Is it the sower?
Is it the soil?
Is it about farming practises? Or is it about the need to continually sow?
One day, as we say, the penny might drop and I…..
might listen (at last)
might see (at last)
might understand (at last).
The seed is good.
When sown, it is at the mercy of the elements; wind, rain, and where it lands.
In one sense the parable is asking me:
Am I a path?
Am I a rock?
Am I a thorn bush?
Am I good soil?
In another sense, it is about perseverance. The true sower keeps throwing out seed!
Against the background of the current Covid-19 pandemic, a juxtaposition of the instructions to ‘Keep Safe’, the four rules can be seen as a seed thrown, and all can fall in the four landing grounds. We will not dwell on the harvest at the moment.
Our seed is the vision of the Kingdom of God. Matthew’s community was grappling with this reality. Not all the Jewish community longing for the Messiah, accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Not everyone today will accept Jesus and his teaching.
But, we keep working for justice.
We keep working for respect.
We keep working for the poor.
We keep working for reconciliation.
We keep working for peace.
Seeds do land in fertile ground and people and society are the beneficiaries. Thorns are plentiful. Rocky paths abound. Paths are paved with concrete.
There is still good soil.
We must persevere with the sowing!
Mons Frank