Seeds on the path

Matthew 13:18-19 - Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and doesn't understand it, the evil one comes and snatches it away. This is the seed sown on the path.

Jesus is giving the interpretation of the ways people respond to good news. In this case the good news of God's love - remember the seeds are flung willy-nilly. Many of us respond this way, even after we become Christians. Hearing the word of God might mean we will have to change our lives and change is not generally welcomed. We harden our own hearts just like the path has been hardened.

However, our failure to understand is not always intentional. Sometimes, the word is too high for us - too far away from our experience to make a connection to it. This is where the work of the recipient comes in. When this is the case, we need to spend time with the word - and the Word - to decipher what was meant originally and what can it mean for our lives now. We may even have to ask others, or go to commentaries or learn about life in Ancient Israel. God wants us to struggle with her word. She wants to engage us in this way. We become closer to her and our lives reflect that relationship. So, it is important to understand that when we do not understand the word, it does not mean we are hardening our hearts or refusing to change. It can mean those things. Yet we cannot expect to understand it all in our lifetime for we see through a mirror darkly.

For now, it is good to think about those passages we have a hard time with for whatever reason. Look at them. Memorize them. Let them into your being. They will reveal themselves when we give them the space and time to do so. The struggle will enrich our lives, our relationships, and our spirits.
B