The Parable of the Sower

What is this parable?

This is the first parable in chapter 13 of Saint Matthew’s Gospel, and one of the few parables that Jesus himself explains. That day such a large crowd gathered by the lake that he got into a boat and sat down to teach, while the crowd stood on the shore (cf. Mt 13:1-2).

The story

Long ago, farmers in Palestine sowed seed by scattering it all over the field with a sweep of the arm. The Lord says: some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it. Some fell on rocky ground; it sprang up quickly, but when the sun rose it was scorched, because it had no roots. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it (cf. Mt 13:4-7). “But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Mt 13:8).

Afterward the Lord explained it to his disciples (cf. Mt 13:18-23). The seed is the message about the Kingdom of heaven. The path, the rocky ground, the thorns and the good soil are four ways in which people receive that Word.

What does Jesus want to teach you?

The sower does not hold back his seed; he sows it even in places that do not look promising. God is like that too: he speaks to everyone and leaves no one out. What matters is how your heart receives it. Sometimes you listen to the homily without paying attention; sometimes you are eager and then quickly lose interest; sometimes you are busy worrying about too many things. The Lord invites you to dig over the soil of your heart: listen carefully, pray, and put the Word of God into practice.

A lesson for you

• When the Word of God is read at Mass, listen carefully and remember one sentence.
• Pull up the “thorns” in your heart: worry less about little things, and want toys and phones less.
• Keep going: when things are hard, stay faithful and keep praying, like a plant with deep roots.