Jesus Explains the Parable of the Sower, part I.
And he said to them, "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. (4:13-14)
For my disciples to understand, they had to come to God in prayer and to listen to him. I already had taught them the basics on how to speak with the Father, what is called the 'Our Father' prayer. Yet, many take this prayer as an end in itself, and not as a start for listening and dialoguing with the Father. They are not magical words, but a path to enter into communication with the Father. In this communion, the Father would have been able to explain to them the meaning of the parable, since He is the one who asked me to teach this parable. Since they did not understand, I took time to explain this important parable to them.
The first key element is that the sower sows the word. A word is like the first step in a dialogue, initiating an encounter and inviting a response. Many people think that I can speak only through biblical texts, as if I were dead or as if it was the only things I want to tell to people. I have so much more to say, to lead each child of the Father in a deeper communion with us. How can people learn to love us with all their heart, soul and strength, with only a written text? They need to meet us in prayer, to sense that the Holy Spirit really dwells in them and that they can speak to us and listen to us. The Bible is indeed of extreme importance, as a foundation for the relationship with us. Yet, to think that it is sufficient for a real love to grow is really naive. That is why I promised that I would send the Holy Spirit, to lead you to discover how much the Father loves you, and that you can be in communion with us and continue to learn from us. I did give all the foundations for teaching people to come to the Father in the Gospels. Yet, these foundations have to come alive and lead you on the path of love. Through the presence of the Holy Spirit in you, you become able to hear us clearly and to see us work through you the works of the Father, for His glory.
I came to sow the word of God in hearts. I was and I am the Word. When people welcome me, they welcome my message and my way of perfect communion with the Father. That is why I stressed so much the importance of faith, this confident trust in the Father, as you learn to ask Him and listen to Him. Also, since the Father and I are one, when I speak with you I manifest the presence of the Father. The one who enters in relationship with me is also in relationship with the Father, we are united in all we do. This is the same with the Holy Spirit.
The parable of the sower is a key for the life of the kingdom. People have to welcome me - the Word of God, to welcome my words and to be guided toward a living and continual communion with God. This is the real life of the Spirit, the eternal life. The texts of the Gospels lead to God, not simply to principles to apply - even if they are good principles. As long as this does not lead you to develop a real love for the Father, to receive His abounding love and to live through this love, the Word has not yet brought its fruit.
And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. (4:15)
In this world, there are not only positive spiritual forces. You have Satan and all the evil spirits. They have already lost their places of honor by rebelling against the Father. They have lost the battle. Yet, they could convince humans not to trust the Father, from Adam and Eve to today. The Father allowed that to happen, knowing that it was a necessary element for humans to learn to love the Father fully. Without choice there is no real love. The Father wanted real love, and therefore allowed this to happen.
Don't focus on Satan or on demons, because they will try to destroy your trust in the perfect Father.
When a person hears a word from us, either through a verse in the Bible, through a dream, a vision or an audible direction from us, Satan tries to remove this word. He often uses distraction, that is a method of choice for him, specially in your busy world with all these electronic tools that pull you easily away from relationships with your neighbor and from God. They can be good or bad tools, discern well and use them wisely. Satan also uses fear or all the negative emotions to draw our words out of the hearts of people.
Each person has a choice, has a will to use. You each have a responsibility concerning what you let grow in you. Each human is like a field where different plants can grow, some good and some bad. To bring good fruit they first have to keep the good seeds, the words we sow in them. If they don't value and pay attention to these words from us, Satan will come and snatch them away from their hearts, like a bird picking a seed from a path.
When your heart is hardened, bitter, it is like a path where it is hard for new seed to take root. This happens when you think you know better than the others. This hardness of heart comes from pride, when you think that you have understood what life is and that you have no need to learn to love. This is the opposite of a persons poor in spirit, who is teachable and seeks our help and our presence each and every day. Can you live without food for a long time? In the same way, you cannot live spiritually without living words from us. I am the Living Word, I am the way to eternal life. It is this living communion with me, speaking and listening to me and to the Father, that will allow you to learn to love and to be full of joy in this world.
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