In today’s gospel the teacher Jesus Christ is telling us another parable. His story which is very familiar to us compares the soul of a man to a field of soil and God’s word to the seeds. The parable explains that there are four types of soil. The first type of soil is so hard nothing can grow. This is the same as when we hear the word of God and are unable or incapable of letting it really get inside us because of our hardened heart. The second type of soil is filled with weeds and thorns. This is like our life when we allow the cares of worldly things to get in the way of Christ in our heart. The third type of soil is filled with rocks. This soil at first allows for growth but as the new roots hit the rocks or problems down deep inside us growth stops. Of course the last type is the good soil where the heart is open and Christ can grow.
As we progress toward the end of this year we must allow our faith to grow. God will provide his son Jesus to be planted in us but it is up to us to actively work. Finding ways to work on ourselves and trying to remove the many thorns or negative things in our life will give Christ room to grow. It is with faith that we believe in the possibility that God wants us to change. It is with faith that we believe that God will give us the chance to change. So let us not delay. Let us take this chance to move forward and tend to the seed we call the word of God.
