Lectionary Notes: The Seed of Life

15th Sunday In Ordinary Time: 10th July, 2011

Each week I produce notes for the upcoming Sunday Gospel for the Bible Study at St. John’s.

It’s a mixture of my own random thoughts, combined with what I’ve found in commentaries, sermons. I’m toying with the idea of publishing them here each week, so this is a bit of a test-drive…

If you think you’d find it helpful if I posted this each Monday evening, please let me know.

The Readings for this week focus around Jesus’ “Parable of the Sower”…

Reading 1: Isaiah 55:10-11

Scripture:

Thus says the LORD:

“Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; my word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it”

Suggested Questions:

• A parallel is being described in this passage. What is it?
• Why is Isaiah drawing a parallel between God’s word and snow/rain?
• What do we learn of God’s character from this passage?
• How might this mindset change the way we approach life?

Introduction:

This chapter of Isaiah is usually entitled “Invitation to the thirsty”, continuing the three themes which we saw two weeks ago of food, God’s word and God’s provision.

In this reading, a parallel is setup between water from heaven (in the form of snow & rain) and the word of God. Rain nourishes the earth bringing about life and fruitfulness. The same is true for God’s word. Both come from God and have the purpose of bringing forth new life. Rain gives life to the earth and God’s word gives life to the heart.

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb”

– Revelation 22:1

In light of the New Testament, the “word” described here could be seen as Jesus, God’s Spirit or the Gospel itself.

This reading speaks of the creative power of God. One cannot help but recall the creation account in Genesis 1 where God speaks “Let there be light” and there is. What God says, goes. His power as creator guarantees his power as Redeemer, which found its fullest expression “the word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1)

Commentary:

“Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down…”

Rain, snow and God’s word all come from “heaven”.

“…and do not return there till they have watered the earth”

Both God’s word and water from heaven come with purpose. This tells us that God is gracious, purposeful and seeks fruitfulness. There is a theme of grace here (unmerited, undeserved, …).

There is also a cycle going on – what God graciously bestows upon the earth ultimately comes back to Him:

In what sense does God’s word “return” to Him? In fruitfulness? In giving glory to Him?

“…making it fertile and fruitful…”

The purpose of both rain and God’s word is revealed – to nourish and bring forth fruitfulness and life.

“…giving seed to the one who sows…”

This theme of the sower will be picked up in the Gospel, but for now it is enough to see that the earth’s fruitfulness as a result of the water gives rise to the possibility of blessing the earth again through new life. God’s word blesses and gives spiritual life so that it, in turn, will give more life.

“…bread to the one who eats…”

This fruit produces yet further nourishment in the form of “bread”. In this we see allusion to the Eucharistic banquet, which is brought about by God’s word: this banquet was made possible by Jesus, God’s Word (“logos”), on Calvary and it is made possible today on our altars by Jesus in the words of consecration.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14

Scripture:

R. (Lk 8:8) The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.

You have visited the land and watered it;
greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled;
you have prepared the grain.

Thus have you prepared the land: drenching its furrows,
breaking up its clods,
Softening it with showers,
blessing its yield.

You have crowned the year with your bounty,
and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it,
and rejoicing clothes the hills.

The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.

Suggested Questions:

• What links this psalm to the First Reading? 
• What characteristics of God come out of this psalm?

Introduction:

The psalm echoes many of the phrases that we saw in the First Reading. It speaks of watering the land, producing a harvest and feeding the people.

As I read the entire psalm, I noticed something. It might be worth skipping this point as you lead the group, but it’s interesting nonetheless. I actually think we miss out on the real impact of this psalm because certain sections are omitted in the Lectionary. In verse six, which we don’t hear, the formation of the mountains is described. But how were the mountains formed? How was everything formed in Genesis 1? By His word. God declared “Let there be…”, his word went forth, and it came to be. In verse seven, it speaks of the “roaring of [the] waves…the turmoil of the nations”. This, again, harkens back to creation and the primordial waters when God’s Spirit “hovered over the waters” and brought out of chaos, cosmos. I think that, with this as our background, the central message of this psalm becomes: He who made the world by His word, continues to care for it by that same word.

Second Reading: Romans 8:18-23

Scripture:

Brothers and sisters: I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. 

For creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God; for creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God. 

We know that all creation is groaning in labor pains even until now; and not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, we also groan within ourselves as we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Suggested Questions:

• Given what we found out in last week’s reading (“life in the Spirit”), on what basis are we “brothers and sisters”?
• How does Paul put his current sufferings into perspective?
• How does Paul describe creation?
• What similarities does Paul say there are between humankind and creation?
• How does this reading convey the idea that the Kingdom is “now and not yet”?
• How does this reading impact the way we approach life?

Introduction:

This weeks’ Second Reading continues the theme from last week of “life in the spirit”. Paul shows how, with an eternal perspective, present suffering is insignificant. He shows how the Fall damaged both humankind and creation. They both await complete redemption.

(As an aside, the next verse, verse 24, is the basis of Pope Benedict’s encyclical “Spe Salvi”, “Saved by hope”)

Commentary:

“Brothers and sisters”

…through sharing in the same Spirit.

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us”

Present suffering is put into context – in light of eternity (as Stephen explained when he was leading the discussion last week). With this perspective earthly troubles are put into their correct place.

Suffering is part of God’s plan to conform us to Christ (Romans 8:29). Fortunately, in this we are helped by His Spirit (Romans 8:26). See Catechism 1042-47.

“For creation awaits with eager expectation”

Everything got screwed up in The Fall. Creation too is waiting for redemption.

Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

– Genesis 3:17-19

The Church and creation share the same plight and the same hope.

“awaits…the revelation of the children of God”

This is rendered in other texts as “awaits for the Sons of God to be revealed”. In the same way Christ’s glory was hidden, so too is ours. The full manifestation is yet to come!

“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is”

– 1 John 3:1-2

“…in hope”

This is hope in God’s promises, particularly God’s promise in Genesis 3:15 (known as the “proto-evangelium” or “first Good News”) where he promises a savior:

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel”

– Genesis 3:15

This picks up the theme of creation, re-creation and redemption we have in the earlier readings.

“…creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption”

That is, death and destruction.

“…all creation is groaning in labor pains”

Creation is personified as a pregnant woman. These pangs will not cease until the Sons of God are revealed and creation renewed.

“…we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit…”

“Firstfruits” has Old Testament connotations. It’s an agricultural term, relating to the first product of the harvest. The firstfruits of the word is the Spirit of love which is poured into our hearts making us children of God and promise of a future. From this, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians (2 Cor 5:17), we are a “new creation”.

“…as we wait for adoption”

This is a completion of what God has already begun.  While Jesus is Son of God by nature, we are His children by adoption. In the culture of time adopted children had complete rights as though they were natural born and entitled to the inheritance:

“Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory”

– Romans 8:17

“…the redemption of our bodies”

Although we have already become temples of the Holy Spirit, God’s work will reach its completion at the Resurrection.

Gospel: Matthew 13:1-23 or 13:1-9

Scripture:

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore. And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow.  And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots.  Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Suggested Questions:

• How is the Gospel linked with the First Reading and Psalm?Why do you think Jesus attracted such crowds?
• Why do you think Jesus spoke in parables so much?
• What do think “the path” is?
• What do you think “rocky ground” is?
• Why can’t things grow in rocky ground?
• What do you think “thorns” are?
• Why can’t things grow in thorny ground?
• What do you think constitutes “rich soil”?

Introduction:

In the First Reading we heard how God’s word provides seed for the sower. The image of the sower is picked up again here in the Gospel with the seed also representing God’s word (Matthew 13:8). 

 In this Chapter of Matthew, Jesus is trying to describe the Kingdom to his listeners.

We find out in the long version of this Gospel why Jesus speaks in parables (a word in Greek which literally means “place beside” i.e. comparison). In the synoptic there are about 30 parables (John’s Gospel uses “figures” instead). A good story can communicate something direct teaching often cannot. An image often has a greater impact than abstract statements. Interestingly, he switches to this mode of teaching after his rejection by the Pharisees. His teaching now becomes visible only if people have eyes to see it.

I haven’t provided much commentary for this because I think that this Gospel is a really good candidate for getting people to reflect more deeply about their own lives and share with the group their difficulties and troubles (and successes!) in responding to God’s word and having it produce fruit in their lives.

Below I offer the interpretation of this parable that Jesus offers in the long form of this Gospel, but I would get people to offer their own concrete examples as to what might constitute “the path…rocks…thorns” and “rich ground” in today’s world.

Look at the way the seed is spread – far and wide, on good soil and bad. This is grace. God “makes the sun shine on the good and bad alike”. Do you sow your seed just on good soil? Or with generosity? In fact, in this Gospel, where are we? Are we the soil, the seed or the sower?

Commentary:

“…fell on the path”

The person who doesn’t understand the message, whom Satan captures.

Secularized society? Mind closed to the spiritual dimensions?

“…fell on rocky ground”

The person who receives the word, accepts it, but doesn’t put down roots. He withers when persecution comes (and this certainly happened in the early centuries of the Church). As the text here indicates, this situation is where the soil is shallow with a limestone rock bed underneath, rather than full of little rocks.

“…fell among thorns”

The person who receives the word, but lets the world and its worries (wealth etc.) choke the life out of the word. I’m sure many can related to this.

“…fell on rich soil”

 The person who receives the word, understands it and produces rich fruit. Last week we heard about the “little ones”, those who, because of their humility and lack of pride, are receptive to divine grace.

 “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”

– James 1:21

 In the Eucharist, God’s Word Himself, Jesus, gives himself to us under the appearance of bread and wine. What kind of ground will He find in us?