God is Waiting

Today, Jesus speaks to a crowd of people in a parable, that’s a little difficult to understand. Usually, a parable is divided into two parts. He gives an example or a story and THEN relates it to us and our relationship with God in a practical way.

THIS TIME, Jesus just gives us the example and then says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

The disciples question Jesus’ approach wondering why he speaks to them in parables and it’s almost as if Jesus is fed up.

He quotes Isaiah which explains that the people of God are not receiving well. All of their senses are working but they are not able to take it in. Their eyes might work. Their ears might work.

But nothing enters because their hearts are DULL.

And what is it that Jesus wants to give? In his explanation he says it’s about hearing and receiving The Word of the Kingdom.

This word of the Kingdom is God’s word that he speaks to us. The word that inspires us to do good. The word that guards us from sin and temptation. The word that keeps us from being deceived and taken advantage of. The word that gives us strength to carry our cross.

This word God wants to give us but he says there’s a problem when he wishes to give this word to us. That’s where the parable comes in. He wants to sow these good seeds of the word of the Kingdom in our hearts but there are things in the way of growth.

A seed can’t grow and will die if it’s planted on rocky ground.

Think of monsoon season and when a really bad storm hits. All you see is a bunch of trees on the streets of Phoenix. Why? Because they have no depth in their roots.

So many of us aim to be great and take great strides in our faith, but to have deep roots we have to rely not on our own strength but relying on Gods.

Our strength dies quickly. And we want to receive the word of God and want it to take deep root, we have to

A seed can’t grow and will die if it’s planted in thorns.

Thorns are everything that choke out the word of God.

This can happen because we become so occupied. Not necessarily busy. But occupied.

Occupied with our work. Our relationships. Our school. Our tasks. Our hobbies. Our kid’s extracurricular activities. And our vacations.

We do ALL of this and we’re now too busy for prayer. No time to go to mass.

And if we’re too busy for prayer and mass, we’re too busy.

It’s not that we’re substituting it for anything bad. But it’s often good things that we’re doing. But it’s often the less important good things, which become the enemy of what is MOST important.

A seed can’t grow and will die if it’s planted on a path.

This happens because the seed DOESN’T even enter the soil. This can happen because we’re not present. Either because we’re not physically here or because we’re here but not attentive.

At the end of all this, Jesus doesn’t just want to give us words of wisdom. He doesn’t want to give us one liners to live our life by. The word of God is not made up of letters, the word of God became flesh in JESUS Christ.

So it makes sense Jesus is frustrated because this whole time he wants to GIVE himself to us and we are either not here, not serious, or too busy for him.

If you are sitting here thinking “I’ve been waiting for God to step in and bless me.” God says, you’re waiting? Scripture says “The Lord WAITS to be gracious to you.”

If you’re waiting, remember he’s waiting on you.