The Four Types of People in the Church

Rev. Marcel Divine Emeka Okwara, CSsR

Homily for the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

St. Mary of Assumption Church, Whittier, CA 

July 16, 2017

In the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23), Jesus used a familiar picture to describe different responses to the word of God whenever it is preached. He used the image of a sower to teach how people receive the word of God, how they react to it, and what they do with it. A sower went to his farm to sow seeds. As he spread the seed, some fell on the path and were quickly eaten up by some hungry birds. Some fell on rocky ground, but due to lack of sufficient soil, it sprang up immediately. When the sun arose, it was scorched and killed for its lack of support and foundation. Some seed fell among thorns, and as the thorns grew up, it choked it to death. But the sower’s effort and industry was not entirely a futile one. Some of his seed did fall on rich soil and produced bountiful fruits. You know, it’s not difficult to figure out that the sower is the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, and his Bride, the Church; the seed is the Word of God, and the soil is each of us, our hearts. It’s about the kind of soil we provide for the seed, God’s word, to either thrive or die. But from the parable of the sower, we can identify four types of people that can be found in the Church.

The seed that fell on the path are people who go to church regularly but the church never goes into them. They go to church with their minds and hearts shut against the life-changing word of God. Pride, prejudice (i.e. preconception) and fear prevent them from hearing the truth. Prejudice causes them to reject anything they don’t want to hear; pride convinces them that they know everything and do not need any further instruction; and fear shuts their ears from hearing anything that condemns the things they love and do. The Gospel of Jesus calls for a change of life and lifestyle. These churchgoers are fearful of the new life expected of a disciple; they don’t want to lose their old lives, which obviously they enjoy. As such, they remain on the pathway and hardly get to the destination of complete union and enjoyment of God. They stay on the side-way and never gain entrance to enjoy the rich soil of the Kingdom of God. Eventually, they are eaten up by spiritual hawks and are denied the opportunity to bear fruit.

The seed that fell on rocky ground are church-folks who hear the word of God, receive it with great joy, but easily fall away when tempted, tested and persecuted. After hearing the gospel of prosperity, breakthrough, and material abundance, they become so excited at what they stand to receive from the Lord, even when they don’t plan to give anything, not even their life to him. But once it appears that God is delaying to answer, they give up. They want the crown but not the cross. They are addicted to good feeling, and their addiction has convinced them that every form of suffering, even redemptive suffering is unacceptable. They want to live the kind of life that Jesus, our Master never lived. To such Christians, every inconvenience, no matter how small, is a reason not to go to Church or be involved in the life of the church. When they pray at all, they do so telling God what they want, what he has not done and never thank him for what he has done for them. These Christians pick and choose the passage of the Bible to accept and believe. Their faith in God is so shallow that any itchy feeling is a reason to walk away from him and go in search of a sharp-sharp miracle working God. 

The seed that fell among thorns are Christians who are anxious and troubled about many things that they forget the most important of all— knowing, loving and serving the Lord.  Such Christians become too busy to go to church, too busy to pray, too busy to read the Bible, too busy to volunteer for anything in the church, too busy join any ministry and sometimes, too busy for their families. They are so engrossed in the things of this world, so absorbed with their businesses that they have no time for God, the church or anyone else, including themselves. The fleeting things of this world crowd their hearts and finally crowd Jesus out.

But glory be to God! There are some seed that fell on rich soil and produced bountiful harvest. These are Christians who accept the word of God with an open mind. They are not too proud to listen and to obey. They don’t assume to know it all. They are attentive to the word of God and accept it even when it condemns what they love to do. They understand that it is not enough to show up in church, that the church must show up in them. In the house of God and in the community, they use their talents, time and treasure in the building up of God’s house and God’s people. They continuously give and never get tired of giving. Like Jesus, the Holy Redeemer, they give without counting the cost, they make sacrifices for others, and lay down their lives for others. Like St. Paul appealed, they are not tired of doing what is good because they believe that at the proper time, they will reap a harvest (Galatians 6:9). Because of their unyielding attachment to Jesus, they constantly bear the fruits of love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

Friends, what type of Christian are we in the Church?