“Having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

In this parable, Jesus speaks of the sower and His seed.  He identifies four possible results from the seed.  The results depend not upon the seed but upon the ground it reaches.  Jesus explained that the seed is the Word of God and the ground represents how the seed is received.  It is easy to assume that the various types of ground refer to various groups of people.  People with this tendency fit in this group while those with different tendencies fit into another group.  But, Jesus’ divine purpose would not be served by judging one man against another.  Jesus is not referring to the differences between Christian expressions of faith.  He is not talking about the difference between Christians and those who follow other faiths and philosophies.  In this case, Jesus was warning them about the natural tendencies of people.  The four “soils” described by Jesus refer not to different people or cultures, but to the different stages of development experienced by each of us.

In the first example, the seed fell by the wayside or highway.  It was trod underfoot and devoured by birds before it had a chance to react to the soil.  You can see this condition in people of any age, but it frequently happens at a very young age.  We understand that infants are so absorbed in their own physical needs, wants, and desires;  they are unaware of the potential of the seed.  Their “heart, soul and mind” is not yet a receptive environment.  The Word of God finds no place to take hold and grow.  While most of us have experienced this state, it is normally observed in the young.  Unfortunately, it also exists in adults who refuse to give a receptive ear to the Word of God.  We may never understand how people have reached this state or why they retain it.  We cannot force them to change, but we can illustrate our blessings and encourage them to join us.

In the second example, the seed fell upon a rock.  The seed was left undisturbed, but found the environment harsh and unforgiving.  In the case of youngsters, the seed may land in a crack in their shell of selfishness.  Those cracks are caused by the beginnings of an awareness of the world around them.  They have noticed the development of their “heart, soul and mind”.  Unfortunately, their awareness is still limited to moments of attention and hours of being ignored.  The alternating conditions of attention and being ignored leave no opportunity for sustained development.  Fruit is not a possibility.  Adults in this stage have “given God a chance, but it didn’t work out.”  They feel the need in their heart but lack the mental dedication to perpetuate growth.  We can help them learn patience and listen more diligently to the Word of God.

The third example deals with a fertile soil.  The seed can grow in this environment.  The “heart, soul and mind” have developed a keen awareness of the ability to grow.  It can frequently be seen in young adults.  As the depth of their lives expand, they are more aware of their potential and the blessings they receive.  They actively work to expand their “heart, soul and mind”.  The intentions are well founded but not always well directed.  But fertile soil, in and of it’s self, does not discriminate.  The good news is that these people are receptive to good seed.  The bad news is that they are also receptive to bad seed.  It is easy to replace the virtue of good fruit with the false virtue of growth.  The promotion of growth without discrimination is often considered a virtue in our culture.  But it is this indiscriminate growth that illustrates the Word of God being choked by faster-growing thorns.

It is worth restating that these are not really groups of people but stages that most of us encounter as we grow in the Christian faith.  The first example exhibits self-absorption and ignorance of the Christian potential.  We all eventually leave that stage.  The second example recognizes the need for spiritual development but lacks the discipline to see it through.  Given enough time and mistakes, the world in general will teach us discipline and those who are here today have left this stage as well.

People in this third stage, however, are exhilarated by the development of their potential.  They have learned the tools of human development and use them like a craftsman.  They even take pride in their ability to promote diverse growth.  The danger lies in appreciating those things that grow fastest.  They provide satisfaction for the labors invested but there are hidden hooks among those thorns.  They can discourage further development under the guise that none is needed.

In this state, we recognize the need for spiritual development and have cultivated the discipline to make it happen.  It is at this stage that we develop pride in our accomplishments.  At the same time, we allow complacency to validate our “station in life” and become satisfied to sit on our spiritual laurels.  We love that our garden is green and growing.  We take pride in the variety of foliage.  We fail to notice that the predominant feature is thorns and fruit is rare if it exists at all.

The fourth example is, of course, our goal.  It is here that we begin to display the Will of God.  We have recognized the need for spiritual growth and will not let the Word lie dormant on the beaten path and be consumed by others.  We also recognize the need for discipline and patience.  We have learned to continually maintain a consistent environment and have patience for the growth to occur naturally.  We compensate for periods of drought and flood.  The key to this fourth example is in discerning between good and bad growth.  Our Gospel today describes it as, “Having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.”

It is in this fourth example that we find our guide to a productive life.  The first three examples show the stumbling blocks we all encounter.  A close examination of our lives will reveal times when we have responded to the Word of God in the manner of each of these examples.

We remember when God was there - waiting for our response - and we ignored him.  Sometimes, we let the seed be taken away before we could appreciate what God had offered.  We remember how at other times we received the word with joy, but had no depth in which the seed could take root.  In those cases, temptation inevitably caused us to fall away.  Perhaps the most prevalent in our experience were the occasions when we meant to do our best, but were too caught up in the cares and pleasures of this life.  We developed the right tools and used them proficiently but failed to discern good growth from bad.

For most of us, progress in the spiritual life has come in fits and starts.  We remember ourselves in those stages Jesus describes, and consider ourselves fortunate to have them behind us.  We work to avoid the inevitable steps backward and hold dear all steps that bring us closer to the Will of God.  We recall those memorable occasions and choices that brought us to Jesus Christ.  Not all of the occasions were happy.  It took the training of circumstance, sorrow, sin and redemption to bring us to where we are today.  It will take still more discipline and experience in Christ’s way to continue that progress.  That is not to say that we should trudge onward with dread expectation.  On the contrary, we need to return to the awe and wonder of childhood.  Joy and praise and love and trust can remain ours if with honest and good hearts we seek to hear the Word of God and keep it.