This week, we hear a great reading from St. Mark’s Gospel about the farmer who spread seeds. You know the story: some seeds fall on rocky ground, some on thorns, some on the path, and some in good dirt. This is the version where Jesus explains what he meant later. The story always makes me smile because I imagine Jesus telling the story – about farming to a group of people who make their living off the land – and I cannot help but wonder if they aren’t all giving Jesus the side-eye as he talks about this farmer dude who is just scattering seeds anywhere.
“What an imbecile,” they must be thinking. “What kind of farmer wastes seeds like that?”
Of course, we know the rest of the story. We know that the point is that God’s Word is open to all, God is for all, God is with all, and God loves all. His mercy is everlasting, and it, too, is open to everyone. You can get in trouble for suggesting that these days.
We also know thorny people. They poke us, prod us, and press our buttons—and sometimes not in good ways or in ways that are enjoyable. And we know rocky ground, too. We know trouble and strife, and we all experience moments that are not smooth. The pathway has a place here, too: sometimes, we walk over people or let people walk over us.
And then there is the good dirt—those people around us who take God seriously when he says, “Love one another,” and those people who are kind, generous, helpful, and lovely. We need more of those people. We need to surround ourselves with those people if we are to grow.
This week, make an effort to cut out the thorns from your life. Avoid rocky ground if you can, and be careful where you walk.
Most of all, be open to the Word when it gets chucked in your direction.