The parable of the sower: An examination of conscience

Father Michael Elmlinger

Guest

There is a temptation when we read or hear a passage from the Scriptures, especially the Gospel, to assume that we are not the ones being challenged, as if we are not the intended audience of the message that is being delivered. This can be true with our Gospel this weekend with the parable of the sower (Matt 13:1-23).

It can be easy to view ourselves as being like the seed that is sown on rich soil (13:8, 23), where we “hear the word and understand it,” and “bear fruit and yield a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” We can think, “Oh, I am already a Christian and a follower of Christ, so I am definitely this last seed. I don’t need to pay attention to the others.” However, if this is the immediate view of ourselves, we may end up missing the point of the parable and the challenge that Christ is presenting to us to grow into deeper holiness.

In truth, this parable of the sower can actually be a great examination of conscience for us to see where we truly are within our own spiritual lives. I think if we are truly honest with ourselves, we will find that we can be like all four types of seed that Jesus is talking about here.

First there is the seed that “fell on the bath, and birds came and ate it up” (13:4), which, Jesus says, represents “the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.” (13:19) The kind of person that Jesus is referring to here is someone who audibly hears the message of the Gospel spoken to him or her, but this person does not truly allow the message to take root in his or her heart.

This can be true for us particularly when it comes to the kind of sins that we commit. These sins indicate to us the aspects of the Gospel that we may struggle with. Even if intellectually we may understand what Christ has spoken to us, within our hearts we struggle with understanding how to live out the message of the Gospel. Because of this, we fall into sin, particularly habitual sins that we struggle with regularly. What are those aspects of the Gospel that we struggle with putting into practice in our own lives?

Then there is the “seed sown on rocky ground, where it had little soil” and “sprang up at once” but “withered for lack of roots” (13:5-6), which, Jesus says, represents “the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.” (13:20-21)

For us, it can be easy to love the Lord when everything is going our way and we are on fire with love for him. However, the real challenge comes when we have to face life’s difficulties and bear its crosses. During these times, it can be easy to fall away and resent God for leading us to those crosses. When we face these difficult challenges, whatever those challenges may be, do we truly respond with the grace and submission that Christ does when he bears his cross?

Finally (at least before the good seed), there is the seed that “fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it” (13:7), which, Jesus says, represents “the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.” (13:22) How often do we allow our day-to-day worries and anxieties take up our mind to the point that we lose all trust in God and instead try to trust in ourselves? Or how much do we become focused on the things of this world that they end up becoming our own gods and lead to us making sacrifices to our relationship with the one true God rather than the other way around?

We see here that, while we ought to strive to be like the seed sown on rich soil, oftentimes we can be like the other seeds. We have to keep in mind that what Christ is doing here is not merely condemning us for being like these seeds, though they can certainly lead towards it. Rather, he is challenging us to be better, to be holier, to be the person that the Father is calling us to be through him and in the Holy Spirit. Each day we ought to seek greater and deeper conversion within our lives. One of the ways we can do so is to examine our conscience using this parable to see where we truly are in our relationship with the Lord and with one another.

Father Michael Elmlinger is a priest of the Diocese of Covington, Ky. Father Elmlinger is currently studying Canon Law at the University of St. Paul, Ottawa, Canada.