More Than Just Storytelling
On the surface level, it may seem like Jesus teaches in parables only to make complex ideas accessible to all people. While there may be an element of that, Jesus explains clearly in today’s Gospel that reaching every audience isn’t His primary goal. In fact, He explains that the parables fulfill the words of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus explains, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because ‘they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand’” (Matthew 13:13). Jesus admits that His parables are meant to be misunderstood by some who hear His teachings.
Why would Jesus want people to see and hear but not listen or understand? Didn’t Jesus come for everyone? It is essential to realize that the Lord desired (and still does desire) for everyone to hear His message, repent, and come to believe in Him. Unfortunately, the reality was that some of the Jewish leaders during Jesus’s time preferred things the way they were. They held their own ideas of how the messiah would look and act. They enjoyed their authority and positions of power. Their pride prevented them from accepting a message that would require turning from their current habits and humbly accepting a king who would establish his kingdom by dying on a cross rather than leading armies to conquer other nations.
The parables also give the hearers an opportunity to accept an idea or concept without feeling condemned themselves. With the parable of the sower, we are invited to look at our lives and determine which soil we are. Most likely, if you’re reading this, you are not the path which receives the seed only briefly before it is snatched up by the birds. If you have drawn your strength from your faith throughout the difficulties and trials of your life, you are probably not the rocky ground. While we all hope to one day be the fertile soil, producing fruit in abundance, most of us probably fall into the category of the thorns as we struggle through the spiritual life.
Faith can be an important and integral part of our lives, but so often, we allow the busyness and demands of everyday life to draw our hearts away from the Word. Regardless of the season of life we’re in, our attention is constantly being bombarded by various things. Family obligations, work commitments, and current events coupled with on-demand entertainment on our TVs and phones can choke out the good seed from the Lord.
As we strive to cultivate good soil in our lives, we can ask the Lord to show us how to step away from the distractions that we allow ourselves. In our commitments and obligations, we can ask Him to be present with us, and show us how to serve others like Him. After all, it is in our families, work places, and communities that the fruit the Lord wants to cultivate in us will grow and multiply.
— Maria Riley
Reflection provided by diocesan.com. Reprinted with permission.