Daily Devotional for July 24

 

July 24                                                                Mark 4:1-20

A parable is an allegorical story which seeks to make one par-
ticular point. Jesus knew that only those who were concerned
with his message and goals would fully comprehend the mean-
ing of his teachings. Yet the disciples themselves, who should
certainly have understood his message, failed to see his point,
making it necessary for Jesus to explain even to them the mean-
ing of his parable.

Jesus is himself the sower of the word. He uses the common
experience of their agrarian life in trying to describe the
spreading of his word and the anticipated yield of the effort.
He had no illusions concerning the loyalty of the crowds. He
knew well the shortness of the average human's attention span,
and he rightly understood a crowd's momentary fascination
with the spectacular and the miraculous. He also clearly
understood that no moment of excitement or grand miracle
would establish and sustain the divine purpose in the sowing
of the word. Hence the disciples were chosen both to learn
this word directly from him and to disseminate it through
preaching, teaching, and healing as they traveled among the
people. Their task, begun while Jesus was still among them,
was to continue after the Resurrection and throughout the
remainder of their lives.

Jesus was the sower who went forth to sow upon the soil of
human need and experience the good news of God's love for
all people. His disciples were not far behind in spreading this
same good news. Today as we listen, the singular point of the
parable to us is that we, too, are sowers sent forth to sow.

            Jesus, give me the opportunities and the
         words today to sow the seeds of the Gospel
                      in the earth of human need.

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C