Think of how
you envision Jesus – the face you see, the language you would hear when you
spoke to Him, the look of His eyes, the gentleness of His voice. We see Jesus in a way we understand, just as
Jesus spoke to those around Him in parables so they would understand; He
presented stories to them with things that were familiar. Being from the country and a simple
craftsman, He spoke to people as He sat in a boat, speaking about seeds and
planting, and they enjoyed hearing Him speak. (Mark 4:1-20)
It’s been a
long year for all of us. So, Mark’s
gospel with its message of the importance of God’s Word comes at just the right
time. I’m sure a lot of us have tended a
garden in some way. It’s amazing what
can be born of a tiny seed-fruits and vegetables that can sustain us. But if the seed isn’t properly cared for, the
potential can be lost.
The gospel
tells the well-known story of the sower.
I remember as a child hearing this gospel and picturing God up in the
clouds showering the earth with seeds. At
the time, I had no doubt which category I fell into. Of course, I was like the rich soil, ready to
let the Word develop deep and lasting roots within me. This was a time when I don’t think I knew
what "worldly anxiety" or "the lure of riches" even
meant. When I read the passage now, I
can recall times in my life when-if I am being honest-my heart was perhaps made
more of rocky soil.
I think what
struck me most as I reflected on this parable today is Jesus’ warnings about
those things that can corrupt and smother the Word as it tries to take
root. This story is a vivid reminder
that evil is a real force in our world and that Satan is hard at work to keep
us from faith. We’ve all been sitting in
Church and our mind started to wander to all the important things we needed to
do with our day. Or maybe we’ve woken up
Sunday morning sure that the chores and responsibilities we have should have legitimately
keep us from attending Mass. Jesus tells
us that this is Satan whispering in our ear in that intoxicating way that he
has; so that we don’t even know it’s him.
He keeps us from the Word and the seed falls on the path and doesn’t
even have a chance.
But even if
we are strong in our faith and allow the Word to grow and flourish, this isn’t the
end. Just as a garden needs constant
attention to keep it healthy, so does our faith. When difficulty and trials come, as they
inevitably will, the Word can wither within us like those seeds that fell on
the rocky soil. This is when it just
seems too hard to keep tending the garden.
Satan tells us the lie that the Word doesn’t have the power we thought.
The third
ruse is perhaps the most deceitful. "The
cares of the world, and the deceit of riches and the desire for other things,
enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful."
Did you ever feel like holding fast to your faith meant that you were
giving up something more attractive? Did
you ever feel like the sacrifice you had to make to keep the Word alive was too
great? Those lies can strangle and
suffocate the truth that is faith in Christ.
So let’s
prepare our hearts to receive God’s word.
Let’s make sure that the soil is ready for the seeds to grow deep
roots. The promise is that of
life-sustaining fruit over and above all that we can even imagine. And with such an overflowing garden, maybe we
can even go out and sow some seeds of love, kindness, peace and joy.
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