One of the most well-known parables Jesus told was the Parable of the Sower. The point of Jesus telling this story was to explain to His disciples that one’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of one’s heart. But did you realize that this parable has another underlying message? The Parable of the Sower can be a perfect way for parents to evaluate how they are raising their kids as authentic Christians in today’s corrupt and immoral culture.
To refresh your memory, here in the parable in Matthew 13:
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen! …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.’”
I would like you to reread this parable, but now consider that Jesus is talking about you and your children, with your role as a parent related to the various types of soil and ground, and your kids being the seeds that will hopefully sprout and grow.
First, when the ground is simply a path, with no soil at all, that is similar to a kid being raised in an atheistic or agnostic household. There is no type of foundation for spiritual or moral growth.
Next, when Jesus describes seeds that fell on rocky ground that did not have much soil, that is akin to a child who was baptized, but then grew up with little attention given to his or her faith life, such as the family only attending Mass twice a year – at Easter and Christmas. Because there are no deeply established roots with a child raised in this manner, the ways of the world will win over and this person when older will join the two largest groups of Catholics there are – the former Catholics or the non-practicing Catholics.
For the seeds that fell among thorns that choked them, this example parallels a child who might have had a good Catholic upbringing, such as attending Mass every Sunday as a family and even attending Catholic school. The thorns represent what the child’s parents allow him or her to be surrounded by and influenced by – propagandizing social media, debauched Hollywood shows and celebrities, sinful friends, and unfiltered internet. One won’t survive even if raised in rich soil as long as all of this immorality is allowed to take hold.
As for what was sown on good soil and bears fruit, this is the child who is raised in a Christ-loving family and sees his parents as models of what it means to love God with one’s whole heart and soul. Being raised in good soil means the child is raised to fear God – out of love – but also to fear the culture – out of caution for its evil and possibly demonic ways.
My prayer for you parents is our Lord will bless you with the talents needed to be a wise and skillful sower. I pray that He guards your minds from the harmful lies of today’s culture and grants you discernment to recognize truth, so you can educate your children correctly.
May our Almighty Father make you strong and courageous, able to withstand peer pressure from fellow parents who are not faithfully Christian, even if taking a stand proves to be lonely. May He help you realize the only safe place for you and your children is in Jesus, and may you never lose sight of the fact that worldly things and our earthly home are only temporary and don’t provide the eternal reward you should desire for you and your children.
“Parents should regard as their proper mission the task of transmitting human life and educating those to whom it has been transmitted. They should realize that they are thereby cooperators with the love of God the Creator, and are, so to speak, the interpreters of that love… It is the duty of parents to create a family atmosphere inspired by love and devotion to God and their fellow men.” (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
God bless you, parents, in your job as the most significant and instrumental people in your children’s lives!
A PRINCIPAL'S PRINCIPLES FOR PARENTING 