Jesus compares the word of God, intended to produce fruit in our lives, to seed sowed in the earth by the farmer. The seed of the word of God is first planted in our hearts. If it doesn't get our whole hearted attention in our lives, it withers and dies. Growth in the life of Christ is not always a smooth and straightforward process. The different types of soil can be the varied response we make to His word depending on the twists and turns of life. When we meet with disappointments and setbacks, obstacles may pile up against our good intentions and weakens our choices. Moments like this call for deep faith. No matter what the situation, we have to struggle to believe.
The word of God has a mysterious power to change us. The thorny patch that our lives may be currently experiencing could be Christ's way of calling us to a deeper union with Him. Experience tells us we have to work for anything that is worth having. Reaping the rich harvest of God's goodness depends on our openness to receive His word. There is good soil in every human heart and given time and effort the Spirit of the living God will put deep roots in our lives assuring us of our salvation.
Fr. Arsenio