{"id":29009,"date":"2026-07-07T03:16:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-07T03:16:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29009"},"modified":"2026-07-08T03:20:54","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T03:20:54","slug":"the-soil-of-the-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lectiodivina.com.au\/?p=29009","title":{"rendered":"The Soil of the Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a> Lectio Reflection – Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Matthew 13:1-23 (Year A 2026)<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Parable of the Sower is probably one of the best-known parables in the Gospels. Most of us have heard it many times. We know about the seed that falls on the path, the rocky ground, among the thorns and finally into the rich soil. Yet each time I return to this Gospel, I find myself discovering something different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps that is precisely the point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Word of God is never exhausted. As our own hearts change, the Word speaks to us in new ways. This is one of the great gifts of Lectio Divina<\/em>. We do not simply study the Scriptures once and move on. We return to them again and again, allowing the Lord to reveal something new as our lives unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I reflected on this Gospel, three aspects stood out to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> It Is Really the Parable of the Seed<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We often refer to today’s Gospel as The Parable of the Sower<\/em>, but I think the emphasis really belongs elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The central figure is certainly the sower, but the story is really about the seed<\/strong> and the extraordinary confidence with which it is scattered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jesus does not sow cautiously. He scatters the seed everywhere – onto the path, onto rocky ground, among thorns and onto fertile soil. Human logic might suggest conserving the seed and placing it only where success seems likely. God’s way is different. His generosity knows no limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew places this parable immediately after increasing opposition to Jesus. Not everyone has accepted his message. Some have rejected him outright. Others remain undecided.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a purely human perspective, it could appear that the mission is failing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the parable says otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the disappointments, despite the apparent failures, there will be an abundant harvest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The astonishing figures Jesus gives – thirty, sixty and a hundredfold – would have sounded extraordinary to his hearers. They speak of God’s generosity overcoming every apparent setback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, this becomes a parable of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are times when we look at our Church, our families, or even our own spiritual lives and wonder whether the seed has accomplished very much. We see people drift away from the faith. We see the pressures of contemporary culture. We see indifference where once there was enthusiasm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet Jesus reminds us that the final harvest belongs to God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are called to sow faithfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God alone brings the increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The Different Soils<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Matthew includes Jesus’ explanation of the parable, and this shifts our attention from the seed itself to the various kinds of soil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The explanation reflects the reality of the early Christian communities. Even in those first decades, people responded very differently to the Gospel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some welcomed it enthusiastically but quickly lost heart when difficulties arose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others allowed anxiety, ambition or the attraction of wealth to choke the life of faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Others simply failed to understand what had been offered to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is tempting to read these descriptions and immediately think of other people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Lectio Divina<\/em> always turns the question back towards ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which soil am I today?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not yesterday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not ten years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the beautiful insights shared during our reflection was that Lectio Divina<\/em> gradually sharpens our spiritual senses. Each time we return to the Word, perhaps our hearts become a little more open than before. We begin to listen not merely with the intellect but, as the Rule of St Benedict says, “with the ear of the heart.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That phrase remained with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew quotes Isaiah:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They have eyes but do not see; ears but do not hear.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is not that God has failed to speak. The problem is that hearts have gradually become closed. The danger for every disciple is not open hostility to God. More often it is a slow dulling of our spiritual hearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can become so occupied by daily concerns that the Word no longer finds deep roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hear the Gospel. We agree with it. But it never quite penetrates beneath the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Why Does Jesus Speak in Parables?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most difficult section of today’s Gospel concerns Jesus’ use of parables. At first reading it almost sounds as though Jesus deliberately hides the truth from some people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I do not believe that is what Matthew is saying.The quotation from Isaiah helps us understand the deeper meaning. The parables do not prevent people from believing. Rather, they reveal the disposition of the heart.Those whose hearts are open begin to glimpse the mystery of God’s Kingdom.nThose whose hearts remain closed simply hear another interesting story. The difference lies not in the parable but in the listener.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

God never forces himself upon us.Grace always respects our freedom.The Lord continually sows his Word, but we remain responsible for how we receive it.That responsibility runs right through Matthew’s Gospel. Again and again, Jesus invites rather than compels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> The Responsibility of the Sower<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I reflected more deeply, another thought emerged that challenged me personally. As a preacher, teacher and bishop, I spend much of my life sowing the Word. That made me ask a different question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How faithfully am I sowing?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only what<\/em> I preach, but how<\/em> I preach. The explanation of the Gospel matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The witness of one’s life matters. The manner in which the Word is offered can either encourage people to receive it or make it more difficult for them to hear. Of course, each person remains responsible for their own response. But I also remain responsible for the faithfulness with which I present Christ. That is something I continue to pray about.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Becoming Good Soil<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The encouraging thing about this parable is that soil is not fixed forever.The hard path can be broken open. The stones can be removed.The thorns can be cleared away. Good gardeners know that healthy soil requires constant attention.God patiently works within each of us.He tills. He prunes. He waters. He waits. Our task is simply to remain open to that work. The Word of God does not ask us for perfection before it is sown. It asks only that we continue allowing the Lord to cultivate our hearts. If we do that faithfully, fruit will come – perhaps not always in ways we immediately recognise, but always according to God’s purpose. As I prepare for this Sunday’s Gospel, I find myself praying for one simple grace:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lord, keep my heart open.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May I never become so distracted by the cares of this world that I lose the ability to hear your voice. And may whatever fruit is borne always point back to the One who first sowed the seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

David Walker<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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