Reception of God’s Word

07-05-2020Weekly Reflection

Why did Jesus not speak plainly and instead speak to them in parables? When He was in trial before the Sanhedrin, many of them have this question in their hearts, “If you are the Messiah, tell us.” Jesus answers them saying: “If I tell you… you will not believe, ands if I question, you will not respond.” (Lk. 22:67-68) The real problem is not in His language, maybe He is already speaking plainly, but we are not listening. It is in the way the listener receives the Words of Jesus. The Gospel today, addresses this question: Why are we not in a better disposition to listen and accept Jesus’ Words? The problem is not in the plain language, but on the part of the receiver of the message, in the reception of the Word.

The parable presents a wonderful picture of this problem. A farmer sows good seed in different kinds of soil. In every case, the seeds are good, in fact the best, it is the kind of soil that determines if it will bear fruit. The given here are: God is the sower, the seed is the WORD of GOD, and the soil is us. Every seed has the potential for phenomenal growth and to yield a hundredfold. The Word of God has this potential in the life of a person, it is the Divine Word capable of enlightening and transforming the heart and life of every recipient. If accepted in the right condition in the garden of the heart, the Divine Word can do wonder and produce abundant life in the good soil, a receptive heart and soul.

The prophet Isaiah in the first reading compares this to the effect of the rain and snow that comes down from heaven. God’s rain is on the good and the bad, it makes the dry soil fertile, it nourishes the nutrients in the soil, just like the Word of God giving Divine Life to a dry heart. God promises at the end of the reading, “It shall do my will, achieving the end for which I send it.”

God constantly sows His Divine Word, planting the seed in man’s heart, but not all hearts are a good soil, meaning, they are not in the best or ideal condition to receive and nourish what God has planted. As we always say: count our blessings, we all receive countless blessings and graces, but the Lord knows that not all these blessings will bear fruit, some will be taken away, some will be scorched, and some will be choked. But still, He continues to sow, for the few that will fall on good soil, a good heart, a good soul, it fruits in abundance will compensate the many that was lost. We all have the responsibility to foster and nourish a good soil/soul, with the help of the Lord. It requires hard work and some sacrifices, but its fruits are hundredfold, in abundance: love, kindness, generosity, patience, peace and joy, and above all, Eternal life.