Jesus tells us that the parable of the sower is a call to attentiveness:
“Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!”
It calls us to pay attention to the word of God wherever we encounter it. It invites us to allow that word allow it to sink deep within us, so that it can take root and sustain us whatever challenges we face.
It’s a call to pay attention to the condition of our hearts. Jesus tells his hearers that the condition of our heart affects how we receive the Word when we hear it. It might fall by the wayside and so have no chance to take root at all. We all live busy lives with a myriad of concerns to deal with every day. These can push the word to the wayside so that when we hear it we have no time or energy to reflect on or nurture it.
It might fall on rocky ground, those parts of our hearts that have become hardened because we have been hurt and built a protective shield that the word can’t penetrate. It might fall in that part of our hearts that are true so taken up with the challenge of living that it gets choked by our concerns before it can blossom.
That can feel pretty hopeless, except that Jesus offers us one more alternative. There is a place deep within our hearts that is open, waiting, receptive and trusting. When the word makes its way to that place it can take root and bear fruit that will sustain us whatever we face.
How are you preparing your heart to receive the Word today?