Today’s parable is almost too familiar… and it comes with an explanation too. There’s no excuse, really, for not hearing, understanding, and applying the word in a way that is fruitful. Or is there? Could the image of the hard path apply to us, if we don’t let Jesus’ teaching crack open our heart as well as our mind? Are we rocky ground, where shallowness means we give up in the face of trouble or opposition? Are our lives like a thorny patch, where cares and distractions just don’t leave us room for growth? Fruitfulness comes when the word penetrates both heart and mind, when we let it probe us deeply (that can be painful!), and when we don’t let over-full lives choke out the chance to change and grow as followers of Jesus.
David Reeve
Hobart North UC