1st or 2nd February Trinity
Luke 8:14-18
And as a great crowd had gathered, and ever
more people streamed to him out of the cities, he spoke in a parable:
A sower went out to sow his seed. As he
sowed, some seed fell on the path. It was trodden upon, and the birds of the
sky (air) ate it up. Other seed fell upon the rocks, and as it sprouted, it
(the sprouting green) withered, because it had no moisture. Still other seed
fell under the thorns; the thorns grew with it and choked what came up. And
some fell upon good soil, grew, and brought forth fruit a hundredfold. When he
had said these things, he called out:
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
His disciples asked him what this parable
might mean. And he said:
To you it has been given the gift of being
able to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of God
The seed is the Word of God. That which fell
upon the path are those who hear it; afterwards the tempter comes and tears the
Word out of their hearts, so that they cannot find healing through the trusting
power of faith working in them.
Those on the rock are those who, when they
hear the Word, take it up with joy; but they remain without root. For a while
the power of their faith works in them, but in times of trial they fall away.
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What fell under the thorns are those who
hear the Word from the spirit, and as they go on their way, the sorrows and the
riches and the joys of life choke it, and they bring no fruit to maturity.
And the seed which fell in the good soil are
those who hear the Word, and take it up into their hearts, feel its beauty,
become noble and worthy and patiently keep it alive, tending it there until it
brings forth fruit.
No one lights a light and hides it under a
vessel or under a bench; instead he places it on a lamp stand so that all who
come in see the light. For nothing is hidden which shall not be revealed, and
nothing is secret which shall not be known and proclaimed. So attend to how you
listen. For he who has enlivened in himself the power to bear the spirit, to
him more will be given. He however who does not have this power, from him will
be taken that which he thinks he has.
1st February Trinity
February 8, 2015
Luke 8: 14 – 18
Anyone who has tried planting a garden
knows: the conditions must be right. The right season, the right temperature,
neither too hot nor too cold. The right level of moisture, neither too hard and
dry, nor too muddy. The right level of fertility.
Our hearts are also gardens waiting to be
cultivated; cultivated through art, through truth, through spiritual and
religious practice. Some of us may be just starting. Or maybe we tried before,
but we lacked sufficient depth. Or maybe our hearts wandered off into the
busyness of life. But there comes a moment. The poet says:
My soul is a dark
ploughed field
In the cold rain;
My soul is a broken field
Ploughed by pain.
Where windy grass and flowers
Were growing,
The field lies broken now
For another sowing.
Great Sower, when you tread
My field again,
Scatter the furrows there
With better grain.[1]
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| James Tissot |
And the Word-Seed takes root. We recognize
that it has the potential to grow into a thing of beauty in us. And so we
straighten up and do our best to cultivate the garden of our heart. With
patient effort we tend the Word-Seed. We keep our hearts moist and soft. We
weed out our bad habits. With patient effort we tend the creating Word in our
hearts until it grows and blossoms forth in beauty of soul. Until it matures
into fruitful deeds of love.
