A sower went out to sow.
(Mk 4:1-20)
The Parable of the Sower (or the Miraculous Harvest) is a real gem. From the very first words . . . “A sower went out to sow,” we are treated to the strangest story about a sower who doesn’t really care about preparing the soil. In fact, when we decide to put in a summer garden we spend lots of time just preparing the soil, weeding, removing the rocks, making sure everything is just right BEFORE we put the seed in the soil. But not the sower in the parable. And even though just a tiny portion of the seed finds its way to good soil . . . look at the miraculous harvest: thirty, sixty, a hundredfold! No wonder the gospel writer tacks on: “Whoever has ears to hear, ought to hear!” But the disciples don’t understand any of it . . . and so the gospel writer has Jesus explain it to them. But please remember, the parable is from Jesus . . . but the explanation of the parable seems to be from the gospel writer.
