In the parable of the sower, Jesus has much to say about the different kinds of soil that receive God’s word. Jon Jue-Wong, SJ reflects on how we mustn’t overlook the sower himself, whose actions reflect the extravagant love of God. Based on the readings for the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time.
God’s gardening tips are a little out there… but maybe that’s the point.
Hi, I’m Jon Jue-Wong and this is my One-Minute reflection.
Hearing the parable of the sower in Matthew 13, I often fixate on what kind of soil I am: am I the rocky ground? The thorn-choked soil? Honestly, this kind of thinking hasn’t gotten me very far.
But something different happens when we pay closer attention to the sower himself, tossing those seeds of love and grace left and right with abandon.
We might be tempted to call this careless, even wasteful gardening.
In truth, it is a beautiful image of God’s reckless, gratuitous, unrelenting love. A love that tumbles into our lives, producing fruit a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.
And it is precisely through receiving love without cost that God empowers us to give our love, our care, and our hearts to others, without counting the cost.