Jan
29
Cultivating the Soil—Third Wednesday of Ordinary Time (Cycle II)
2 Samuel 7:4–17; Mark 4:1–20
Our gospel reading today is the well-known parable on sowing seeds. Half of the gospel is an explanation of the parable. That puts me in a little bit of a bind. Jesus has already explained his words, so what do I have that I can offer? I certainly can’t explain what Jesus means better than the Word Himself, so I will focus on the piece I can address, which is how we respond to His explanation.
First, let’s contrast the four scenarios. We have in the first case a path, where the seed of the word is exposed. And it’s likely a little hard packed as well, as it’s trodden by people and animals—not really ideal ground for planting. It has nothing to cover it, and it’s ripe for external forces to pick it apart and carry it off.
Our gospel reading today is the well-known parable on sowing seeds. Half of the gospel is an explanation of the parable. That puts me in a little bit of a bind. Jesus has already explained his words, so what do I have that I can offer? I certainly can’t explain what Jesus means better than the Word Himself, so I will focus on the piece I can address, which is how we respond to His explanation.
First, let’s contrast the four scenarios. We have in the first case a path, where the seed of the word is exposed. And it’s likely a little hard packed as well, as it’s trodden by people and animals—not really ideal ground for planting. It has nothing to cover it, and it’s ripe for external forces to pick it apart and carry it off.
