The Seed is Planted

Hovndu gu Xanovi

Mark 4:1-9

What a nice day as we thank God for our graduates! We thank God for a year of hard work and study which resulted in the harvest of this graduating class.

Some of you, graduates, will be moving from one school to another. Others finished their studies and are looking for a job; it is a tough year for them. Statistics say of those graduates only 20% will find jobs.

Overall it feels good to graduate. You feel good that you accomplished a stage in your life and moving on to the next level. Parents feel good also, when they see their child, their grandchild going forward in their life.

I chose today a well-known parable from the Word of God: the parable of the sower. The sower sowed seeds some of which gave results and some did not. When we look at life, we see the same image. Some of us graduated, while others did not for different reasons. Some had the chance to go to school, while others did not. Some had the chance to go school, but quit. Some started school, but stopped for health reason. Some quit college for economic reasons.

The parable is a very simple story. Jesus’ audience could understand it very well. Remember agriculture was the main income for many people those days. If Jesus were to tell us a parable today, he would talk about computers and websites I believe. While he was talking to these people, every element of the story was in direct view of its hearers as they took their seats on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus was on the boat; this was his pulpit, the podium. The audience was people, some of whom came to learn, some came for curiosity, and some to see who this man was, and of course, there were the disciples, too.

The seed is not changing and that is the Word of God, His revelation to us. It is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. But the seed falls on soils that are ready or semi-ready or not ready at all.

When I was in college, I taught piano to different students. Some were grabbing the information like hungry kids. Others were there because they thought they could jut have fun without practice. Others were there because their parents pushed them to come.

In daily life, one can see the same thing in all occupations. I have seen bus drivers who are best in their work, motivated and passionate about their jobs. I have seen doctors who are terrible in their work; they are not motivated; they do not have a purpose in their lives.

The parable invites us to be receptive to the Word of God, the “seed”. Today you are in the church sanctuary. You are present, yet your mind could be somewhere else. You can be here but get bored. You can be here and be ready to listen and hear God’s voice and commandments. What kind of soil are you?

We will continue in English.