15th Sunday
Ordinary Time (A)
Matthew 13:1-23
This Sunday’s Readings
First Reading
1 Samuel 26:2, 7-9,12-13,22-23
David does not kill Saul.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 103:1-4,8,10,12-13
A song in praise of God’s mercy
Second Reading
1 Corinthians 15:45-49
As we bear the image of Adam, so we will bear the image of the one from heaven.
Gospel Reading
Luke 6:27-38
Jesus teaches his disciples to be merciful as God is merciful.
Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.
He said, ‘Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away. Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!’
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today’s gospel reading is a continuation of the teaching that began in last Sunday’s gospel. We continue to hear Jesus’ Sermon on the Plain. Recall that in Luke’s Gospel, this teaching is addressed to Jesus’ disciples. This is in contrast to the parallel found in Matthew’s Gospel, the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus’ words are addressed to both the disciples and to the crowds.
These words from Jesus’ teaching are familiar to us. They constitute the crux and the challenge of what it means to be a disciple: Love your enemies, turn the other cheek, give to those who ask, do unto others, lend without expecting repayment, judge not lest you be judged.
There are several similarities between Luke’s and Matthew’s report of Jesus’ great teaching. Both begin with the Beatitudes. Matthew includes nearly all the content that Luke does; the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel is longer than Luke’s Sermon on the Plain. There are, however, differences in language and nuance. For example, Matthew presents this portion of the teaching as a contrast between Jesus’ teaching and the teachings of the law and the prophets. This is in keeping with Matthew’s concern to address his predominantly Jewish audience. It is likely that Luke omits this contrast because it was unnecessary for the Gentile believers for whom Luke is writing.
Another point of contrast between Matthew and Luke’s presentation is the terminology. In Luke, Jesus contrasts the behavior of his followers with the behavior of “sinners.” In Matthew, Jesus contrasts the behavior desired with the behavior of tax collectors and Gentiles. Matthew concludes the teaching about love of enemies with the admonition to be perfect as God is perfect; Luke concludes by emphasizing God’s mercy.
In both Gospels, Jesus’ words challenge those who would follow him to be more like God. God loves us beyond our expectations, beyond anything we can possibly imagine. In response to God’s love, we are to love as God loves, beyond expectations and with a depth beyond imagining.
Four ways to receive the Word of God
Pope Francis
In this Sunday’s Gospel passage (cf. Mt 13:1-23), Jesus tells a great crowd the Parable — that we all know well — of the Sower, who casts seeds over four different types of terrain. The Word of God, symbolized by the seeds, is not an abstract Word, but rather Christ himself, the Word of the Father who became flesh in Mary’s womb. Embracing the Word of God therefore, means embracing the personage of Christ; of Christ himself.
There are several different ways to receive the Word of God. We may do so like a path, where birds immediately come and eat the seeds. This would be distraction, a great danger of our time. Beset by lots of small talk, by many ideologies, by continuous opportunities for distraction inside and outside the home, we can lose our zest for silence, for reflection, for dialogue with the Lord, to the point that we risk losing our faith, not receiving the Word of God, as we are seeing everything, distracted by everything, by worldly things.
Another possibility: we may receive the Word of God like rocky ground, with little soil. There the seeds spring up quickly, but they also soon wither away, because they are unable to sink roots to any depth. This is the image of those who receive the Word of God with momentary enthusiasm, which however, remains superficial; it does not assimilate the Word of God. In this way, at the first difficulty, such as a discomfort or disturbance in life, that still-feeble faith dissolves, as the seed that falls among the rocks withers.
We can also — a third possibility that Jesus mentions in the parable — receive the Word of God like ground where thorny bushes grow. And the thorns are the deceit of wealth, of success, of worldly concerns… There, the Word grows a little, but becomes choked, it is not strong, and it dies or does not bear fruit.
Lastly — the fourth possibility — we may receive it like good soil. Here, and here alone does the seed take root and bear fruit. The seed fallen upon this fertile soil represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, safeguard it in their heart and put it into practice in everyday life.
This Parable of the Sower is somewhat the ‘mother’ of all parables, because it speaks about listening to the Word. It reminds us that the Word of God is a seed which in itself is fruitful and effective; and God scatters it everywhere, paying no mind to waste. Such is the heart of God! Each one of us is ground on which the seed of the Word falls; no one is excluded! The Word is given to each one of us. We can ask ourselves: what type of terrain am I? Do I resemble the path, the rocky ground, the bramble bush? If we want, with the grace of God, we can become good soil, ploughed and carefully cultivated, to help ripen the seed of the Word. It is already present in our heart, but making it fruitful depends on us; it depends on the embrace that we reserve for this seed.
Often one is distracted by too many interests, by too many enticements, and it is difficult to distinguish, among the many voices and many words, that of the Lord, the only one that makes us free. This is why it is important to accustom oneself to listening to the Word of God, to reading it. And I return once more to that advice: always keep a handy copy of the Gospel with you, a pocket edition of the Gospel, in your pocket, in your purse … and then, read a short passage every day, so that you become used to reading the Word of God, understanding well the seed that God offers you, and thinking with what soil do I receive it.
May the Virgin Mary, perfect model of good and fertile soil, help us, with her prayer, to become willing soil without thorns or rocks, so that we may bear good fruit for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters.
Angelus, 12/7/20020
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH: THE WORD
Fernando Armellini
Introduction
How reliable is someone’s word? Not very. Dejected and disappointed, the psalmist kept repeating: “Help us, O Lord, none of the godly are left, the faithful have vanished. Everyone lies; with flattering lips, they speak from a double heart” (Ps 12:1-2). Today, the word continues to be devaluated: We do not believe promises. Only written and signed documents give security: We hear ‘deeds and not words,’ repeated.
Is it so with the Word of God? This refrain is repeated ten times in the first chapter of Genesis: “God said … and so it happened.” “The heavens were created by his word. For he spoke and so it was, he commanded and everything stood firm” (Ps 33:6, 9). His word is not like that of man’s. It is living and effective, implements what it announces, does not lie nor disappoint.
The Greek mystic proposed entering into a relationship with God through visions, ecstasy, rapture, and paroxysmal trances. But Biblical spirituality puts listening in first place because it is convinced of the absolute reliability of God’s Word. “Hear, O Israel” is the most beloved prayer of Jewish piety (Deut 6:4). “Hear the warning of Yahweh”recommend the prophets (Is 1:10; Jer 11:3). “Obedience (listening) is better than sacrifice,” says Samuel (1 S 15:22). “Sacrifice and oblation you did not desire: but my ears you have pierced,” says the psalmist (Ps 40:7).
In the Bible, listening does not mean receiving communication or information but adhering to, receiving, and keeping in our heart and putting into practice a proposal. It is equivalent to trusting in God. Those who listen to his word in this way are blessed (Lk 11:28).
First Reading: Isaiah 55:10-11
Thus says the Lord: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful,giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
“God is in heaven and man is on earth” (Ecl 5:1). Petitions go up to the Lord. He listens and responds by sending his word, a worker of wonders (Ps 147:15-18). Docile inanimate beings obey God: “He does what he pleases with the army of heaven” (Dn4:32), “He sends the light, and it goes, who recalls it and trembling it obeys. He calls the stars and they answer, ‘Here we are.’ They shine with joy for their Creator” (Bar 3:33-35).
It is not so with the human being? The Word of God can act in the free only when accepted and falls on fertile ground that allows it to produce fruit. The passage that closes the book of Deutero-Isaiah is proposed to us today. It is a hymn to the life-giving effectiveness of the Word of God. To understand and enjoy it, it is necessary to read it in the historical context in which it was composed.
We are in the second half of the fourth century BC. The Israelites had been in Babylon for many years. With a growing insistence, they ask themselves this question: will we be able to return and see our land one day? A prophet was sent to announce the upcoming liberation to these tired and worn-down people. Some years pass, but nothing happens, and the delay increases their disappointment and despair. How come—we wonder—the Wordof God is not realized? Does he, too, like the people, not keep his promises anymore?
The prophet responds to this doubt with an image. The Word of God is like the rain and snow. They fall from the sky and do not return without having produced what they were intended to produce. They possess an irresistible dynamism, abundant energy thatmakes the grain sprout, the grass green, and the flowers bloom. The Word sent from heaven never returns to God ‘empty-handed.’ It always brings with it some fruit. The result, of course, also depends on the land where it falls, but where it does fall, nothing stays the same.
The image of rain and snow and the reference to the cycle of the seasons and the slow growth of the seed is an invitation not to expect immediate results. The Word of God often acts over a long time because it must deal with the people’s reactions, choices, decisions,and even with the hardening and stubbornness. It takes patience, the ability to wait, foresight combined with the unwavering confidence in the life-giving power of the Word.
The Israelites exiled in Babylon were able to wait. They maintained the firm belief that “upright is the Lord’s Word and worthy of trust is his work” (Ps 33:4). After a few years, the first group was able to leave Mesopotamia and return to the land of their fathers.Anyone who trusts the Word of the Lord will one day verify the wonders of its fulfillment.
Second Reading: Romans 8:18-23
Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. For creation awaits with eagerexpectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope thatcreation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
If we find ourselves in a maze, we think deeply, turn and despair, but end up finding ourselves at the starting point. Only a pair of wings that could carry us high would allow us to contemplate from above the position we are in and see a clear path to freedom.
What is happening on the ground, people’s agitation, the often-absurd turn of events,and the drama remain unexplained enigmas until we get to heaven, to God. If with the Lord, with the more distant horizons in sight, can we make sense of what is happening in the world. The reality we live in presents undeniable reasons to be pessimistic, but whoever enters God’s perspective recovers, though often with difficulty, serenity and hope.
Creation—Paul says—was subjected to futility, slavery, corruption, and cries out in pain. It was the absurdity of this world, quite opposite to the intelligence of the one who made it. Sin and selfishness have disrupted it. Now the people are seized by fear in facing the consequences of his mistakes. They see the fertility of the earth, the healthiness of the air, the cleanliness of water is threatened. They notice the damage caused to plants and animals. They know that the seabed is filled with toxic waste and bombs. This creation is waiting to be redeemed: He wants it led back into God’s plan that he initially had contemplated with satisfaction what he had made because “it was very good” (Gen 1:31).
Paul invites us not to despair and not interpret the cry of pain of creation as that of a dying person. It is like that of the woman in labor who is about to give birth to a new life.
Christians do not remain insensitive to the groan of creation, but they do not break down because they are confident that, despite appearances to the contrary, the Word of God will bring to completion the new creation.
Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23
Theologians and preachers wisely expose the very deep truth but sometimes they use a language that is complicated, confusing, and difficult to follow. They give the impression of not caring whether people understand, are interested, enthusiastic or simply bored. Jesus had a different pedagogical approach: even when he faced tough issues, he always used a simple language. He resorted to comparisons and images. He told stories set in the life of shepherds, fishermen, traders, tax gatherers, and most importantly, farmers among whom he was born and grew up.
The parable—said the rabbis—is like the wick of a candle: it costs a few cents, and yet, even if its light is dim, it can make one find a treasure.
Today, Jesus introduces a very difficult theological theme. It is a puzzle to which the acutest minds and noblest spirits of humankind have tried in vain to give an answer: “Why evil?” “Why does the Kingdom of God encounter many difficulties to succeed?” He faces it with his usual method: the parable.
The passage is clearly divided into three parts. The first (vv. 1-9) consists of the parable. The second (vv. 10-17) contains some not easy to interpret sayings of Jesus. In fact, they seem to imply that he does not want his listeners to be converted. The third (vv. 18-23) is an application of the parable to the life of the community.
Before commenting on each of the three parts, we make a premise. Biblical scholars agree in recognizing that the explanation of the parable, although placed on the lips of Jesus and perfectly reflects his thought, has not been directly announced by him. By whom then?
The early Christians, in giving catechesis to their communities, were not anxious to transmit literally what Jesus had said. They tried, rather, to make his message understandable and effective, applying it to concrete situations in their lives. They were convinced that the evangelists did not have to act as simple repeaters to be faithful to the Word of the Master. They must make his message updated. The one who, in fact, repeats exactly the words of a person does not always authentically refer to his thought.
The early Christians sometimes have changed a bit, one or the other parable, or have added an explanation to fit the situation of their communities.
This is the case of the parable proposed to us today. Jesus told it to teach his listeners. The early Christians have reinterpreted and applied it to the concrete problems in their lives, problems that were not exactly the same as those of the disciples who heard Jesus. The updated catechesis is thus born as found in vv. 18-23.
We begin by clarifying the meaning and the message the parable had in the mouth of Jesus. Then, after having interpreted the difficult central verses, we will explain its reading done by the community of Matthew.
A strange way to sow (vv. 1-9)
In the parable, there is a detail that immediately draws attention: the waste of seeds scattered in large quantities in a barren land. The farmer’s behavior is surprising. He seems to act unwisely. Exactly three-quarters of the story is dedicated to the grain that ended up on the road, in stony places or among thorns and devoured by birds, burned or stifled.
The insistence on the waste, failure, and disappointing prospects is an important element. It reflects the reality of the world in which evil appears much stronger, more efficient than good. Note also its progressive, relentless dominance: the seed does not sprout, that which sprouts does not grow, that which grows is suffocated.
On whom does it depend? Why does this happen? If God is good, why does his Kingdom not grow unchallenged? These are the questions that Jesus wanted to give an answer.
To understand the parable, it should be noted that at that time the sowing was done before and not after the field had been prepared. The farmer sowed before plowing, hoeing, eradicating the brambles and removing the stones. It is then understood why part of the seed could fall between the stones in the midst of weeds, among the thorns or above those little paths that are formed in the fields when they are crossed during harvest or during the period in which the fields are fallow.
Whoever observes the farmer in the parable is inclined to think that he is working in vain and wasting seed and energy. It is hard to believe that, in a field reduced to that state, something can sprout. Instead, after sowing, he plows: the paths disappear, thorns and grass are removed, the stones moved and the field that seemed unproductive, after a short time, is covered first by corn stalks, then by blonde ears. A true miracle!
Jesus tells this parable in a difficult moment of his life. In Nazareth, he is cast out, in Capernaum, he is taken as mad, the Pharisees want to kill him, and the disciples abandon him. It just seems that all his preaching has fallen in vain. The conditions are too unfavorable; his word seems destined to die (cf. Mt 11–12).
With this parable, he wanted to send a message to his discouraged disciples who asked him about the usefulness of the apostolic work he was doing. Despite all the contradictions and obstacles, his word would have given abundant fruit because it has in itself an irresistible force of life.
Contrary to all expectations, the coming of the Messiah was not sensational. It did not have great resonance. His passage through this world seemed to be among the most insignificant. It has not changed anything in the people’s social and political life. The Baptist was more famous than him. Jesus disappeared into the ground like a small, weak, almost invisible seed. However, after a short time, this seed has begun to sprout. The Gospel has raised humanity and we, today, can verify that the message of the parable of the sower is taking place.
All of us sometimes wondered if it’s worth proclaiming the Word of God in a corrupt world and society as those in which we live; if it still makes sense to speak of the evangelical beatitudes and teach catechism to people who do not listen, whose hearts are hardened, who think only about money, entertainment, and to what is transitory, fleeting, ephemeral. Are not the evangelizers, catechists, perhaps sowing in vain?
When these thoughts arise, it is time to profess the faith in the divine power contained in the Word of the Gospel.
Why does Jesus speak in parables? (vv. 10-17)
In the middle of his public life, Jesus takes stock and finds that very few people have accepted his message. Is there something to wonder about this fact? No, he replies. Even the Old Testament prophets were not being listened to. At the time of Isaiah, for example, people covered their ears in order not to hear the Word of God. They hardened their hearts so as not to convert (vv. 14-15).
Here is the reason why he resorts to parables: He makes a new attempt to break the deadlock. He thinks that, with this simple and concrete language, it will be easier to make inroads into the hearts of his listeners. The parable forces one to reflect, to look for the hidden meaning, to think, to fall into oneself and then to get converted.
These verses are an invitation to open, as soon as possible, the eyes, ears, and heart otherwise the parables remain as enigmatic stories and do not produce any fruit.
The four types of soil (vv. 18-23).
The application of the resemblance to the life of the community aims to help the disciples to identify the difficulties that the Word of God encounters in everyone. The scarcity of results depends neither on the seed nor the sower, but on the type of soil.
There is, first of all, a hardened heart, made as such—as it happens with the soil of a road—by many people who have walked on it. It represents the impenetrable heart to the Word of Christ because it has assimilated the way of thinking of this world, adapted to current morality and adopted the values proposed by the people. This is the evil one, the devastating demon that sneaks into thoughts and feelings, filling them with meanness, frivolity, proposals of meaningless life, and senseless reasoning.
Then there is a variable heart that gets easily excited but after a few days, it goes back to what it was before. It’s like a rock covered with a thin layer of the earth: if one plants a seed, it sprouts, but immediately dries up.
There is also a restless heart that is stirred by the problems of this world. It chases success and wealth and nourishes mean dreams. These concerns are like thorns; they choke the seed of the Word.
Finally, there is a good heart in which the Gospel produces abundant fruit.
It is not about the four categories of persons, but four interior dispositions that are found in different proportions, in every person. It is useless that the evangelist, to launch the precious seed of the Word, waits to find the ideal terrain, that which is perfectly fertile. Good soil, thorns, rocks and arid soil will always be together. For some, this will be a source of discouragement, but for the true apostles, authentic catechists, it will become a stimulus to a more abundant sowing. Many efforts will be in vain, but one day, punctually, the ear will make its appearance in every person.
READ: The division between the followers of Jesus and the religious leaders has deepened. Now Jesus will begin to teach in parables, encouraging his followers to think about the meaning of the parables, and their application.
REFLECT: Jesus’ parables make reference to ordinary life yet are sufficiently complex to tease the mind into active thought. Think about the way in which the parable of the sower can apply to anyone’s life today.
PRAY: External events and circumstances can hinder a person from receiving and living according to the Word of God. Daily prayer to avoid such circumstances and events can be helpful. “Do not let us get in over our heads and save us from all evil.”
ACT: Listen carefully to the Word of God in church and try to find ways of making the Word of the Lord your own.
Fernando Armellini
Italian missionary and biblical scholar
https://sundaycommentaries.wordpress.co
Mission with our hopeful God,
the generous and stubborn sower
Romeo Ballan, MCCJ
Few things in nature are as small and almost invisible – though so full of power and surprises – as seeds. There are so many of them, of every kind, and they get everywhere: we tread on them or they stick to our clothes without our being aware. They seem really not to matter, and yet they are tough, can stand up to all sorts of things, and can grow beyond all measure. Every tree and plant in our woods, our fields, our orchards and gardens – every single one of them comes from a handful of seeds: in them Nature has concentrated an almost limitless power to grow and develop. In today’s parable, usually called the parable of the sower (Gospel), Jesus, as the skilled Teacher and acute observer of nature that he is, weaves his familiar yet extraordinary teaching beginning precisely with seeds. This parable can be considered from three angles: the sower, the seed, and the different kinds of soil – and all three in a way that opens out onto the whole world.
In the first place, the sower surprises us by his prodigality. He goes about his work in an apparently unskilled way, throwing the seed all over the place, as if he does not even care where it finishes up: on the path, among the rocks and thorns, and then finally in the good soil. This sower speaks to us of hope: spes in semine, as they say. He is the image of the God of life, hope and mercy, immeasurably generous and stubborn in the way he distributes his gifts: he loves everyone, and wants his word to reach everyone, longing for “all to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth” (1Tim 2:4). And that is really how things are in the experience and the cultures of peoples everywhere, even if they have not yet received the Gospel: everywhere there are gifts and values which have their source, and find their fullness, in the God who is the Father of all and the giver of ever good thing.
The seed is the Word of God, Jesus himself, gift of the Father, God in human flesh, and fullness of the Kingdom. The proclamation of the Good News of Jesus in mission calls the values already present in the different cultures to grow and develop, to be purified, and to reach their fulfilment. St Justin (+165) was right when he called such values “seeds of the Kingdom”. Jesus, the Father’s powerful Word, is like the rain (1st Reading) which descends from heaven to bathe the earth and render it fruitful again (v. 10). This divine Seed has unbounded potential: this salvation is offered to all, and there are no barriers capable of preventing it from reaching every last corner of the world, every person, even those sunk most deeply in despair. In the world, which is the Father’s field and so is always beautiful to behold (Responsorial Psalm), there is no person, no situation, which cannot be saved. This is the foundation of our Christian optimism, which is tenacious beyond every resistance. This is the hope that sustains the missionary: he believes in the amazing potential of the Word which he sows; he always hopes that the Word he sows will bear fruit; he puts his life at stake to savehimself andothers. Pope Benedict XVI explains this very well in his encyclical Spe Salvi.
God has chosen to let Himself be conditioned by the different kinds of soil. He offers his salvation generously to everyone, but he does not force anyone, rather respecting all and handing himself over to our human freedom. Each different kind of soil, each individual person, can welcome or reject the seed. This is the drama of our human existence: we can choose between being path, rock, thorns or good soil. And even the last, the good soil, will have different levels of response and fruitfulness: thirty-, or sixty- or one hundred-fold. In the labyrinth, which is the human heart, the Spirit (2nd Reading) is at work, present in creation which groans and suffers as it waits eagerly for the full salvation of God’s children (v. 23).
In the history of the missions and of the work of evangelisation, we often make the happy discovery of treasures of holiness and grace where everything might at first seem arid and stony. In deepest Darfur (in western Sudan, and still torn by endless violence), for example, God drew out the brightness of an ex-slave, St. Bakhita. In the midst of the horrors of the civil war in Congo (1964), God lit the light that was Blessed Clementina Anuarite, a martyr of chastity and forgiveness. Among the other recent witness to the reality of the good soil, we can recall Maria Goretti, Gandhi, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and many others best known in their own local Churches. The different kinds of soil also remind us that history has its ups and downs, times of openness, of refusal, and of renewal… Today the Church rightly invites us to ask the Father to grant us, by the power of the Spirit, “the readiness to welcome the seed of your word, which you continue to sow in the field of humankind, so that it may bear fruit in works of justice and of peace” (Opening Prayer).
