Sower and Seed

Seeds and grounds fighting compatibility!

This Sunday within In the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus tells us something about the struggle of all who hear what God commands. some form excuses of various kinds for such to take root in the terrain of their very lives, whilst others go against the grain to allow the aridity of the soul’s terrain to be watered by divine grace so fruitfulness may unfold.

When we turn the pages of history, which bear witness to the mystery of divine presence, we are reminded of how unwilling we can be to let go due to us wanting to be in control of any given situation pertaining to our existence. The people of the Old Covenant who were visited by the power of presence various times within their deliverance, oftentimes chose to remain stagnant even whilst beholding divine providence. (Num 23:13)

For many of us who struggle in various ways considering the cost of living, the on-edge mentality that is arising, and the hood culture rampart in our times, it is very easy to wander from the pastures and run into arid territory. Many who are being made redundant within this timeframe rightfully question how this can be happening, and why are they being isolated by bodies that were commissioned to safeguard their integrity.

Alike the parable of Sower and Seed: the Lord intentionally refers in various places concerning the difference between sheep and goats. Sheep need a shepherd to guide them and nurture them, for they constantly feed off green pastures as we also hear in the 23rd psalm. Whilst goats roam and tend to eat anything they come upon; they do not require a shepherd, nor do they need the company of others.

Here we are 2026 years later as the people of the New Covenant and nothing has really changed from the times of the Exodos. We tend to reposition ourselves in the wilderness due to this constant impulse of correctness, superiority and prestige where we do not want to yield to that commandment of love.

On the contrary, we prefer to allow ambition to carry us up a mountain of delusion we ourselves create only to realise that the moment we think we are standing on top of it, this fantasy imminently fades away and forces us to tumble back down.

Many of the saints known and unknown were people who recognised that they had flaws, were fragile in various areas, had the need to recourse to the divine mysteries and at times did odd things as the means of humbling themselves before the divine presence. These very holy men and women would be ridiculed, treated badly and often shamed by those who were ordained to tend to the flock. Yet they remembered the Lord’s words:

“If they hate you, remember that the world hated me first!” (Jn 15:18)

It is through this very rejection, injustice, and cruelty dished out that these saints of God began to create fertile ground within the terrain of their souls so that the Spirit would water the earth of their hearts and the Good Seed of Presence could take root in the depths of their very existence. It is here that noble shoots began forming and a strong vineyard began blooming so that a true harvest of grace would carry through the years as a testament to the eternal sovereignty which is alive in the hearts of all who follow him.

We have often heard IT’S GOD’S WILL should things not work out. Oftentimes, this is not the case, rather our unwillingness to let go and stand aside in trust is responsible for incompatibility. It is also true that God closes doors because he knows what’s behind them can harm us in the long run rather than contribute to our wellbeing.

Yet have we allowed experience to form us and unpleasant experiences to sharpen our judgement? Just as Job and other saints of old turned to God when life would dish them out unsavoury circumstances, are we like them willing to cry out: Lord, have mercy!?

Some saints including Abraham our Father in Faith constantly renewed their determination to stand their ground come what may regardless the odds, and in that determination, God favoured and blessed them. Are we, alike our Holy Mother Mariam Theotokos, willing to say Yes Lord (Lk 1:38) and allow him to not only take root in us but mould us into his very image as carriers of the divine life and light?

Many missions have closed in our times and this is due to various factors; one old fragility is the fact of not letting go, not allowing to be formed, not wanting to change or more to the point evolve so that a harvest may carry on through they years. The harvest can only come about via acquiring peace within (Jn 14:27) which is a gift the Lord bestows to those who listen to his voice and welcome it wholeheartedly.

In the western calendar, over this weekend Western Christendom celebrates the feast of all God’s holy which is dobbed Feast of All Hallows, and the vigil or evening of this feast is entitled Halloween. Many of us who grew up with the commercialized version dressed up in what was thought of as fun, yet in the delusion of make-believe, instead of celebrating all that is holy and good, turned to that which fades into the shadows, unease’s the mind, and plagues the soul!

May we be given the grace to turn our eyes towards the heavens and invoke the name of the Lord who once calmed the storms on the shores of Galilee (Mk 4:35-41) and with his own words address the Father saying:

Hallowed is thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Mt 6:9-13)

The seeds that fall on good ground testify to those who hear the word of God in nobility and goodness of heart and keep it via bearing fruit with patience. (Lk 8:15)