A Play of Evangelization

The enjoyable part about today’s Gospel (Mk. 4:1-20) is that it is written like a two-scene play. You can just see the scenes playing out in your mind as it is read. Scene one is Jesus preaching parables from a boat to a crowd on the beach. Scene two is Jesus being approached by the disciples, perhaps walking by a field of grain, explaining the parable of the seed sown.

I’m sure some in the crowd in the first scene hearing the parable had the question, “Is he teaching us to farm?” That parable without the explanation could seem a bit random. Imagine it grouped with other parables. It may have seemed even more random! But the disciples knew that Jesus wasn’t random. His words had purpose.

That’s why the second scene is so important. Even though those following Jesus may not have understood, they still sought Jesus out and didn’t leave until he explained. They hung on his every word. (cf. Lk.19:48)

The Word

So, what exactly did he say? “The sower sows the word…” (Mk.4:14) What did he mean by “the word“? Was this enough clarification for them or were they still confused? The Christian mind can go to the beginning of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Jn. 1:1) With this interpretation, “the word” would be Jesus Himself. The sower sows Jesus.

Or does “the word” mean more what the two blind men who were healed did? “But they went out and spread word of him throughout that land.” (Mt.9:31) They spread their words about Jesus. Christianity calls this “spreading the Good News.” (cf. Lk.2:10) Actually, either interpretation will work.

Revealing Himself

It seems to me that the key to understanding any of Jesus’s parables lies in understanding what he meant by that one line: “The sower sows the word.” He was telling them that the parable was about Him and the message of who He is. He was revealing Himself to them. All of the parables are about that: Jesus revealing Himself to the world.

[Readings: 2 Sm 7:4-17; Mk 4:1-20]