HOMILY FOR 15TH SUNDAY OF OT--YEAR A

TODAY’S GOSPEL PARABLE IS A FAMOUS ONE THAT PROBABLY HAS SET US THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE FIT IN IT.  WE ASK OURSELVES IF OUR SPIRITUAL CONDITION RESEMBLES THE HARD SOIL OF THE PATH WHERE THE SEED OF GOD’S WORD CAN’T TAKE ROOT, THE ROCKY SOIL WHERE THE ROOTS ARE STUNTED AND THE PLANT DIES WHEN CONDITIONS TAKE A TURN FOR THE WORSE, THE WEEDY SOIL WHERE THE GOD’S WORD IS CHOKED OUT BY OTHER CONCERNS, OR THE RICH AND FERTILE SOIL WHERE GOD’S WORD TAKES FULL ROOT AND FLOURISHES.  THOSE ARE ALL VERY LEGITIMATE CONCERNS, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THE PARABLE IS REALLY ABOUT.  IT’S REALLY ABOUT HOPE AND PERSEVERANCE, ABOUT THE INEVITABILITY OF THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

FIRST, SOME BACKGROUND.  THERE WAS MUCH FRUSTRATION IN JESUS’ MINISTRY: THE AUTHORITIES WERE HOSTILE TO SAY THE LEAST, THE CROWDS MISUNDERSTOOD HIM AND HIS MESSAGE.  AS WE READ ABOUT IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, EVEN SOME OF HIS CLOSEST FOLLOWERS LEFT AFTER HE CALLED HIMSELF THE BREAD OF LIFE WHICH MUST BE EATEN.  IN FACT, IN CHAPTER 12, RIGHT BEFORE THIS ONE, THE PHARISEES BEGAN THEIR PLOTTING ABOUT HOW TO KILL JESUS.

THE HOSTILE SITUATION CAN BE SUMMED UP BY THE LOCATION WHERE JESUS TAUGHT THIS PARABLE.  IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF HIS MINISTRY, HE WAS WELCOME IN THE SYNAGOGUES AND THAT’S WHERE HE TAUGHT.  NOW, THE AUTHORITIES HAVE CLOSED THAT VENUE TO HIM AND, AS WE SEE IN TODAY’S GOSPEL, HE IS REDUCED TO STANDING IN A BOAT TALKING TO PEOPLE ON THE SEASHORE.
 
HOW THEN DO WE UNDERSTAND THIS PARABLE?  FIRST, HOW DOES IT FIT IN THE GOSPEL?  CHAPTER 13 HAS BEEN CALLED THE DISCOURSE OF PARABLES BECAUSE IT CONTAINS SEVEN PARABLES.  IN FACT, THE WHOLE CHAPTER IS NOTHING BUT PARABLES AND ALL THE PARABLES ARE ABOUT THE SAME THING: THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD.  FOR EXAMPLE, THE FAMOUS PARABLE OF THE MUSTARD SEED WHERE THE SMALLEST OF SEEDS GROWS INTO A LARGE TREE IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE SEVEN.

SECOND, HOW DOES IT BRING US HOPE?  BECAUSE GOD PROMISES US, NO MATTER WHAT THE DIFFICULTIES, NO MATTER WHAT THE CHALLENGES, HIS KINGDOM WILL TRIUMPH TO AN EXTENT THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPREHEND.  IN THIS PARABLE, THE SOWER SOWS THE SEED.  SOME OF THE SEED IS WASTED BY FALLING ON THE PATH, ON THE ROCKY SOIL, OR IN THE WEEDY GROUND.  BUT SOME FALLS ON FERTILE GROUND, QUITE A BIT IN FACT.

IN THOSE DAYS AND TIMES, FARMERS COULD EXPECT A YIELD OF ABOUT 7½-FOLD IN AN AVERAGE YEAR, A 10-FOLD YIELD IN A VERY GOOD YEAR.  THE FIELDS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD HOWEVER WILL YIELD RETURNS FAR BEYOND WHAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED, FROM 30-FOLD EVEN UP TO A HUNDRED FOLD.

SO JESUS IN THIS PARABLE AND THE SIX OTHERS THAT FOLLOW IS TELLING THE DISCIPLES AND HIS OTHER TRUE FOLLOWERS NOT TO BE DISCOURAGED.  THEIR EFFORTS WILL RESULT IN A HARVEST OF SOULS BEYOND IMAGINATION.

THERE IS A THIRD POINT THAT THIS PARABLE CONVEYS.  A FARMER SOWS SEED AND THEN MUST WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE HARVEST.  LIKEWISE, THE SEEDS OF THE KINGDOM THAT WE SOW  IN OUR LIVES, OUR CHARITABLE ACTIONS, OUR SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN SORROW, FOR THOSE SUFFERING OPPRESSION, OUR WORK TO END POVERTY, BRING ABOUT PEACE, IN SHORT OUR EFFORTS TO LIVE THE BEATITUDES, MIGHT HAVE TO GERMINATE A LONG TIME BEFORE THEY BEAR FRUIT.  BUT IN THIS GOSPEL THE CHRIST ASSURES US THEY WILL BEAR FRUIT AND BEAR FRUIT BEYOND OUR WILDEST IMAGINATION.

HOW THIS WILL HAPPEN IS A MYSTERY.  IN FACT, THE WHOLE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A MYSTERY.  AS JESUS SAYS IN THE MIDDLE OF TODAY’S GOSPEL, KNOWLEDGE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT SOMETHING WE ARRIVE AT ON OUR OWN.  IT IS REVEALED TO US BY GOD.

THAT’S PROBABLY WHY THE PHARISEES, SADDUCEES AND OTHERS REJECTED JESUS AND HIS MESSAGE AND ALSO WHY IT IS DIFFICULT FOR SOME PEOPLE TODAY TO LISTEN TO THE GOSPEL

TO ACCEPT THE GOSPEL, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOT THE CREATOR BUT ARE CREATURES, THAT THERE IS A HIGHER, DEEPER AND MORE MYSTERIOUS KNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE NOT IN CHARGE OF.  DEALING WITH THAT MYSTERIOUS KNOWLEDGE IS HARD FOR SOME.  THEY WANT CERTAINTY, THEY WANT FACTS, THEY WANT TO BE IN CHARGE.  JESUS ADDRESSES THIS PROBLEM IN THE MIDDLE SECTION OF TODAY’S GOSPEL.   

JESUS SPEAKS TO THE DISCIPLES RIGHT AFTER TELLING THE PARABLE. THE ONES HE CALLS “YOU” ARE THE DISCIPLES; THE “THEM” ARE THE PHARISEES. WHAT HAS BEEN “GRANTED” TO EVERYONE BY REVELATION IS AN INTERIOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MYSTERIES OF THE KINGDOM.  WHILE THE DISCIPLES ACCEPTED THAT REVEALED AND MYSTERIOUS KNOWLEDGE, THE PHARISEES, WHO WERE ALSO GRANTED THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO SEE AND HEAR, CLOSED THEIR MINDS TO THE MYSTERIOUS.  THEY WANTED THE SECURITY OF CONTROLLING KNOWLEDGE. WE PARTICIPATE IN THE HUMAN DESIRE TO CONTROL EVERYTHING, EVEN GOD. WE DO NOT LIKE MYSTERIES IF THEY ARE ABOUT US AND IMPACT OUR LIVES.  HOWEVER, IT IS ONLY BY PARTICIPATING IN THE MYSTERY THAT WE CAN UNDERSTAND IT.  READING THE BIBLE IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.  IF YOU READ THE BIBLE WITHOUT FAITH, YOU WILL MISS ITS RICHNESS.  YOU CAN’T UNDERSTAND A MYSTERY FROM OUTSIDE.  YOU HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MYSTERY TO UNDERSTAND IT.

ST. AUGUSTINE PHRASED THAT IDEA MANY YEARS AGO WITH THE WORDS, CREDO UT INTELLIGAM.  I BELIEVE IN ORDER THAT I MAY UNDERSTAND.  JESUS TODAY POINTS OUT THE PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS:  IN SHORT, IF YOU BELIEVE, MORE UNDERSTANDING WILL BE GIVEN; IF YOU’RE LIKE THE PHARISESS AND DON’T BELIEVE, EVEN THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE KINGDOM THAT GOD HAS OFFERED WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. MANY WILL TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT KIND OF SOIL THEY ARE INTO WHICH THE WORD IS SOWN. DON’T GO THERE.  IT ENDS UP ONLY IN SELF-NEGATIVITY AND SELF-PREOCCUPATION. 

FOCUS RATHER ON THE SOWER, ON THE TRINITY, AND DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS WHICH WILL TAKE AWAY MYSTERY, QUESTIONS SUCH AS THE PHARISEES ASKED. LET US LISTEN WITH THE EARS WE HAVE AND SEE WITH THE EYES WE HAVE THAT WORLDLY CERTAINTY AND WORDLY SECURITY ARE TRAPS AND LEAD ONLY TO OURSELVES. THE KINGDOM OF GOD, HOWEVER, IS ESTABLISHED ON THE FIDELITY OF GOD.  WE CAN BE SURE THAT GOD’S LOVE WILL REMAIN AROUND AND WITHIN US UNTIL WHAT IT WAS SENT TO DO IN ME AND YOU IS ACCOMPLISHED.