Thoughts for the Day

The Parable of the Sower

Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there, while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’ And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’

The Purpose of the Parables

When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside, everything comes in parables; in order that “they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.”’

And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are those sown among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

In the UK children are taught about different faiths in school. In Church schools, Christianity is expected to be taught as the faith which inspires those who teach as well as the Christian ethos of the school. Appointing headteachers to church schools was one of my jobs in the past. For a prospective candidate to say something like "A church school is a place where people love one another" was not good enough. It should be a school inspired and led by the Holy Spirit, and where God's values reign supreme.

I guess most of us know the Parable of Sower very well, so today let us look at Jesus' use of parables, What does he mean by saying that people "may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand." Well parables are more akin to puzzles or riddles, and can often only be understood by those who have the right key. Parables are like those who stand at a doorway and hear Jesus. Only those who are really interested would step inside to think about the truth behind the parable.

Jesus used parables not to blind people, but because they were blind. He used them to attract people who were looking for spiritual meanings. In the the Parable of the Sower, the seed does not represent money, or hard work, or even love. The key is that the 'sower sows the word'. Jesus offers his listeners the chance to look deeper to find the truth, or else the opportunity to turn away having heard only an interesting story. Many who listened did not understand, as with pupils and sometimes the teachers in our schools, but the foundations laid can blossom later. It requires the rest of us to continue praying for them.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thak You that You taught
Your disciples, and those who would listen,
using parables.
We thank You that we heard
these stories and wanted to know more.
So enable us to keep learning the truths
You would teach us,
that we may grow to love You more,
and carry out Your work in spreading the word.
concerning the coming of Your Kingdom.
Amen.