THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD
There is an immense power in our spoken word and more so, there is a living and effective power in the Word of God. Actually, the Word of God is God Himself. Hence, the Word of God and the heart of men and women are co-relational in Christian life. This is because the amount and quality of the fruits our hearts bear depend on the level and depth of integration the Word of God has in our hearts.
In a world where words and promises have no meaning more than lies, deceptions, and emptiness. The readings of this Sunday assure us God always sows his Word in the heart of men and women, and there are trustworthiness and fulfillment in every spoken Word of God.
OUR THEMES
Today’s readings are about the transforming power of the word of God when read, preached, and lived. They also warn us not to be disappointed at the absence of immediate results. We must take a positive and optimistic view of our missionary efforts, as we keep on bearing witness to Christ’s Gospel.
The readings of this Sunday could be summarized with the famous quote of Saint Anselm…¨ignorance if the Holy Scripture is total ignorance of Christ (God) ¨. The emphasis of the readings is the importance, efficacy, and purpose of the Word of God.
Isaiah made a strong analogy of the Word of God with the rain and dew which watered the earth and made plants spring, grew, flowered, and produced purposefully. Hence, the same the prophet Isaiah concluded the word of God is not returned to God emptily without fulfilling God´s and carrying out its mission or purpose.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 55:10-11
Prophet Isaiah 55:10-11 spoke how powerful, effectual, and answering to all its great intentions the Word of God. There is a destined design of the spoken Word of God when it is spoken with pure intention and from no shady heart.
Thus, in the first reading, Isaiah consoles the Jewish slaves in Babylon, assuring them that, like rain and snow which water the earth so that seeds may sprout and grow, God’s word will accomplish His purpose, in this case by returning the exiles to their homes in peace as God has promised.
In this reading and in today’s Gospel, we are assured that God shares His abundance with us and that His plans will not be frustrated. That is why Jesus in today’s Gospel talks about the wonderful effects on human life from the rain-like Word of God.
SECOND READING: ROMANS 8:18-23
Romans 8:18-23, Paul tells us that our sufferings here can’t be compared with the glory awaiting us. Especially, in our daily labouring to sow the Word of God or of allowing the Word of God to be sown in us, that will bear fruits in abundance.
Hence St. Paul in the second reading: Rom. 8:18-23 encourages us to go through the hard but fruitful way of bearing authentic and lasting testimony and result in a fruitful Christian life.
The only way to achieve this transformation of the heart is by our conscious effort and discipline to listen to the spoken, proclaimed, and revealed Word of God to us daily. We should also pray that in every moment and event of Christian life liturgically, we should never come out of those liturgical experiences with empty or hardy hearts against the Word of God,
Rather may, may the Holy Spirit through her gifts help us to fulfill the will of the Word of God and achieve its mission and purpose in us, our life, family Christian life, and Church.
THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 13:1-23
The parable of the sower in today’s Gospel challenges us to listen intently to God’s Word, to be open to it, and to allow our lives to be shaped by its power. The parable reminds us that man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.
In Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus uses the parable of the sower and explains it on the basis of the word of God and the hearers.
1. Where the sower is God (and all preachers of the Word of God) who always sow equally the Word in the hearts of men and women.
2. The seed and the earth signify the Word of God sown equally, and the hearer´s heart with his or her disposition to the Sown or Spoken Word of God respectively.
3. The parable was meant for two sets of people in their relationship to the Word of God and its impact on their lives: the preachers of the Word (the sowers) and the hearers of the Word (the dispositional earth or hearts)
4. Hence, on the hearers, there are four kinds of dispositional hearts to the Word of God.
THE HUMAN HEART AND THE WORD OF GOD
There are four kinds of dispositional hearts to the Word of God.
(1) There are the hearers with their minds and hearts shut to the Word of God. The unteachable hearts.
(2) There are the hearers with the minds or hearts like the shallow ground. The rocky hearts.
(3) There are also the hearers whose minds and hearts are on so many interests in life that often the most important things, get crowded or clouded out. The selfish and blind hearts.
(4) There are Christians whose minds and hearts are like good ground. They display four attitudes towards the Word of God: their minds and hearts are open; they are at all times willing to learn; they are prepared to hear, and they are never either too proud or too busy to listen. The end result of their disposition is the abundance of fruits. The steadfast hearts.
THE BACKGROUND TO THE GOSPEL TEXT OF TODAY
It shows a definite turning point in the ministry of Jesus. At the beginning of his ministry, we find him teaching in the synagogues, but now we find him teaching on the seashore.
The change is very significant. It was not that the door of the synagogue was as yet finally shut to him, but it was closing. Even yet in the synagogue, he would find a welcome from the common people; but the official leaders of Jewish orthodoxy were now in open opposition to him.
When he entered a synagogue now, it would not be to find only an eager crowd of listeners; it would be also to find a bleak-eyed company of Scribes and Pharisees and elders weighing and sifting every word to find a charge against him, and watching every action to turn it into an accusation.
It is one of the supreme tragedies that Jesus was banished from the Church of his day, but that could not stop him from bringing his invitation to men; for when the doors of the synagogue were closed against him, he took to the temple of the open air, and taught men in the village streets, and on the roads, and by the lake-side, and in their own homes.
Indeed, the man who has a real message to deliver, and a real desire to deliver it, will always find a way of giving it to men.
THE REALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN HEART AND MIND TO THE WORD OF GOD
The first of diminishing returns to the Christian life is our relationship with the Word of God. It is the spiritual power and force that propel us to consolidate our faith in God.
However, today the Christian attitude to the Word of God is shameful and appalling, especially during liturgy celebrations, the Holy Mass in particular. Hardly, many of us at Mass pay attend to the word of God. Either we are busy chatting and talking when the Word is `proclaimed from the pulpit or when the homily which is part of the Word of God is been explained.
Sadly, today our handsets or phones are a big source of distractions in our liturgical services and worship. While these distractions could be seen as normal and inevitable, it is the deliberate attitude of the Christian who allows him or herself to be used as instrument distractions during liturgical celebrations, especially the Holy Mass.
Finally, the caution for all of us whether preachers or hearers of the Word of God is that we need to be simple, humble, and receptive with open hearts and minds towards the Word of God.
Therefore, the impact of the Word of God on the preachers and their attitude towards the reactions and reception of the hearers to the spoken Word of God through them.
First, they must not adulterate or water down the Spoken Word or Truth of God for their own interests and they must also be patient for God’s grace and mercy to act in the hearts of the hearers.
SIX CLASSES OF CHRISTIANS IN RELATION TO THE WORD OF GOD
Jesus’ parable of the Sower and the seed fortified the usefulness of the word of God in the Christian life, growth, and development to maturity. There are six classes of Christians in relation to the word of God:
a. The distracted ones who ever paid attention to the spoken or proclaimed word of God the bench warmers
b. The excited and emotional ones who rejoiced to receive the world but has no root or formation in them, the first responders
c. The materialistic ones whom the cares and riches of the world choked their spiritual desire for God. The economist and automatic Christians
d. Then, the minimalists use the world to produce 30% fructification of the Christian life.
e. The average ones who are contented or satisfied with doing something little above the least requirement: 60%
f. Then, comes the maximalists who used their God-given graces and opportunities to bear abundant fruits in the Christian life: 100% Mt.13: 1-23
Which category do you find yourself in?
THE QUESTION
The most fundamental question we ask ourselves today is: what is the disposition of my heart to the Spoken Word or Truth of God in the practice of my Christian life and faith?
OUR PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, you are the Living and Eternal Word of God who took flesh and lives among us. Help us with your grace and mercy that may we not only be hearers or listeners of your Word, but our hearts be fertile and disposed ground for your Word to come alive, powerful, effectual, and fulfilling to bearing abundant fruits in good works and make us doers of your word, will and purpose. Amen
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