Saturday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time. Bible Study: 1st Corinthians 15:35-49, Psalm 56:10-14 and Luke 8:4-15
“But someone will ask, ‘How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?’ You foolish man! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body which is to be, but a bare kernel.” (1 Corinthians 15:35-37)
In other to refute the arguments of those who do not believe in the possibility of rising from the dead, St. Paul says, just as a seed is sown in the ground and dies first before producing a plant, so also when we die, our bodies decay but at the resurrection, we shall have a more glorious appearance.
Indeed, anyone who does not believe in the resurrection of the dead is according to St. Paul a foolish person. Yes, we shall rise again but not to the same flesh as we have now. Like the seed planted, this very flesh will rot and something else will grow in its place.
As of now, we cannot yet understand how exactly we shall be when we rise from the dead. That should not be our concern. All we need now is to believe that just as Christ rose from the dead taking upon Himself a glorious body, we too shall certainly follow Him into the many mansions He has prepared for us. Of course, this would only happen when we pattern our lives according to God’s Words.
Jesus makes the point that the Word of God is like a seed sown across different soils by a farmer. Normally a farmer would prepare the ground, clear the grasses, remove thorns and manure the place before attempting to plant but in this case, the farmer seems careless spreading the seeds everywhere freely; even on the road and on rocks.
The carelessness of God in sowing the Good news appears foolish to human understanding but it shows His generosity. Everyone is given a chance and an opportunity to gain heaven. However, just as the soils are different, people respond to God differently. In any case, regardless of the type of soil, the word of God which is seed never remains stale. Something must happen. The seed must grow.
Having received this seed as Christians, the question we should be asking ourselves today is: “what fruits have I borne with the reception of God’s word daily in my life?” Do I try to put God’s word into practice in my day to day interactions with others? Or do I consider these messages as simply meant for “them” and not for “me”?
Let us pray: Lord God, open my hearts to understand Your Word and give me the courage to apply it in my life that it may bear the right fruits. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you.