In the parable of the sower, I would like to draw your attention to the large quantities of seeds that are wasted in a barren land. The fruitfulness of those who hear the word of God and live according to it are the focal point of the parable. However, the insistence on the waste—failure and disappointment—is an important element in this parable. It reflects the reality of the world in which evil appears much stronger, more efficient than good. Note also its progressive, relentless dominance: the seed does not sprout, that which sprouts does not grow, that which grows is suffocated.
To understand the parable deeper, it should be noted that in the time of Jesus, sowing was done before and not after the field had been prepared. The farmer sowed before plowing, hoeing, eradicating the brambles and removing the stones. So we understand why the seeds are in unprepared grounds.
The farmer in the parable is apparently working in vain and wasting seed and energy. It is hard to believe that, in a field reduced to that state, something can sprout. Instead, after sowing, he plows: the paths disappear, thorns and grass are removed, the stones moved and the field that seemed unproductive, after a short time, is covered first by corn stalks, then by blonde ears. A true miracle! His word gives abundant fruits because it has in itself an irresistible force of life.
All of us have sometimes wondered if it’s worth proclaiming the word of God in a corrupt world in which we live; if it still makes sense to speak of the evangelical beatitudes to people who do not listen, whose heart are hardened, who think only about money, entertainment, and of what is transitory, fleeting. When these thoughts arise it is time to profess faith in the divine power contained in the word of the gospel.
The scarcity of results does not depend either on the seed or the sower but on the type of soil.
There is, first of all, a hardened heart, made as such—as it happens with the soil of a road—by many people who have walked on it. It represents the impenetrable heart to the word of Christ because it has assimilated the way of thinking of this world, adapted to current morality and adopted the values proposed by the people.
Then, there is a variable heart that gets easily excited, but after a few days, it goes back to what it was before. It is like a rock covered with a thin layer of earth: if one plants a seed, this sprouts but dries up immediately.
Finally, there is a good heart in which the gospel produces abundant fruit.
It is not about the four categories of persons but four interior dispositions that are found in different proportions in every person. It is useless that the evangelist, to launch the precious seed of the word, waits to find the ideal terrain, that which is perfectly fertile. Good soil, thorns, rocks, and arid soil will always be together. For the disciples, it will become a stimulus for a more abundant sowing. Many efforts will be in vain, but one day, punctually, the crop will make its appearance in every person.