Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, 7/1/2026

The fruitful reception of God’s Word is the focus of the Parable of the Sower. The reception is compared to four soil types, only one of which results in a rich harvest. You might say that the Sower with His seed has only a ‘one in four chance’ of being fruitful. Or you might think of it more positively and remark that despite the odds there will be an abundant harvest in the end. But any seeming failure is not because of a lack in the Sower, or in His seeds. It is instead due to the unresponsive soil, along with the opposition of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature.