Don't despair; don't give up!

Matthew 13:1-9

That same day Jesus left the house and sat by the Sea of Galilee. Large crowds gathered around him. So he got into a boat. He sat down in it. All the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things by using stories.

He said, “A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. Those who have ears should listen.”

Food for thought!

There are at least two interpretations of this parable.

It means that the fate of the word of God depends on the heart into which it is sown. The hard path represents the shut mind, the mind which refuses to take it in. The shallow ground represents those who accept the word but who never think it out and never realize its consequences and who therefore collapse when the strain comes.

The thorny ground stands for those whose lives are so busy that the things of God get crowded out. We must ever remember that the things which crowd out the highest need not necessarily be bad. The worst enemy of the best is the second best. The good ground stands for the good heart. The good hearer does three things. First, he listens attentively. Second, he keeps what he hears in his mind and heart and thinks over it until he discovers its meaning for himself. Third, he acts upon it. He translates what he has heard into action.

But the parable is also a counsel against despair. Jesus spoke this parable after having been banished from the synagogues. The scribes and the Pharisees and the religious leaders were up against him. Inevitably the disciples had been disheartened to see their Lord rejected. It is to them Jesus speaks this parable and in it he is saying, "Every farmer knows that some of his seed will be lost; it cannot all grow. But that does not discourage him or make him stop sowing because he knows that in spite of all, the harvest is sure. I know we have our setbacks and our discouragements; I know we have our enemies and our opponents; but, never despair, never throw in the towel; in the end the ultimate harvest is sure."

This parable can be both a warning as to how we hear and receive the word of God and an encouragement to banish all despair in the certainty that not all the setbacks can defeat the ultimate will of God. Success is often based on a high level of striving, day after day, in everything we do. It’s important to understand that we never actually “arrive.” Success isn’t a destination, but rather a journey. It’s a journey of seeking and learning in each situation, trying to better ourselves as human beings.

Like the farmer who plants, we must struggle not to despair, even though we may sometimes fail and make mistakes. Ask yourself what areas of your life could stand improvement. Are you being sensitive enough in your friendships? Are you spending enough quality time with your family? Are you putting enough honest effort into your job? Or whatever requires your attention? It is always helpful to remember that, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”