Consider, then, the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. The seed sown among the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But the seed sown on good soil is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and produces a crop—a hundredfold, sixtyfold, or thirtyfold.
Matthew 13:18-23
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The sower explained
Here Jesus explains his own story, something he rarely does. His listeners knew rocky ground well. In many places in Galilee there is only a thin layer of soil over the rock. Seed comes up quickly there, but the roots can't go deep.
Besides the evil one, Jesus names very ordinary enemies of the word: hardship, worries, money. No spectacle, just daily life. And the yield differs from person to person. Thirty times as much counts just as fully as a hundred.
Question for today
What in my ordinary week crowds out the word I have heard?
Prayer
Lord, you know my eager weeks and my busy ones. Give your word deep roots in me, even when it's dry. Amen.
My prayer
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