Parable of the Sower

Jesus begins speaking in parables after being accused twice of casting out demons by the prince of demons. He responds by saying, “If I cast out demons by Beelzebul (the Prince of Demons), by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore, they shall be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons then the Kingdom of God has come upon you.” Because of this blasphemous accusation by the Pharisees, who, even after witnessing His miracles and accepting their supernatural character, attribute them to the Devil. This leads Jesus to teach in parables after offering this terrifying warning: “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come” (Mt 12:32).

Jesus explains that the influence of the devil, shallow spirituality, and disordered attachment to things of the world ruin a faithful response to His word which He sews. In His mysterious teachings about the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus explains that the Kingdom dwells in our hearts if we believe in Him. It starts small but grows and produces fruit (cf. Mt 13: 44-50) The CCC says, “Christians owe it to themselves to develop a desire to meditate regularly lest they come to resemble the three first kinds of soil in the parable of the sower.” (#2707). It is time to hear and produce fruit that will last!  Today, sit with Our Lady and reflect on the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 and discover what you need to change in order to be productive soil!