Gospel

Mark 4:1-20

On another occasion, Jesus began to teach by the sea.

A very large crowd gathered around him 

so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down.

And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land.

And he taught them at length in parables, 

and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 

“Hear this! A sower went out to sow.

And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, 

and the birds came and ate it up.

Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil.

It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep.

And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 

Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it 

and it produced no grain.

And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit.

It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.”

And when he was alone, 

those present along with the Twelve 

questioned him about the parables.

He answered them, 

“The mystery of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you.

But to those outside everything comes in parables, so that

they may look and see but not perceive,

and hear and listen but not understand,

in order that they may not be converted and

be forgiven.”

Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable?

Then how will you understand any of the parables?

The sower sows the word.

These are the ones on the path where the word is sown.

As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once 

and takes away the word sown in them.

And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, 

when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy.

But they have no roots; they last only for a time.

Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, 

they quickly fall away.

Those sown among thorns are another sort.

They are the people who hear the word, 

but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, 

and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, 

and it bears no fruit.

But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it

and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”

Reflection

A parable is always a story that has a hidden, not obvious purpose. And what's interesting here is the purpose that it's sharing with people is the richness of a redeeming God, a God who asks us to receive something from him. And the image is rich, fertile soil, moist in the rich with God's forgiveness and grace. And if we can accept that, then we have the chance of becoming everything that God wants us to be.

It is not solely up to us to perform at a high level. It is up to us to perform at a high level because we have been gifted with the grace, the presence, the divinity of God within us.

Closing Prayer

Father, we need to always be open to receive. Not so much to perform at a high level and receive an award, but to simply surrender to the beauty and the love that you have for us, that enriches our capacity to become like you. A loving, forgiving person who knows the value of the spirit dwelling within them. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices