This Sunday we hear Jesus tell the parable of the sower sowing seed.

Seed was a comparatively expensive commodity in Jesus’ time. Seed is also an extremely weak and vulnerable thing. It depends entirely on the kind of soil in which it is sown. If the soil is lacking, the seed will come to nothing; if the soil is good, it will produce a rich harvest. Jesus likens seed to the Word of God.

A word is a powerful thing. It can comfort, inspire, teach, correct, challenge, change a life – or it can come to nothing. It is completely dependent on the attitude of the one who hears it.

The sower sowed the seed haphazardly: on the path, on the rocks, among the thorns, and on good ground. You might say that he was wasteful and foolish, but there is another way of looking at this. He was extremely generous, even extravagant with the seed. He wanted to give every part of the field a chance to produce something.

God keeps on sowing his word in our hearts, even though he knows that much of what he sows will be eaten by the birds, or fall on rocks or among thorns. Jesus understands human nature well!

We might ask ourselves: what are the weeds and thorns and distractions in my life which make it difficult for the Word of God to truly be alive within me, and produce fruit?