“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 Parable of the Sower is made clear in the Gospel acclamation: “The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower; all who come to him will live for ever.” What is the hope in taking in the word of God if it withers, or is consumed by things of this world or choked by them? The hope in taking in the word of God in this life produces abundant spiritual fruit; in the life to come, it means being in God’s presence for all eternity.
In pondering the life now and the life to come, I hesitate to say I experience joy in the thought of eternal life. Yes, I want the word of God to be planted in me so that it produces, but when I consider the life to come, it’s not easy to accept what is unseen and unknown. God, help me understand that if I come into your presence for all eternity, it will not be like any categorization I can dream up. In the Gospel reading from a few days ago, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” I believe Jesus meant that for this life, but it also hints at what is in store for me in the life to come. Just as I am restless in this life, in eternal life will I find rest from the restlessness? I don’t know what heaven will be like, but I have things to do here first before I need to worry about that; namely, prepare my soul for the word of God so that it can grow and produce fruit—“a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
Christ is the sower. If I look for Christ, I have found the word of God; I have found the Word. Christ, show me how to better the ground and deepen the soil to receive your word. I struggle to produce in this life words that are good and actions that lead others to you, so I will surely need help from you to prepare for the life to come.
Today let me trust that Jesus is beside me in the trials of the day. I know that if I’m not careful, I’ll have a white-knuckled grip on the wheel today. I want more out of a day, each and every day; I want to produce on my terms and produce the fruit of my own imaginings. Can I let go of the wheel? Let me trust through the Holy Spirit that God the Father and his Son will direct me through this day if I remain open to receiving God’s word.