be changed. He has done his part." (excerpt
from GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, HOMILY 44.5.1)
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, MARK 4:1-20
Weekday
(2 Samuel 7:4-17; Psalm 89)
Weekday
(2 Samuel 7:4-17; Psalm 89)
KEY VERSE: "But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold" (v 20).
TO KNOW: Jesus regularly taught by means of parables, which compelled people to hear God's truth in a new way. The unexpected points of these stories often surprised his audience, and confused those whose ears and hearts were closed to the meaning. In his parable of the sower, Jesus dealt with the proclamation and acceptance of God's word. The seed was the Gospel, which was broadcast on the ground generously. Some fell by the wayside and was devoured by the Evil One. Some was sown on the rocky ground of hard hearts where it failed to take root. Some was choked by the thorns of anxiety and worldly concerns. Despite this, some seed fell on the rich soil of receptive hearts and yielded an abundant harvest. Let the seed of God’s Word be sown deep within you, where it can’t be stolen, scorched, or choked.
TO LOVE: What prevents the seed of God's word from growing and maturing in my life?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to prepare my heart to receive your word.
Wednesday 29 January 2020
2 Samuel 7:4-17. Psalm 88(89): 4-5, 27-30. Mark 4:1-20.
For ever I will keep my love him – Psalm 88(89): 4-5, 27-30.
‘They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit.’
For ever I will keep my love him – Psalm 88(89): 4-5, 27-30.
‘They hear the message, accept it, and bear fruit.’
Here we have the image of a God who spreads his grace
abundantly, throwing it about with great generosity. The parable also provides
a tremendous insight into human frailty – despite the goodness of God we often
remain closed to what is on offer.
There is a cartoon that captures this sad reality rather well.
Moses is splitting the Red Sea for the Israelites, yet they don’t want to cross
it because the floor is muddy. Doesn’t this sound all too familiar? We pray for
help and insight, then reject what comes because it isn’t quite what we wanted.
Rarely do we remain open long enough to allow the seed to take root and bear
fruit; to appreciate the kindness of God and recognise that he is always there
parting the sea for us.
God of freedom and passage, be the source of our life. Give us
your encouragement today.
Servant of God Brother Juniper
Saint of the Day for January 29
(d. 1258)
Servant of God Brother Juniper’s Story
“Would to God, my brothers, I had a whole forest of such
Junipers,” said Francis of this holy friar.
We don’t know much about Juniper before he joined the friars in
1210. Francis sent him to establish “places” for the friars in Gualdo Tadino
and Viterbo. When Saint Clare was
dying, Juniper consoled her. He was devoted to the passion of Jesus and was
known for his simplicity.
Several stories about Juniper in the Little Flowers of
St. Francis illustrate his exasperating generosity. Once Juniper was
taking care of a sick man who had a craving to eat pig’s feet. This helpful
friar went to a nearby field, captured a pig and cut off one foot, and then
served this meal to the sick man. The owner of the pig was furious and
immediately went to Juniper’s superior. When Juniper saw his mistake, he
apologized profusely. He also ended up talking this angry man into donating the
rest of the pig to the friars!
Another time Juniper had been commanded to quit giving part of
his clothing to the half-naked people he met on the road. Desiring to obey his
superior, Juniper once told a man in need that he couldn’t give the man his
tunic, but he wouldn’t prevent the man from taking it either. In time, the
friars learned not to leave anything lying around, for Juniper would probably
give it away.
He died in 1258 and is buried at Ara Coeli Church in Rome.
Reflection
What can we make of Juniper? He certainly seems to be the first
of many Franciscan “characters.” No doubt some of the stories about him have
improved considerably in the retelling. Although the stories about Juniper may
seem a little quaint, his virtues were not. He was humble because he knew the
truth about God, himself, and others. He was patient because he was willing to
suffer in his following of Jesus.
Lectio Divina: Mark 4:1-20
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
direct Your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of Your Son
may bring the human race to unity and peace.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Mark 4:1-20
On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea. A
very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and
sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. And he taught them at
length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them,
"Hear this! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on
the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed 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 and it produced no
grain. And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and
yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold." He added, "Whoever has
ears to hear ought to hear." And when he was alone, those present along
with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. He answered them, "The
mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside
everything comes in parables, so that they may look and see but not perceive,
and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted
and be forgiven." Jesus said to them, "Do you not understand this
parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? The sower sows the
word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they
hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. And these are
the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once
with joy. But they have no roots; they last only for a time. Then when
tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the
word, but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things
intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. But those sown on rich soil
are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty
and a hundredfold."
3) Reflection
• Sitting in the boat, Jesus taught the crowds. In these verses,
Mark describes the way in which Jesus teaches the crowd: on the seaside,
sitting in the boat, with many people around listening to Him. Jesus was not a
cultured person (Jn 7:15). He had not frequented the superior school of
Jerusalem. He had come from the country side, from Nazareth. He was someone who
was unknown. He was a craftsman and a country man. Without asking permission
from the authorities, He began to teach the people. He spoke in a very
different way. People liked to listen to Him.
• Jesus helped people perceive the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the things of life by means of parables. A parable is a comparison. He uses the known and visible things of life to explain the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God. For example, the people from Galilee understood when He spoke of seeds, soil, rain, the sun, salt, flowers, fish, harvest, etc. His parable uses these things which were known to the people to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom.
• The parable of the sower is a picture of the life of the farmer. At that time it was not easy to get a livelihood from agriculture. The land was full of stones. There were many bushes, little rain and much sun. Many times people, in order to take a shortcut, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants. (Mk 2:23). But in spite of that, every year, the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• He who has ears to listen, let him listen! Jesus begins the parable saying, “Listen!” (Mk 4:3). Now, at the end, He says, “He who has ears to listen, let him listen!” The way to understand the parable is by listening and thinking, “trying to understand!” The parable does not give us everything ready made, but induces those who listen to think and discover, based on the lived experience that they have of the seed. It induces creativity and participation. It is not a doctrine that arrives ready made to be taught and decorated. The parable does not give bottled water, but rather, leads one to the fountain or source. The farmer who listens, says, “Seed in the ground, I know what that is!” But Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would this be? One can already guess the long conversations of the crowd. The parable affects the people and moves them to listen to nature and to think about life.
• Jesus explains the parable to His disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. They do not understand it. Jesus is surprised at their ignorance (Mk 4:13) and responds with a difficult and mysterious phrase. He tells His disciples, “To you is granted the secret of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and not perceive, listen but not understand, to avoid changing their ways and being healed!” This phrase leads people to ask themselves “then what good is the parable? To clarify or to hide?” Perhaps Jesus uses parables in order for people to continue to live in ignorance and not reach conversion? Certainly not! Because at another point Mark says that Jesus used parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33).
• The parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals to “those who are inside,” who accept Jesus, the Messiah, the Servant. It hides for those who insist on considering Him the glorious king. They understand the images of the parable, but they do not grasp the significance.
• The explanation of the parable in its different parts. One after another, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, seed and soil, up to the harvest time. Some scholars hold that this explanation was added later and would have been given to some communities. This is quite possible, because in the bud of the parable there is already the flower of the explanation. Bud and flower, both have the same origin which is Jesus. For this reason, we can continue to reflect and discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once a person asked in community, “Jesus has said that we should be salt. For what does salt serve?” This was discussed and at the end more than ten different purposes for salt were discovered! These meanings were applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is something difficult and demanding. The parable functioned! Salt not only has uses, but in Jesus' time it had high value. The Romans used it as money and in the difficult hot climate it was needed by the human body to survive. Salt was valuable and gave life! The same for the seed. Everybody has some experience of the seed.
• Jesus helped people perceive the mysterious presence of the Kingdom in the things of life by means of parables. A parable is a comparison. He uses the known and visible things of life to explain the invisible and unknown things of the Kingdom of God. For example, the people from Galilee understood when He spoke of seeds, soil, rain, the sun, salt, flowers, fish, harvest, etc. His parable uses these things which were known to the people to explain the mysteries of the Kingdom.
• The parable of the sower is a picture of the life of the farmer. At that time it was not easy to get a livelihood from agriculture. The land was full of stones. There were many bushes, little rain and much sun. Many times people, in order to take a shortcut, passed through the fields and stepped on the plants. (Mk 2:23). But in spite of that, every year, the farmer sowed and planted, trusting in the force of the seed, in the generosity of nature.
• He who has ears to listen, let him listen! Jesus begins the parable saying, “Listen!” (Mk 4:3). Now, at the end, He says, “He who has ears to listen, let him listen!” The way to understand the parable is by listening and thinking, “trying to understand!” The parable does not give us everything ready made, but induces those who listen to think and discover, based on the lived experience that they have of the seed. It induces creativity and participation. It is not a doctrine that arrives ready made to be taught and decorated. The parable does not give bottled water, but rather, leads one to the fountain or source. The farmer who listens, says, “Seed in the ground, I know what that is!” But Jesus says that this has something to do with the Kingdom of God. What would this be? One can already guess the long conversations of the crowd. The parable affects the people and moves them to listen to nature and to think about life.
• Jesus explains the parable to His disciples. At home, alone with Jesus, the disciples want to know the meaning of the parable. They do not understand it. Jesus is surprised at their ignorance (Mk 4:13) and responds with a difficult and mysterious phrase. He tells His disciples, “To you is granted the secret of the Kingdom of God; but to those who are outside everything comes in parables, so that they may look and not perceive, listen but not understand, to avoid changing their ways and being healed!” This phrase leads people to ask themselves “then what good is the parable? To clarify or to hide?” Perhaps Jesus uses parables in order for people to continue to live in ignorance and not reach conversion? Certainly not! Because at another point Mark says that Jesus used parables “according to what they could understand” (Mk 4:33).
• The parable reveals and hides at the same time! It reveals to “those who are inside,” who accept Jesus, the Messiah, the Servant. It hides for those who insist on considering Him the glorious king. They understand the images of the parable, but they do not grasp the significance.
• The explanation of the parable in its different parts. One after another, Jesus explains the parts of the parable, seed and soil, up to the harvest time. Some scholars hold that this explanation was added later and would have been given to some communities. This is quite possible, because in the bud of the parable there is already the flower of the explanation. Bud and flower, both have the same origin which is Jesus. For this reason, we can continue to reflect and discover other beautiful things in the parable. Once a person asked in community, “Jesus has said that we should be salt. For what does salt serve?” This was discussed and at the end more than ten different purposes for salt were discovered! These meanings were applied to the life of the community and it was discovered that to be salt is something difficult and demanding. The parable functioned! Salt not only has uses, but in Jesus' time it had high value. The Romans used it as money and in the difficult hot climate it was needed by the human body to survive. Salt was valuable and gave life! The same for the seed. Everybody has some experience of the seed.
4) Personal questions
• What experience do you have with seeds? How does this help you
understand the Good News better?
• What type of soil are you?
• What type of soil are you?
5) Concluding prayer
Fix your gaze on Yahweh
and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame. (Ps 34:5)
and your face will grow bright,
you will never hang your head in shame. (Ps 34:5)
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