Readings:
Hebrews 10: 11-18
Mark 4: 1-20
Reflection:
God’s lavish love is on full display in today’s Gospel. As the sower, God willingly sets out to sow the seed in every direction and on every piece of soil. It would almost seem as though God was wasting so much seed by scattering it in places that have no chance of survival. Any farmer or gardener would surely plant where the soil was most likely to give the best results as buying the seed, setting up the drill rig on the tractor and then the cost of labour would mean that they aim for where they will get the best results. But this is not so with God. God does not set boundaries to his love and to where he wants his word to be sown in the world.
If we limit God’s word to just the best places both in our own personal lives and to those whom we think we should share the word surely we are falling short of what God is asking us to do.
Unfortunately we all have our own paths, patches of rock and areas of weeds and thorns in our lives, as well as rich and fertile areas. The latter are the ones that we may think are fine and are the ones that we want to share with others as they show up our best sides. But let us not forget that the other areas that are less than suitable also need the seed, so that it can start to break down the unfertile path, the hard rock and to establish in areas where the thorns have started to be removed. With time the seed will have the chance to establish, grow and produce a crop.
God has no favourites. We all have the opportunity to produce a crop. ‘Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!’
Victoria Raw is parishioner of Te Whetu O Te Moana, Star of the Sea Marlborough, NZ and is active in lay ministry.