15th Sunday, Year A: Reflection by Fr. Julian O. Ekeh

Theme: WHAT IS CHOKING THE WORD OF GOD IN YOU?

(Matthew 13:1–23)

Today, the word of God is compared to a seed. Jesus is the sower. The ministers of the word are also sowers with Christ.

The attention is on the condition of the seed after it has been sown, yes the condition of the word of God, the place of Jesus in your soul when you receive Him. Jesus indeed is the word incarnate.

Back to the seed. Jesus in the Gospel presents that some fell on the path and got eaten up by birds, others fell on rocky ground, got scorched and withered. Others fell on thorns and were choked. What choked them? Let us see.

THE CHOKING ELEMENTS

We’ve got to consider the various choking elements in the Gospel. They are the forces that can not cohabit with the word of God. They are those things that resist the word of God. Those factors that wouldn’t allow the word to live in you.

They may be persecutions, sickness, and uncertainties, the thorns may be bad friends, they are thorns of silence and indifference. They are thorns of jealousy and greed. They may be thorns of family misunderstanding.

These thorns are there to grieve and strangle the word of God in you.

They are the thorns of social media bringing you to faithlessness by destructive doubts and unhealthy criticism,leading to trivialization of spiritual matters.

These choking thorns are the thorns of Eve’s demonic visitor. He comes after you must have received the word. He comes when you must have made a decision to make a positive change. He comes to ask: Did God say..?

Yes, when you are about to make out something good from the word He comes to ask you: Did the word of say you should be faithful to your husband? Did the word of God say you should be faithful to your wife?

Did the word of God say you should not take such big money in the name of being a good politician?

Did the word of God say you shouldn’t use what you have to get what you need?

Did the word of God mean that you should die for the truth? Are you Jesus Christ? Do you want to die poor?

It is not called stealing. It is no crime, it is an online business.

The choker can be one of the following:

PERSONS

To make out something positive from the word of God you hear, you have to avoid certain persons in your life. Their presence around you will never allow you to be as fruitful as you should be.

He or she waits for you at home to annoy you. He or she may be your real source of temptation. He readily avails himself on a platter to you whenever you decide to take a step forward.

She may be your wife refusing you from being charitable to your neighbours. He may be your husband complaining about your religious activities and devotional prayers.

They may be friends encouraging you to: be a drug addict, extortioner, lazy, stubborn, dress seductively, and be wild. They tell you to shine your eyes.

THINGS

When one gets attached to possession, wealth, fame, popularity, gifts, and the like, they may choke the word of God in him, making it unfruitful.

CONDITIONS

One’s attitude to his environment and situation can either be an enablement for the word to thrive or not. Such situations like hunger in the land, unemployment, corruption, marital problems, vocation crisis, disappointments, frustrations, nonpayment of salaries, etc.

Never allow any situation , cares, and worries of this life to kill the seed of life in you, the seed of success, the seed of eternity.

May God bless His word in our hearts.

LET US PRAY

May nothing choke the word of God in you. As you hear this word today, may God bless you and make you a good soil that will bear abundant fruits. Remain blessed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Happy Sunday (15th Sunday, Ordinary Time, Yr A)

Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh