The Parable of the Sower

Today's Reflections

The Parable of the Sower 

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Mk 4:1-20

¹On another occasion [Jesus] began to teach by the sea. … ²And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, ³“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. ⁴And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. ⁶And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. ⁷Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. ⁸And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” ⁹He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

¹⁰And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. ¹¹He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, ¹²so 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.’ ”/ ¹³Jesus said to them, “... ¹⁴The sower sows the word. ¹⁵These 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. ¹⁶And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. ¹⁷But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, ¹⁹but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. ²⁰But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Reflection:

A sower went out to sow. The sower in the parable is Jesus. His effort meets with failure in many cases, but it produces abundant fruit when the seed falls on rich soil. Jesus is very generous and tireless in his preaching of God’s kingdom, not only by the spoken word but by deeds. True, he is accused of being an ally of the prince of demons. But his word does find rich soil in the generous hearts of many people who eventually become his disciples and apostles.

When even one seed falls on rich soil, i.e., a generous heart, the result will be an abundant harvest for God’s kingdom.

Welcome the word of God generously,

ponder on it, and live it. Then share it.