Forgiveness fortitude and generosity

The themes of forgiveness, fortitude and generosity connect the texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today.

Sowing generosity

In the Letter to the Hebrews Jesus is connected to the message of Jeremiah about a new covenant written on our hearts.

 * [10:11–18] Whereas the levitical priesthood offered daily sacrifices that were ineffectual in remitting sin (Heb 10:11), Jesus offered a single sacrifice that won him a permanent place at God’s right hand. There he has only to await the final outcome of his work (Heb 10:12–13; cf. Ps 110:1). Thus he has brought into being in his own person the new covenant prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer 31:33–34) that has rendered meaningless all other offerings for sin (Heb 10:14–18).1

In the Gospel from Mark, The Parable of the Sower looks at the preparation of hearts for the Word and our need to be generous as we witness Jesus to all.

 * [4:11–12] These verses are to be viewed against their background in Mk 3:6, 22 concerning the unbelief and opposition Jesus encountered in his ministry. It is against this background that the distinction in Jesus’ method becomes clear of presenting the kingdom to the disbelieving crowd in one manner and to the disciples in another. To the former it is presented in parables and the truth remains hidden; for the latter the parable is interpreted and the mystery is partially revealed because of their faith; see notes on Mt 13:11 and Mt 13:13.2

Diane Jorgensen comments that as we hear this parable our first response might be “What is my ground like?

 Might God be “ising” everywhere, throwing seed right and left, far and near, from a bottomless bag of seed, not being too particular about where it lands, confident there is always more? Knowing that the harvest will provide more than enough for everyone? The sower isn’t clearing the rocks and weeds, and fertilizing the soil to assure the greatest yield, but rather, spreading seed everywhere! Sure, some seed will be eaten by birds, what of it? There is always more. Perhaps this parable is about the abundance and generosity and patience – and perhaps even “wastefulness” - of the Divine life, and incredibly, not so much about a God who is disapproving, cautious and calculating … or even practical.
Here is where I see a connection with the first reading – the encouraging Letter to the Hebrews:
“This is the covenant I will establish with themafter those days, says the Lord:"I will put my laws in their hearts,and I will write them upon their minds,"Their sins and their evildoingI will remember no more.
Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer offering for sin.”
Everyone gets seed - not penalty or punishment – even those of us with weedy, rocky, dry patches of soil.3

Don Schwager quotes “Why does this generation seek a sign,” by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD).

 "As the sower fairly and indiscriminately disperses seed broadly over all his field, so does God offer gifts to all,11 making no distinction between rich and poor, wise and foolish, lazy or diligent, brave or cowardly. He addresses everyone, fulfilling his part, although knowing the results beforehand... Why then, tell me, was so much of the seed lost? Not through the sower, but through the ground that received it - meaning the soul that did not listen... Even though more seed would be lost than survive, the disciples were not to lose heart. For it is the way of the Lord never to stop sowing the seed, even when he knows beforehand that some of it will not respond. But how can it be reasonable, one asks, to sow among the thorns, or on the rock, or alongside the road? Maybe it is not reasonable insofar as it pertains only to seeds and earth, for the bare rock is not likely to turn into tillable soil, and the roadside will remain roadside and the thorns, thorns. But in the case of free wills and their reasonable instruction, this kind of sowing is praiseworthy. For the rocky soul can in time turn into rich soil. Among souls, the wayside may come no longer to be trampled by all that pass, and may become a fertile field. The thorns may be destroyed and the seed enjoy full growth. For had this not been impossible, this sower would not have sown. And even if no change whatever occurs in the soul, this is no fault of the sower, but of those who are unwilling to be changed. He has done his part." (excerpt from GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW, HOMILY 44.5.1)4

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 4:1-20 asks how about seeing yourself as the sower instead? Maybe it’s worth considering how we are doing in the call to sow the word of God into the people around us.

 If there is one word that characterizes the sower in this parable, it is generous. This fellow spreads his seeds everywhere! He doesn’t seem all that concerned about where the seed will fall. He just casts it to and fro.
Isn’t this a great image for how we should view evangelization? Shouldn’t we be generous, almost indiscriminate, in the way we share God’s word and his promises? We don’t have to worry about where the seeds may fall or the “soil quality” of the people with whom we share the word. It shouldn’t matter whether we think the ground is too hard, too weedy, too thorny, or just right. It’s the Lord who gives the growth, not us (1 Corinthians 3:6-7). All we have to worry about is imitating the generosity of the sower.5

Friar Jude Winkler reviews the inadequacy of the priestly offerings of the Hebrew Testament. The Parable of the Sower is connected to the Shema Israel through reference to loving with heart, mind, and strength. Friar Jude connects the apparently difficult passage of Mark 4.11-12 to Isaiah 6.9-10 .

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, observes that many who call themselves conservative seem to believe that Jesus is fully divine and we are barely human. Liberals and many non-believers seem to believe that Jesus is only human, and the divine isn’t necessary. Both sides are missing the major point of putting divine and human together! They both lack the proper skill set of the contemplative mind.

 Matter and Spirit must be recognized as inseparable in Christ before we have the courage and insight to acknowledge and honor the same in ourselves and in the entire universe. Jesus is the Archetype of Everything.
One of my favorite Orthodox scholars, Olivier Clément (1921–2009), helps explain early Eastern Christianity’s understanding of Christ with some profound statements of his own:
How could humanity on earth, enslaved by death, recover its wholeness? It was necessary to give to dead flesh the ability to share in the life-giving power of God. He, though he is Life by nature, took a body subject to decay in order to destroy in it the power of death and transform it into life. As iron when it is brought in contact with fire immediately begins to share its colour, so the flesh when it has received the life-giving Word into itself is set free from corruption. Thus he put on our flesh to set it free from death. [1]
The whole of humanity, “forms, so to speak, a single living being.” In Christ we form a single body, we are all “members of one another.” For the one flesh of humanity and of the earth “brought into contact” in Christ “with the fire” of his divinity, is henceforward secretly and sacramentally deified. [2]6

The forgiveness expressed in Jesus Covenant and our call to be generous witnesses to His fullness of life are fruits of our contemplation of Jesus full integration of human and Divine and His invitation to us to participate in this Love.

References

1	(n.d.). Hebrews, chapter 10 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/hebrews/10
2	(n.d.). Mark, chapter 4 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from http://www.usccb.org/bible/mark/4
3	(n.d.). Creighton U Daily Reflections .... Retrieved January 30, 2019, from http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html
4	(n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/
5	(n.d.). 3rd Week in Ordinary Time - Mass Readings and Catholic Daily .... Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://wau.org/meditations/
6	(n.d.). Daily Meditations Archive: January 2019 - Center for Action and .... Retrieved January 30, 2019, from https://cac.org/category/daily-meditations/2019/01/