Jesus is a master storyteller. He uses vivid images drawn from everyday life to reveal deep truths about the Kingdom of God. And he chooses his imagery according to his audience. To shepherds and pastoral communities, he speaks of the shepherd and the lost sheep (Lk 15:3–7; Jn 10:1–18). To merchants and householders in towns, he tells parables of talents and pounds entrusted to servants (Mt 25:14–30; Lk 19:11–27). To fishermen, he speaks of nets and fish (Mt 4:18–22; Mt 13:47–50; Lk 5:1–11). To farmers, he draws on sowing, seeds, vineyards, and harvests, as in the parable of the sower today (Mt 13:3–9, 18–23; Mk 4:3–20; Lk 8:4–15).
However, there is something unusual about the story of today’s gospel. This is not the average sower.
Amateurish Farmer: The apparent paradox of the gospel text of today becomes powerful, not only to farmers but to anyone. The sower in the parable should have been a very amateurish farmer. What farmer would throw seeds on the rocks, thorns and path (Mt 13:4-7)? A good farmer would first clear the ground of rocks and stones, gather the thorny bushes and get them burned, and would sow the seed only on the soil that is ready. And yet, the sower in the parable today throws seeds on the rocks, thorns, path and the good soil. Analogies have their limitations. However, if the sower in the parable is God, then the parable becomes even more powerful because of the folly of the sower. God does not seem to have much control over the ground and their response. He is generous with his word and his grace to the thorny ground and the rocky ground. God makes his grace available to everyone. It all depends on how the recipients would want to respond.
God does not expect me to be a good soil first so that he could sow his seed, but because he sows his Word in me I become the good soil. I respond.
And I don’t need to get 100%: And my response does not have to be hundredfold all the time. It can be thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or hundredfold (Mt 13:8). It is alright with him. He still praises me, because I have played my part well enough. The workers in the vineyard (Mt 20:1-16) who were hired at different time of the day did not all work for the same duration, and yet, it was alright with the master. All were equally rewarded. The servants who were given talents by their master (Mt 25:14-30) did not all produce the same output. And yet, all those who produced something were all praised and rewarded even more.
God wants me to open up my heart to receive his Word willingly. And he assures us, it will not return to him empty (Is 55:11)!