The Scripture Readings of the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, Isaiah 55:10-11; Romans 8:18-23; Matthew 13:1-23, are about the procreative nature of the Word of God and how it can transform us into the fullness of being through its growth to bring abundant offspring. Through the generative power of the Word in His commands, God created the universe (Genesis 1:1-31; cf. John 1:2). And the Word existed before the Creation (John 1:1).
In the First Reading (Isaiah 55:10-11), the Word of
God is described in a metaphor of rain and snow that quench and nourish the
earth so that it can be fertile. In
fact, as rain and snow ensure seeds sown on earth to grow to sustain life, the Word
of God, as spoken by Christ, gives life, because it is the life-giving Spirit
(John 6:63). This reading from Isaiah 55 also reminds us that we do not passively
receive the Word but rather actively engage with it so that we can let the Word
grow into manifold forms of new lives. This way, the Word spoken out of God’s
mouth will not be returned to Him in vain.
Echoing the First Reading, in the Gospel Reading
(Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus speaks the parable of the sower (vv. 3-9), with his reason
to speak in parables (vv. 10-17) and his explanation of the parable (vv. 18-23).
In this parable, Jesus describes four types of
situations of the seeds sown by the sower.
Situation 1.
Seeds fell on the path, where birds ate them up
(vv.3-4).
Jesus explains that this situation describes those who
hear the Word without understanding. So, they allow the evil one to snatch the
Word away from their hearts (v.19).
They do not pay attention to the Word. They make no efforts to listen. They simply let the Word pass from one ear to the other. And they do not even care whether they remember anything about the Word, as they are not interested.
Situation 2.
Seeds fell on rocky
ground where they sprouted at once but they were prevented from spreading their
roots due to little soil. Because of
this, they soon withered (vv.5-6).
Jesus explains that this situation means those who hear the Word at once with joy but failed to let the Word take its roots in them. Because of this, they easily fell away upon tribulation or persecution (vv. 20-21).
They may at first show some enthusiastic interest in the Word. But it is rather superficial, as they cannot sustain their interest. They can be compared to seminarians, who had high hope for becoming priests, but leave seminaries without completing their formation.
Jesus explains that this situation corresponds to those who hear the Word but let worldly concerns or the lure of the material world preoccupy themselves. And their such preoccupations choke the growth of the Word in them (v. 22).
Compared to those in Situation 2, they may retain their interest in the Word longer. But their interest fizzles when challenges arise. It means that their interest in the Word is too weak to overcome anxiety and endure tribulation.
They can be compared to so-called "ex-priests", men who left priesthood because they fell to worldly temptations, contrary to their vow.
Situation 4.
Seeds fell on fertile soil where they grow to bear abundant fruit for manifold
harvest (v. 8).
Jesus explains that this situation describes those who hear the Word and actually understand it, so that they let the Word grow in them into abundant fruition for manifold harvest (v.23).
They are the ones who continue to receive the Word with sustained interest and make most out of it as they understand it. At the same time, they grow and are transformed through the growth of the Word in them.
In all situations, the Word is received as the all the recipients actually hear the Word. But none, except for those who are like the fertile soil, really understand it. Because they hear but do not understand yet do not do anything about it, they let the Word be taken away or do not let the Word grow. Therefore, a key in receiving the Word as a seed to grow is our understanding.
As we understand the Word when we listen or when we read, we are receiving it as the fertile soil.
To highlight the importance of understanding, Jesus explains why he speaks in parables but explains only to his disciples, to whom knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted (Matthew 13:11), by citing Isaiah 6:9-10.
You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see.Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and be converted, and I heal them (Matthew 13:14-15).
It seems that Jesus explains his
parables only to those whose hearts are like the fertile soil, fitting to
understand the Word sown to them. He certainly wants his disciples to be like
the fertile soil for they are required to understand the Word through his
teaching. This is why knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has
been granted to them. Otherwise, they would not be fit to be sent on mission. And
God certainly does not desire His Word to be wasted by those who do not
understand. This is why He takes away everything from those who waste His Word
for they fail to understand (Matthew 13:12).
Sadly many people are more like these
first three cases, in which the Word of God is wasted (Matthew 13:3-7). So even
they attend Mass and hear the Word during the Liturgy of the Word, through the
Scripture readings, Responsorial Psalms, and homily, they make no or little
efforts to retain the Word by understanding it to let it take its roots and
grow in them toward abundant fruition. They are also like those who boast how
many times they have read the Bible from cover to cover yet fail to demonstrate
their faulty of exegesis or hermeneutics.
Though they are not many, those who listen
to the Word and understand it or at least make serious efforts to understand
it, are like the fertile soil. They are fit to be disciples of Christ and
worthy to be send on apostolic mission, because they let the Word grow into manifold
harvest. And their mission is to help those who do not understand the Word
understand it.
Because the creation has been corrupted
with evil since the fall of Adam and Eve, it needs redemption by God, as
reflected in the Second Reading (Romans 8:18-23). For the hope of this
redemption, the Word must grow in the world through those who are like the fertile
soil, those who understand the Word and let it grow into manifold fruition.
Besides the generative nature, the Word also has the cleansing power (i.e.
Ephesians 5:26). Because of the procreative nature of the Word, we can fight
the corrupted world with the Word and our understanding of it, to bring a hope
like that of labore before giving birth to a new life (Romans 8:22-23).
The Word of God has the generative and
procreative power to bring many offspring. This has been evidenced how God’s
Creation has evolved. This also has been fulfilled through His covenants with
Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:1, 4-5; 17:4-7) as his offspring have multiplied
manifold. But the seeds of the Word have been sown to the corrupted words, in
which many waste the Word as they do not understand it. In order to redeem the
world, the Father sent the Word incarnated in the human flesh of Jesus (i.e.
John 1:1, 14, 3:16; Luke 1:35; cf. Romans 8:18-23). For this, not only that the
Son is the sower of the Word but also the redemptive seed that fell the soil in
order to bring manifold of fruition for great salvific harvest (John 12:24).
The Word of God is sown to us with the
hope that we let it grow in us into abundant fruition, while its growth in us
prompts our growth and transformation into the fullness of being. And we shall
receive more as we continue to grow and be transformed through the Word growing
in us. This is, indeed, to redeem the corrupted world. This way, the Word will
not be returned to God in vain.
Questions to ponder:
How do you understand the Word of God? Then, how does
the Word of God affect you? What do you do in response to being affected by the
Word of God?
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