Gospel in Art: Imagine a sower going out to sow

The Sower, by Liz Lemon Swindle, 2013, © Liz Lemon, Havenlight Publishing

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 24 July 2024
Matthew 13:1-9

Jesus left the house and sat by the lakeside, but such large crowds gathered round him that he got into a boat and sat there. The people all stood on the beach, and he told them many things in parables.

He said, 'Imagine a sower going out to sow. As he sowed, some seeds fell on the edge of the path, and the birds came and ate them up.

Others fell on patches of rock where they found little soil and sprang up straight away, because there was no depth of earth; but as soon as the sun came up they were scorched and, not having any roots, they withered away.

Others fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Others fell on rich soil and produced their crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Listen, anyone who has ears!'

Reflection on the painting

What I like about today's painting is the artist's focus on the actual seeds rather than the fields or the sower. The painting emphasises the seeds as they fall from Christ's hand, drawing our attention directly to the act of planting. This choice of illustrating highlights the significance of the seeds, which symbolise the Word of God, rather than risking the viewer's distraction by any of the surrounding elements.

In Christ's parable, the seeds represent the Word of God and the ground symbolises the hearts of those who hear it. For our hearts to be fertile soil, we must make room for the Word of God. If our hearts are hard like stone, the seeds will not take root and will be eaten by birds, failing to produce any fruit. The artist includes subtle touches, such as the symbol of the fish among the sown seeds, reminding us that once we embrace the Word, we must also become fishers and sowers, spreading the good news of Christ.

Seeds need to germinate and be nurtured to produce fruit, and similarly, the Word of God requires time and patience to grow within us. For a seed to take root, it must shed its shell and expose itself to the richness of the soil. This takes time. The reading highlights the importance of cultivating a receptive and fertile heart for the Word of God to take root and flourish.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/matthew-13-1-9-2024/