But as soon as the sun rose, the plants were scorched; and they withered, because they had no roots.
Again, other seeds fell among thistles; and the thistles grew and choked the plants.
Still, other seeds fell on good soil and produced a crop: some a hundredfold, others sixty, and others thirty.
If you have ears, then hear!”
Then his disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”
Jesus answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but not to these people.
For the one who has will be given more; and he will have in abundance. But the one who does not have will be
deprived of even what he has. That is why I speak to them in parables; because they look and do not see; they hear;
but they do not listen or understand. In them, the words of the prophet Isaiah are fulfilled: However much you hear,
you do not understand; however much you see, you do not perceive. For the heart of this people has grown dull.
Their ears hardly hear and their eyes dare not see. If they were to see with their eyes, hear with their ears
and understand with their heart, they would turn back, and I would heal them. But blessed are your eyes, because they see;
and your ears, because they hear. For I tell you, many prophets and righteous people have longed to see the things you see,
but they did not see them; and to hear the things you hear, but they did not hear them.
Now listen to the parable of the sower. When a person hears the message of the kingdom, but does not take it seriously,
the devil comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed that fell along the footpath.
The seed that fell on rocky ground stands for the one who hears the word, and accepts it at once with joy.
But such a person has no roots, and endures only for a while. No sooner is he harassed or persecuted because of the word,
than he gives up. The seed that fell among the thistles is the one who hears the word; but then, the worries of this life
and the love of money choke the word; and it does not bear fruit. As for the seed that fell on good soil, it is the one
who hears the word and understands it; this seed bears fruit and produces a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times more.”
REFLECTION:
Read: The Lord, through the prophet Isaiah, expresses His enduring faith in His word believing they will eventually
bear fruit in the hearts of men and women. The apostle Paul then asks the suffering Christians in Rome to also patiently
wait for the glory promised by God. Jesus reiterates God’s willingness to risk and wait as He sow His word on different
soils hoping that what he sowed will come back fruitfully.
Reflect: The four different soils are present in each of us. God patiently journeys with our progression to maturity in
absorbing His word. At the first stage, we are indifferent to His word, unable to see its relevance in our lives.
At the second stage, God’s word penetrates a little. However, the many concerns that clog our heart and mind hinder
His word to take root. At the third stage, we can already swallow God’s word but it is not integrated yet in our life.
At the last stage, we have become fertile recipients of His word and finally bear fruit.
Pray: We pray for all evangelizers that they may be more patient and unyielding in planting the Word of God to all people.
Act: Open the Bible, select a passage or two, read commentaries, listen to evangelizers in the Church and in Youtube,
then let the passage grow into your life and relationships.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020