Jesus is the Sower of the seed of the kingdom of God.  This Teacher wants his disciples to imitate him and be sowers who put their trust in God and are persevering.

Our own failures and opposition from people can easily discourage us and make us tire of doing good.  Rightly, then, does Jesus urge us to be trusting and persevering sowers.  Such sowers never lose hope that they will get to wield the sickle.  For the harvest will surely come in due time.

And it is not that sowers have it easy.  In fact, they do not just wait with their arms folded.  Sowers also prune plants, water and trellis them, and put up fences.

Jesus’ sowers, co-workers in the project of the Kingdom, are not lazy either.  They prove themselves as his followers by going about doing good.  They are merciful.  Together with him, they welcome those who are last in the eyes of the world.  They seek out the stray.

No, sowers after the heart of the Sower of the seed of the Kingdom are not afraid to work.  They do the good that presents itself and fulfill the things God shows them that he wants them to do (SV.EN XII:82).  That is because they trust God, certain that if he gives them more work, he will also give them more strength.

Trusting God, Christian sowers obviously do not fix their eyes on themselves, but on God.

Jesus’ co-workers do not dwell on their successes or failures.  Nor on what they can or cannot accomplish.  It does not matter to them who plants or who waters, after all it is God alone who makes plants grow. The bad motives of a preacher do not even worry them; what matters is that the preacher proclaims Christ.  It is enough for them to know that the Kingdom grows anyway and yields fruit.

And so, those who put their trust in God are peaceful.  In contrast to the zealots, they are neither fiery nor rigid.   Those with authority and power do not scare them either.  They find courage in Jesus’ saying, “Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”

The saying also confirms them in their determination to be one with the least of Jesus’ brothers and sisters.  And so, they decidedly take part in the small beginnings of the Kingdom that then becomes the largest.  There, people of every race, tongue and nation nestle.

Lord Jesus, you prepare a banquet for us who are poor and weak in the sight of our foes.  Make us put our trust in God and walk by faith, so that we may be your courageous and persevering sowers.

17 June 2018
11th Sunday in O.T. (B)
Ez 17, 22-24; 2 Cor 5, 6-10; Mk 4, 26-34