“Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.” Matthew 13: 18-23

I thought everyone knew this parable but I was wrong. I assumed too much. I thought that Felipe, Daniel, and Bruno have had similar experiences as I have had as a child. You know, being woken up early on Sunday, made to wear nice but strangely uncomfortable clothes and listening to the stories of the gospels told in a fashion that children could comprehend and coloring their illustrations on paper. It is easy to forget that they never really had homes, special clothes, or even concerned parents. Consequently, they never participated all these various aspects of our culture that we might take for granted. Their exposure to religion consisted of bits and pieces from the street preaching more concerned about hell than anything else.

We read the parable of the sower together with Felipe once. I started out saying that usually most of us are concerned with being the good soil. Then, Felipe surprised us. He told us that he has never heard of this parable before. He did not understand its meaning let alone the final bit about the good soil. Even the notion of a “parable” was a mystery to him. I guess discerning the different literary genres and sub-genres is not the top of the priority list of the homeless youth. Now, he is in a different place. He is feeling secure about himself. He is ready to embark on a journey of discovering all the good things the world has to offer. He wanted to know what exactly is a parable. To my surprise, I found myself fumbling around trying to find the precise words to explain its meaning. It wasn’t as easy as I thought.

I told him that it is a simple story using everyday things to explain a truth or a moral value. Then I realized why Felipe was confused with the parable of the sower. He spent all his life in the concrete jungle. His contact with nature is very limited. He has never had a father or uncle or grandfather that was into gardening like most of us. In fact, I am the first person he knows who cultivates plants. The concepts of good and bad soil does not resonate with him. As far as he is concern, they are all the same. Basically, all the imagery used in the parable was meaningless to him. Nevertheless, he was keen on knowing its meaning. I thought that it was my role to explain it to him. Unfortunately, my attempt bordered on being pathetic. I resorted to the traditional interpretation. As soon as I gave the answer, I realized that it was a mere automated response void of any reflection. The problem is that I assumed too much. The parable was indeed more difficult and complex than I initially thought. Felipe was kind enough to pretend that he understood my explanation. However, I have known him long enough to discern the signs of comprehension in his expressions.

Upon a closer reflection, I realized that there was many things that are unclear in this parable. The seed, for example, Jesus explains is the word of the Kingdom. Over the years, this has been reduced to doctrines and official teachings of the Church. However, none of these things were in existence when Jesus taught. Besides, the seed was suppose to be dynamic and produce a creative reaction in the soil. Over the years, I have seen that it is possible to accept dynamic doctrines without generating any life-giving fruits. This, of course, brings up a second problem. Jesus mentions the good soil bearing much fruits. Anyone concerned about this parable always desires to be this kind of soil. Unfortunately, many churches have defined fruits according to their doctrines too. For many years, I was convinced that it meant bringing souls into the Kingdom. However, we don’t bring anyone into the Kingdom of God. It is never an ability bestowed upon us. Only the Holy Spirit is able to illume souls with the divine knowledge of God’s love. Our words and arguments are powerless without the Holy Spirit. If anything, they can be a distraction. I have also been taught that bearing fruits means producing without any clear idea what production means. I suppose that it means religious works or charitable works. The Pharisees were good at doing such things and yet Jesus said that they were barren, actually he even mentions something much worse such as being a “child of hell.” Being productive religiously may not necessarily mean that we are being fruitful.

Every weekend, we meet with Felipe in a square near where we both live. We read the Bible together and talk about what it means and have a short prayer time. In other words, it is our church service. It is a little different than what we are used to but it is a gathering of two or three in His Name. I have to say that it is one of my best congregations. After writing this, we will meet with Felipe. It is going to be my second chance to share this parable in a way that it connects with him. For him, the thing that he understands the best is relationship. It was the only wealth he possessed in the streets. It helped him overcome many hardships and feeling of abandonment. He perceives the world through his relationships. They are his teachers, his church and his everything. In reality, this is true for all of us too but sometimes we allow other things to confuse us. Felipe possesses nothing but relationships in this world. If he is going to understand anything truth, it has to be presented in the context of a relationship.

The seed is none other than our Lord offering Himself to us. God does not impose Himself on anyone but He offers Himself in doses that we are able to handle. Some people are given the opportunity to meet Him. Maybe He comes to them through a person that displeases them. They reject Him without giving a second thought. There are others who receive Him and then don’t bother to go further with the relationship. They enjoy the idea of meeting Jesus in whatever form He represents Himself. However, they never go beyond the superficial to truly enjoy the wealth that is found in Him. Then there are others who receive Him but they think that they can serve both God and Mammon. Eventually, the latter takes priority over the former. Finally, there are the ones who receive Him readily without any conditions. They don’t expect Him to act in their favor always. They just accept Him as He presents Himself. They are always open to see Him present in anyway or anyone whom He chooses to manifest Himself. With time, they are able to discern His presence in the lives of the other as they make themselves available to others. Their lives become richer and they make the lives of others around richer too. They may never produce as the world thinks a productive person should be. Nevertheless, everyone who meets them cannot help but feel that something new has been created in their souls.

I think Felipe will understand this because each Sunday when we meet with and pray with him. We go home feeling something new has been created in our innermost being. I recently wrote to a friend mentioning this very interesting detail. We came here initially to minister to these homeless children and teens but, in the end, we are the ones who go home each day richer than ever. Albeit, I can’t say that this is true for all of them. I don’t want to paint a romanticized picture of reality here. There are all kinds of soil among the homeless but when you meet with good soil like Felipe or Bruno or Daniel or Aline, you cannot leave without feeling enriched.

It is almost time for church now. Our congregation of one is waiting for us at our usual place. I can’t wait to read this parable with Felipe.