Two Seeds, One Message
1 CORINTHIANS 15:35-37, 42-49; PSALM 55; LUKE 8:4-15
The Scriptures this day set before us the mystery of a seed, yet with a twofold meaning: our Lord declares the seed to be the Word of God, while the Apostle Paul beholds in the seed the sure hope of the resurrection of the body.
“How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” (1 Cor 15:35). Paul says what is sown in weakness and corruption will be raised in glory and incorruption. Just as a seed planted in the ground does not remain the same, our present mortal bodies will be transformed by God.
However, the spiritual body does not mean “no body”. For Paul says “It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.” (1 Cor. 15:44). This expression can easily be misunderstood. A “spiritual body” does not mean that we become ghosts or invisible spirits. The risen Christ is the foundation of this belief. After His resurrection, Jesus was not merely a memory or a spirit. He was truly risen, yet His existence was transformed. They touched and he even ate with them. So the resurrected body is a glorified body.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the seed to represent the Word of God and the different soils to represent the human heart. The same Word is preached to everyone, but it produces different results. Some hearts are hardened, some lack roots, and others are choked by worldly cares, riches and pleasures. But the good soil receives the Word, holds it firmly and bears fruit with patience.
Both seeds challenge us to prepare for the harvest of eternity by allowing God’s Word to bear fruit in our lives today. Faith in the resurrection should produce holiness, love, forgiveness, perseverance and hope.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, make our hearts good soil for your Word. Help us to bear good fruit in this life and remain faithful until we share in your glorious resurrection. Amen.
Fr. Daniel Evbotokhai
