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" But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." - Jesus, Matthew 13:23
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Common |
Catholic |
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| First Reading |
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Isaiah 55:1-5,10-13 |
| Second Reading |
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Romans 8:9-17 |
| Psalm |
25 or 119:105-112 |
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65 or 65:9-14 |
| Gospel |
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Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 |
The bearing of fruit is again the test of reality (cf. 12:24). To understand means to grasp, believe, and appropriate.
The sower, whether it be Jesus in the first instance or a disciple later, can be assured that, although much of his seed is wasted, there will be an abundant harvest.
What we see is a tremendous harvest, despite the loss of some of the seed. The climax comes at the end and, as so often in Jesus' parables, contains an element of deliberate absurdity -- a hudnredfold yield is fantastic, the usual yield being in the neighborhood of seven and a half, with ten as an outside possibility. The point of the parable is miraculous success in spite of apparent frustration.
The process of allegorization by which the church has tried to understand the parables of Jesus and has accordingly distorted them is apparent within the Synoptic tradition itself... Instead of a message of encouragement addressed to the messengers, the parable has become a word of warning addressed to the church. It no longer says, "Sow with assurance," but "Receive the word with fruitfulness or fear the outcome."
By the working of the Word of Christ, we slowly bear fruit in the Church to the glory of God.
The Spirit precedes the word and prepares the consenting heart. The good soil, therefore, for receiving the word may be called a sort of amalgam, or uniting of the Holy Spirit and the consenting will. When these combine, the word may be fully received and accepted; the man yields his full faith, and pardon, justification, regeneration, sanctification, fruit-bearing, and, upon perseverance, eternal life ensue.
Herein no ghostly claim is set up, there is no mystery, or magic, or curious wand-waving in this strong human teaching. The fate of the upper kingdom is the fate of every kingdom that of every kingdom that is good. It goes forth with risks and experiments and comes back with disappointments and satisfactions.
That is, in various proportions; some abundantly more than others.
Four bad soils are mentioned and only one which is good. A lesson to us to examine ourselves carefully, lest we be found barren.
Those whose hearts are prepared by grace to receive it honestly, and to give it full opportunity to grow. In a rich and mellow soil-- a heart that submits itself to the full influence of truth, unchecked by cares and anxieties; under the showers and summer suns of Divine grace; with the heart spread open, like a broad luxuriant field, to the rays of the morning, and to evening dews--the gospel takes deep root, and grows; it has full room, and then and there only shows what it is.
This represents the pious, the friends of God and men. They are all useful, but some more so than others.
Here is the story of the Word's success. This fourth piece of land will repay all charges. ... In this case, both thought and heart are engaged about the heavenly message, and the man "heareth the word and understandeth it." By being understood lovingly, the truth gets into the man, and then it roots, it grows, it fruits, it rewards the sower. We must
The good ground (Mt 13:18); Others fell into good ground, and it is pity but that good seed should always meet with good soil, and then there is no loss; such are good hearers of the word, Mt 13:23. Note, Though there are many that receive the grace of God, and the word of his grace, in vain, yet God has a remnant by whom it is received to good purpose; for God's word shall not return empty, Isa 55:10,11.
The hearers represented by the good ground are,
First, Intelligent hearers; they hear the word and understand it; they understand not only the sense and meaning of the word, but their own concern in it; they understand it as a man of business understands his business. God in his word deals with men as men, in a rational way, and gains possession of the will and affections by opening the understanding: whereas Satan, who is a thief and a robber, comes not in by that door, but climbeth up another way.
Secondly, Fruitful hearers, which is an evidence of their good understanding: which also beareth fruit. Fruit is to every seed its own body, a substantial product in the heart and life, agreeable to the seed of the word received. We then bear fruit, when we practise according to the word; when the temper of our minds and the tenor of our lives are conformable to the gospel we have received, and we do as we are taught.
Thirdly, Not all alike fruitful; some a hundred fold, some sixty,
some thirty. Note, Among fruitful Christians, some are more fruitful than
others: where there is true grace, yet there are degrees of it; some are
of greater attainments in knowledge and holiness than others; all Christ's
scholars are not in the same form. We should aim at the highest degree,
to bring forth a hundred fold, as Isaac's ground did (Ge 26:12), abounding
in the work of the Lord, Joh 15:8. But if the ground be good, and the fruit
right, the heart honest, and the life of a piece with it, those who bring
forth but thirty-fold shall be graciously accepted of God, and it will
be fruit abounding to their account, for we are under grace, and not under
the law.
- Matthew Henry, Commentary,
Matthew 13:1-23
The fruit reveals the character of the tree and the value of the straw for wheat. Some grain must come else it is only chaff, straw, worthless. The first three classes have no fruit and so show that they are unfruitful soil, unsaved souls and lives. There is variety in those who do bear fruit, but they have some fruit. The lesson of the parable as explained by Jesus is precisely this, the variety in the results of the seed sown according to the soil on which it falls. Every teacher and preacher knows how true this is. It is the teacher's task as the sower to sow the right seed, the word of the kingdom. The soil determines the outcome. There are critics today who scout this interpretation of the parable by Jesus as too allegorical with too much detail and probably not that really given by Jesus since modern scholars are not agreed on the main point of the parable. But the average Christian sees the point all right. This parable was not meant to explain all the problems of human life.
Verse 23. Good ground] That which had depth of mould, was well ploughed, and well weeded.
Is he that heareth] Who diligently attends the ministry of the word.
And understandeth it] Lays the subject to heart, deeply weighing its nature, design, and importance.
Which also beareth fruit] His fruitfulness being an almost necessary consequence of his thus laying the Divine message to heart. Let it be observed, that to hear, to understand, and to bring forth fruit, are the three grand evidences of a genuine believer. He who does not hear the word of wisdom cannot understand what makes for his peace; and he who does not understand what the Gospel requires him to be and to perform, cannot bring forth fruit; and he who is not fruitful, very fruitful, cannot be a disciple of Christ-see Joh 15:8; and he who is not Christ's disciple cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
From the different portions of fruit produced by the good ground, a hundred, sixty, and thirty, we may learn that all sound believers are not equally fruitful; all hear, understand, and bring forth fruit, but not in the same degrees-occasioned, partly, by their situation and circumstances not allowing them such extensive opportunities of receiving and doing good; and, partly, by lack of mental capacity-for every mind is not equally improvable.
Let it be farther observed that the unfruitfulness of the different lands was not owing to bad seed or an unskilful sower-the same sower sows the same seed in all, and with the same gracious design-but it is unfruitful in many because they are careless, inattentive, and worldly-minded.
But is not the ground naturally bad in every heart? Undoubtedly.
And can any but God make it good? None. But it is your business,
when you hear of the justice and mercy of God, to implore him to work in
you that which is pleasing in his sight. No man shall be condemned
because he did not change his own heart, but because he did not cry to
God to change it, who gave him his Holy Spirit for this very purpose, and
which he, by his worldly-mindedness and impiety, quenched. Whoso
hath ears to hear let him hear: and may the Lord save the reader from an
impenitent and unfruitful heart!
- Clarke, Adam, Adam Clarke's
Commentary, Matthew 13:23
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| Jesus gave the Parable of the Sower both to warn us to be open to God's Word, and to assure us of success when we are diligent to spread the Word. Let us pray for each other, that we may be confident and faithful stewards as we plant, nurture and cultivate in God's garden of Life. |
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Genesis 25:19-34
19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham
begat Isaac:
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are
in Christ Jesus, who
1 Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul.
105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the
sea side.
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