July 23, 2010
Friday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary Time
By Melanie Rigney
Return, rebellious children, says the Lord, for I am your Master… (Jeremiah 3:14)
The Lord will guard us as a shepherd guards his flock. (Jeremiah 31:10)
Jesus said to his disciples:"Hear the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the Kingdom without understanding it, and the Evil One comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold." (Matthew 13:18-23)
Piety
Lord, as I strive to sow Your seed, help me to understand I may never see the results. I don’t have the power to see into others’ minds and souls. I only have the power to love You and share Your Word.
Study
There’s a scene in William P. Young’s The Shack where Mack, the main character, is beating himself for making a mistake. One of the Trinity figures tells Mack, “Remember, I don't wonder what you will do or what choices you will make. I already know... Let's say... I know it will take you 47 situations before you will hear me, so when you don't hear me the first time I'm not frustrated or disappointed, I am thrilled. Only forty-six more to go!”
Now, whether you’re a Shack fan or foe, there’s something comforting in that thought that is reflected in today’s readings. Our Lord is all-knowing… and all-providing. He calls on the Israelites to return, offering them wise and prudent shepherds to guard them. And in the Gospel reading, Jesus talks about what happens to seed after it’s sown: if we don’t understand it, it’s stolen. If it doesn’t take root, it dies. If it gets choked out by other concerns, it bears no fruit. But when it’s heard and understood, ah, then the listener “indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”
The joy thing is that we get more than one chance at the seed… and at the sowing. Have a challenge with one of your own children? Don’t give up. Keep sowing. Angry with a co-worker’s bad attitude and proclivity for gossip? Don’t give up. Keep sowing. Frustrated with your own ability to set aside worldly anxieties? Don’t give up. Put yourself into a situation where others can be Christlike to you and keep sowing.
Sometimes, it takes years and dozens of people before the seed is heard and understood. It might be yours. It might be someone who shares the Word five or ten or thirty years from now. Doesn’t matter. Keep sowing.
Action
While you’re helping to sow the Word for others, examine your own field. Maybe it’s time to weed or remove some rocks.
