Parable of the Sower
One
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). This sin is unforgivable because it is precisely the indwelling Holy Spirit poured out into the world which convinces and convicts it of sin. This is what prompts lost souls to repent (cf Jn 16:8). If these souls reject the operations of the Holy Spirit, they will not repent, will not seek forgiveness, and thus will not be forgiven. In the case of the Pharisees and all those who follow their example, they even subvert the moral order, calling good and evil good, attacking the source of all good while serving the source of all evil. When asked why He is now teaching in parables, Jesus thus responds, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it has not been given…” (Mt 13: 11). When the Lord offers us His teaching, may He not find our hearts hardened, unrepentant, and fruitless.
Two
Jesus offers the first parable on the Kingdom of Heaven. “"A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they had not much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root they withered away. Other seeds fell upon thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear” (Mt 13: 3-9).
Three
Christ only explains the parable in private in Peter’s house, a symbol of the Catholic Church. It is here where His teaching and understanding is preserved because This is His Kingdom! As the CCC states, “The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ” (#85, CCC).
Four
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. Left unchecked, men will prefer darkness (or sin) over light, will hate the light of truth and moral goodness, and will eventually attack or crucify it (cf. Jn 3: 19-21). This is the temptation of the serpent in the garden: tempting Adam and Eve that they could do what they wanted, defining good and evil. Could large swaths of the entire world commit the sin against the Holy Spirit? Hopefully not. Perhaps this is precisely why Our Lady has been appearing, for the few believers to offer penance and pray the rosary for the unbelievers, that they may avoid eternal punishment.
Five
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). In John’s Gospel He expands on the Kingdom by pointing out that He is the True Vine, we are the branches, and His Spirit is what allows us to abide in Him and produce fruit that will last (cf. Jn 15: 1-16). For this lasting fruit to be ours, we must obey His commandments and have His Divine Life and Love in us (cf. Jn 15: 12-15). This Divine Life and Love enters us through receiving Him in Holy Communion. The Eucharist is Jesus—Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity. (cf. Jn 6: 52-59). “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink in deed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him” (Jn 6: 55-56). Thus, the Kingdom of God is nothing other than union with Him! We must pray and receive the Sacraments. 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!