Sexagesima Sunday
by the Revd Dr Robert Wilson PhD (Cantab), Old Roman Apostolate UK
Today is Sexagesima Sunday, the second of the three Sundays of the Gesima season, in which the Church prepares for Lent. Today’s Gospel is the Parable of the Sower, which tells us the story of how a sower went out to sow his seed. Some fell by the wayside, some on stony ground, and some among thorns, but some fell on the good soil and yielded much fruit. When the disciples question the meaning of the parable, Jesus responds that to them has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, but to those without (those who are not Jesus’ disciples) everything is spoken in parables that hearing they may not understand. The parable is then explained to mean that the seed is the Word of God, the seed fallen by the wayside stands for those who do not respond at all to Jesus’ message, that fallen on stony ground those who initially respond with joy but have no root, that fallen among thorns those who respond for a time but are choked by the cares of this life and fall away, and that fallen on the good soil, for those who do respond and bear fruit.
What is the mystery of the Kingdom of God which the parable explains? The Kingdom of God was the hope of Israel which the prophets looked forward to, that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. It is this Kingdom for which Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. The mystery of the Kingdom of God is that in Jesus’ words and works, the Kingdom, future in its fullness, is now being inaugurated. Hence, for those with eyes to see they were already living in the days of fulfilment, albeit in paradoxical form. In Jesus’ mighty works there were signs of the messianic age in which the eyes of the blind were opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. In his words, not least his parables, the Kingdom was also being inaugurated by its proclaimer. Blessed are those eyes which see the things that ye see, for many prophets and righteous men have desired to see the things that ye see and have not seen them and hear those things that ye hear and have not heard them.
However, while Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God was addressed to all Israel, and some responded, most did not. The parable of the Sower is about the response to the proclamation of the Kingdom of God in Jesus’ ministry. It is a warning to those who do not respond that they face judgement, but an encouragement to those who do respond that, despite seeming failure, the faithful remnant of Israel was being gathered around Jesus. The seed was growing secretly, the mustard seed was growing into a tree, the leaven was working through the lump, the wheat was growing even among the tares.
While the proclamation of Jesus was the fulfilment of the hope of Israel, it also recapitulated the response to the Hebrew prophets in past history. They had addressed themselves to the nation as a whole, a message of God’s judgment and mercy, yet only a few responded. Most did not. Those who responded formed the faithful remnant of Israel.
This was true in the time of the old covenant and in the proclamation of Jesus, and it is also true from the first days of the Church, the faithful remnant of Israel, until now. The Gospel message is addressed to all times and all places, for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and are justified freely by his grace, yet only a few respond. Most do not. It might be said that in past ages of faith it was different and that most did respond, but it may well be that this was more due to convention than true commitment. Certainly now only a few respond. The message of the parable of the sower is that we should not be disheartened, for even if seed mostly falls by the wayside, on stony ground and among thorns, it still sometimes falls on good soil.
St. Paul, in today’s epistle, writes of his own ministry as one of struggle and conflict. There were some who challenged his status as an apostle, and he speaks of the opposition he faced. There were those who said that his letters were weighty and strong, but his presence weak and his speech contemptible. Yet he had learned to glory in his infirmities, of power made perfect in weakness. The message of the Cross was foolishness to those who were perishing, but to those who were being saved it is Christ the wisdom of God and Christ the power of God. The message was foolishness to the Greeks, who looked for wisdom from philosophy rather than a crucified Saviour, and a stumbling block to the Jews, who did not acknowledge the first coming of the Messiah as a suffering servant before his final advent in glory at the end of the age. Yet despite not numbering many wise and many mighty, some seed fell on good soil.
This is a lesson for us today. Even if only a few respond, we must still preach the Gospel in season and out of season. For we have this treasure in earthen vessels, and among us even now the seed is growing secretly.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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