The Amateurish Farmer who does not expect 100% output
A few years back I had the privilege of visiting the Holy Land. And I remember, as our bus made its way up the hill from the Sea of Galilee to what is called the Mount of the Beatitudes, our Franciscan commentator began to read to us the Parable of the Sower (Mt 13:1-9) – the gospel text of today. He invited us to look at the landscape around: there were rocky grounds, there were footpaths, there were thorny pushes, and there were fertile areas. The word of God suddenly became alive to me! Our commentator added, “You see, Jesus had no PowerPoint presentation to accompany his teachings. He used what was accessible to him and his listeners – the landscape!”
Amateurish Farmer: Even as I was moved with the whole scene together with the words of Jesus, the apparent paradox of the gospel text of today became powerful. The sower in the parable should have been a very amateurish farmer. What farmer would throw seeds on the rocks, thorns and path (Mt 13:4-7)? A good farmer would first clear the ground of rocks and stones, gather the thorny bushes and get them burned, and would sow the seed only on the soil that is ready. And yet, the sower in the parable throws seeds on the rocks, thorns, path and the good soil. Analogies have their limitations. However, if the sower in the parable is God, then the parable becomes even more powerful because of the folly of the sower. God does not seem to have much control over the ground and their response. He is generous with his word to the thorny ground and the rocky ground. God makes his grace available to everyone. It all depends on how the recipients would want to respond.
God does not expect me to be a good soil first so that he could sow his seed, but because he sows his Word in me I become the good soil. I respond.
I don’t need to get 100%: And my response does not have to be hundredfold all the time. It can be thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or hundredfold (Mt 13:8). It is alright with him. He still praises me, because I have played my part well enough. The workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) who were hired at different time of the day did not all work for the same duration, and yet, it was alright with the master. All were equally rewarded. The servants who were given talents by their master (Mt 25:14-30) did not all produce the same output. And yet, all those who produced something were all praised and rewarded even more.
God wants me to open up my heart to receive his Word willingly. And he assures us, it will not return to him empty (Is 55:11)!