Fifteenth Sunday of the Year (A): Matthew 13:1-23
Of all the challenging situations that we human beings face, perhaps few have a sharper sting than the feeling of having invested oneself, heart and soul, in something or someone, and to have that investment seemingly come to nothing. One man invests himself in a career, only to find himself the victim of downsizing or forced early retirement. One woman invests herself in a marriage, only to find abuse, infidelity and divorce. Parents invest so much time and energy in their children, only to find that some are captured by addictions or ambitions or social pressures. Even the children who grow up and become successful in the world might abandon any obvious practice of their faith. We could cite other examples: an older man or woman whose spouse has severe dementia, or parents whose child has severe autism. It can be very difficult to persevere in the face of such challenges, especially when people end up investing so much of themselves in these ways and can see very little return from their investment. Disappointment is often a bitter dish.
As a result, we usually encourage people to be prepared before they make some significant commitment. Couples who are considering marriage are encouraged to get to know one another and to discuss their hopes and dreams for their new life together. People who contemplate a major purchase are encouraged to do the research first, to make sure that the product meets their needs and that they can afford it. Clergy of all kinds are encouraged to get to know their congregations in order to know how to preach to them and minister to them.
In the same way, whenever someone wants to grow something – be it a potted plant or a hundred acres of corn – they are encouraged to prepare the soil ahead of time. All the preparation happens before planting.
However, farming customs in the Holy Land in the time of Jesus were different, as far as we can tell. A farmer scattered seeds on top of the ground before plowing. The seeds were sown everywhere. Then came the plowing, and then, the waiting. The farmer did not know ahead of time which seeds would sprout and grow. He may not have known ahead of time what part of the land had the better soil. The seed went everywhere, in trust that some of it, at least, would sprout and grow at the proper time.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus tells us that God is like this sower. God scatters the seeds of faith, love, and life everywhere. As Jesus says elsewhere, God makes his sun shine on bad and good alike; his rain falls on just and unjust alike. God’s grace is given abundantly. And yet, even God’s investment does not seem to yield very much at first. Some people welcome God’s gifts but have no perseverance. When the initial glow fades, so do they. Others find their faith choked off by anxieties or ambitions or fears of every kind. Still others will say “yes”, but will not follow through. And yet, Jesus insists that God’s seeding will eventually find good soil and bear an amazingly fruitful harvest, in spite of the very real obstacles in the way.
How can this be?
First of all, it is important to remind ourselves that we can’t always tell which people have “good soil” and which do not. Some people whom we felt certain about end up falling away, and others who seem to be very poor candidates eventually get it and bear great fruit. We invest our faith and love in them all, as we do not know which is which. Besides, it is God’s Spirit working through us that will bring about this fruitfulness in anyone who says yes to God.
Secondly, our soils can change, not only year by year, but day by day or even hour by hour. Each one of us has a mixture of good soil and not-so-good soil in our hearts. The question before us, every day, is where our focus is. It is the Lord who will produce good soil in us, if we persevere in trusting him. In the same way, other people can change their soil. Some who have fallen away as young adults may suddenly seek the Lord again. Others may make serious mistakes and hit bottom, and then find themselves open to the Lord out of their desperate need.
Thirdly, we have the assurance that God gives us through Isaiah in the first reading: “My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it”. God’s word will ultimately achieve its purposes. It was this kind of faith in God’s ultimate victory that enabled Jesus to give up his human life for us, in confidence that – in spite of everything that was against him – he was, in fact, the Son, bringing about the kingdom of his Father through his self-emptying love for humanity. Jesus’ resurrection was the Father’s confirmation, so to speak, that Jesus’ self-sacrifice was not in vain. Rather, it would yield an incredible harvest. So, too, the life and joy that we discover in our hearts, even in the face of pain and loss of every kind, is our assurance from the Holy Spirit that not only does Jesus’ self-sacrifice yield an abundant harvest, but so, too, will the self-sacrifice and perseverance of everyone who follows Jesus.
Keep on sowing, then. Keep on believing in the Lord. Keep on loving all those around you in the manner that the Lord taught us to do. Keep on caring not only for the people around us, but for all of creation, as Paul promises us in the second reading that creation itself is not destined for oblivion but will share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. Do not let the discouragement of the moment – no matter how intense it may feel – dissuade you. The Lord who can draw water from the rock can change the heart of anyone who is in any way open to his call. It is the Lord who sows through you. It is the Lord who loves through you. It is the Lord who brings about a glorious harvest, though you and me and all those of mixed soil. Keep sowing; keep going!