Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Luke (St. Cleopa of Sihastria)

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Luke, 
or Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost

On the Sowers of the Word of God

“The sower went out to sow his seed” (Luke 8:5).

By St. Cleopa of Sihastria

Beloved faithful,

The Sower in today’s Gospel parable is none other than our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ Himself. He came forth from the bosom of the Father, as He Himself said: “I came forth from God” (John 17:8), and came to earth to sow the seed of His word. The field in which He sowed the seed of the Holy Gospel is this world, which He created, as He said in another parable: “The field is the world” (Matthew 13:38).

From this parable we see that only one-quarter of the field, that is, of the world, was good soil. Having received the seed of the word of God, this soil grew and yielded a hundredfold (Matthew 13:23). The other three parts of the field were a road trampled by people (Matthew 13:4), rocky ground, and soil overgrown with thorns (Matthew 13:22). When the good seed of the word fell upon them, it bore no fruit but was lost.

Although “God desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), who is to blame that only one-quarter of the world is represented by good soil, receiving the seed of the word of life and bearing fruit a hundredfold? The entire blame for this lack of fruitfulness lies not with God, but with the human being who, through the disordered state of his soul, prevents the seed of the divine word from growing and bearing fruit. We must know that God created the human being with free will. He does not force open the doors of human hearts; He merely knocks at their doors, as it is written: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20).

God is perfectly righteous and perfectly holy, and He does not wish to save anyone by force, but willingly. From the moment of creation, He crowned the human being with free will, as Holy Scripture testifies: “For You, O Lord, have crowned us with the shield of Your good will” (Psalm 5:12). Likewise, the Holy Apostle Paul says that God left the human being in the hands of his own counsel (Ephesians 1:11), that is, free to choose. And if a person freely performs good works, then he is loved by God, as it is written: “God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7).

Otherwise, there would be neither eternal reward nor eternal punishment for sins if God compelled the human will toward good, or if He allowed the devil to tempt a person beyond his strength. The Holy Apostle Paul has shown us this truth, saying: “God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Therefore, my brethren, all the blame for the failure of the word of God to bear fruit in the human heart lies with the person who, of his own free will and because of his unbelief, turns his heart into a road trampled by people, rocky ground, or soil overgrown with thorns. Of his own free will, a person chooses life or death, hell or Paradise. The word of God is represented by seed because, just as seed is cast into the earth in order to bear fruit, so the word of God is sown in human hearts so that it may bear fruit. And just as seed grows and produces a harvest for bodily nourishment—such as wheat, barley, corn, and the produce of other plants and trees—so the seed of the word of God, when sown in good soil, yields spiritual and imperishable nourishment.

And just as seed does not bear fruit wherever it is sown, but only in good soil, so the word of God does not bear fruit in the heart of every person, but only in the heart of one who is good soil, that is, one who receives the word of life with faith and puts it into practice, as the great Apostle Paul also says: “Faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6).

Only this spiritual field can yield a hundredfold harvest for God.

Beloved faithful,

I have shown you that the true Sower of the word of God is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself. But we must also know that, from the beginning of creation, God has sent many sowers of His word into the world. These include the Patriarchs, Apostles, Evangelists, Hierarchs, Confessors, Martyrs, and a great multitude of preachers and teachers who have proclaimed and sown the word of God in the hearts of men.

But have all those who proclaimed the word of God possessed the same power to persuade the hearts of men? We answer that all were granted the gift and power to awaken the minds and hearts of men to the true faith in God. Some proclaimed the word chiefly through their preaching, while others strengthened their preaching with many great miracles. For example, about three thousand souls believed when the Apostle Peter preached, because they were astonished to hear him speaking in different languages. About five thousand people believed when the same Apostle Peter preached a second time, because they saw a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb healed and walking on his own feet.

Men and women in Samaria believed when the Apostle Philip preached, because many who had unclean spirits, as well as those who were paralyzed, were healed. The proconsul Sergius Paulus on the island of Cyprus believed when the Apostle Paul was preaching, because he saw him immediately strike the sorcerer Elymas with blindness. Truly, signs and miracles helped and strengthened the Apostles’ preaching, as the Evangelist Mark also testifies, saying: “And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the signs that followed” (Mark 16:20).

We see, however, that many believed without witnessing miracles. What miracle did the Ethiopian eunuch, an official of the powerful Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, witness when the Apostle Philip explained the words of the Prophet Isaiah to him and proclaimed Jesus Christ to him? He witnessed no miracle, yet, upon hearing the Apostle Philip’s explanation, he immediately believed and was baptized. What miracles did the people of Pisidian Antioch witness when the Apostles Paul and Barnabas came and taught them the faith in Christ? None. Yet the Gentiles there rejoiced when they heard the preaching, received the word of the Lord, and all who were appointed to eternal life believed. The people of Iconium witnessed no miracles either when the same Apostles, Paul and Barnabas, entered their synagogue and spoke the word of God; nevertheless, a great multitude of Jews and Greeks believed. The Athenians witnessed no miracles, yet they believed through Paul’s preaching—Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. What miracles did Saint John the Baptist perform when he preached and said, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2)? None. Yet people from all Jerusalem and the surrounding region of the Jordan went out to him and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins (Matthew 3:5–6).

Let us ask ourselves: by what means and through what power did this divinely inspired Prophet draw such a multitude of people to repentance? As I have already said, he performed no miracles, nor did he employ grand rhetoric or philosophy to convert those who came to him. Instead, he addressed them in a few brief words: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” What, then, was the spiritual power, the magnet that drew all Jerusalem and the entire region surrounding the Jordan to him in the wilderness? It was the angelic and wholly holy life of Saint John the Prophet and Baptist. Through a way of life that surpassed ordinary human standards, he filled the multitude with astonishment and wonder.

Upon hearing of his extraordinary life, people would say to one another: “Come and see a great prophet who has appeared in the wilderness! Come and see a man who surpasses ordinary humanity, unlike anyone who has appeared among men until now. Come and see a holy man, clothed in camel’s hair and girded with a leather belt, who feeds only on the shoots of trees and the bitter honey made by wild bees in the caves of the wilderness” (Mark 1:6). “Come and see and hear from this most extraordinary Prophet how he calls everyone to repentance and proclaims that ‘the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’” (Matthew 3:2).

Thus, hearing these things from one another, people hurried and hastened to the Jordan to see such a holy man and great Prophet. Those dressed in silk and costly garments came to see the man clothed in camel’s hair. Those who owned palaces and slept in soft, expensive beds came to spend time outdoors beneath the clear night sky and under the scorching sun by day, sleeping on mats and even on the sands and gravel banks of the Jordan. They willingly embraced what was unfamiliar to them, with great love and reverence, simply to witness the exceedingly austere and wondrous life of the divinely inspired John the Baptist, the Forerunner of the Lord. The wonder of seeing him made them forget the fatigue of their exhausting journey. One of the Holy Fathers rightly said: “Virtue is far more worthy of honor than wealth, and a tranquil life is more glorious than an abundance of gold!” (The Philokalia, vol. I, p. 172).

Truly, my brothers, those who sow the word of God—that is, the priests—must possess not only the art of speaking well and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, but also practical wisdom, meaning that they must live according to the teaching of the Gospel. Even if we ourselves find it difficult, in our weakness, to put into practice what they teach, let us at least pray to the good God to grant us a small share in the efforts of those who strive for salvation.

Some of the divine Fathers, wishing to teach us that we must also preach to others through the way we live, said: “Be silent, and let your deeds speak” (Saint Nilus the Ascetic, ch. 28). Another said: “Reprove and teach others through the power of your deeds, not through much speaking” (The Philokalia, vol. X, 1981).

Saint Isaac the Syrian, showing us that preaching through one’s way of life is far greater than speaking without putting one’s words into practice, says: “The word that proceeds from action is one thing; the fine word unsupported by the skill of putting it into practice is another.”

The shepherds of the Church—the priests and bishops—ought to proclaim the word of God in three ways: they must preach with their mouths, write with their hands what serves for instruction and spiritual edification, and, thirdly, proclaim Christ through their own lives by performing good works.

These, in brief, are the duties of the shepherds of the Church of Christ. Let me now speak of the duties of those who hear and receive the word of God through the mouths of hierarchs and priests who have the Church’s blessing to preach the word of God in the world.

The first duty of our faithful is not to judge the priests of the Church who have been ordained and appointed by the local Bishop as canonical ministers and preachers of the word of God, so long as they preach the true faith and the truth of the Holy Scriptures, even if, as human beings, some have their own shortcomings and weaknesses. Who does not know from the Holy Gospel how deceitful, dishonest, envious, proud, and hypocritical the scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees were in the time of our Savior? For this reason, God the Word Himself repeatedly threatened them with woes (Matthew 23:13–29). Yet He did not permit the people to judge them, but said to them: “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do” (Matthew 23:3).

We must understand, however, that neither the priest’s holiness is what causes the word of God to bear fruit, nor are his wickedness or sins what prevent his word from bearing fruit. For example, if a farmer carries good seed in his sack—whether wheat, corn, barley, or some other crop—and he happens to be a drunkard or guilty of other sins, what prevents his seed from bearing fruit when it is sown in good soil?

Likewise, nothing prevents the word of the Lord from bearing fruit when it is sown in good soil, even if the priest has certain sins or human weaknesses. Whoever possesses a well-disposed soul and receives the word of God with faith will bear fruit a hundredfold, even if he receives the word of the Lord from a sinful shepherd. Therefore, one of the Holy Fathers said: “When you hear a beneficial word, do not judge the one who speaks it, lest you lose not only the benefit of the word but also the fruit that comes through faith.”

Beloved faithful,

Therefore, if a teacher sows the good seed of the word of God and teaches the dogmas of the true faith and the divine laws established by the Orthodox Church, listen to him with great faith and reverence, and you will receive great benefit. There is no need to make his personal life the immediate object of scrutiny. But if we discover that the preacher is a sectarian who sows the soul-damaging weeds of heresies and sectarian teachings, having strayed from the true faith, then we must close our ears and flee from such preachers as we would from wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing and from venomous serpents. Through their preaching, they sow weeds in the field of Christ and spread poison among souls that are not firmly grounded in the truth of the true faith.

As we can all see, all kinds of sowers and preachers have appeared today in God’s field, which is this world, but not all of them sow the pure and true seed of the word of God. Some sow the weeds of the enemy (Matthew 13:39), while others sow heresies, mixing the word of the Lord with the accursed seeds of deception and sectarian error. Therefore, my brothers, I beg you to be extremely careful. Do not receive advice and instruction from just anyone who speaks, but only from the ministers of the Church of Christ.

Remember the teaching of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John, the great Theologian, who counsels us, saying: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). If you happen to hear such preachers and false prophets—that is, sectarians—do not listen to them. Leave them and hasten to your own priests and to all those skilled in the Holy Scriptures, who are true sons of the Orthodox Church. Seek their explanation and instruction, so that they may enlighten you and guide you toward Christ. Ask the advice of priests who have studied and know the Holy Scriptures, lest you fall prey to wolves dressed in sheep’s clothing and to false prophets who, according to the Lord’s word, “will deceive many” (Matthew 24:11).

Pay attention also to the words of the Holy Scriptures, which teach us: “Good counsel will preserve you, and sound understanding will protect you” (Proverbs 2:11). And again, as it is written: “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but there is safety in an abundance of counselors” (Proverbs 11:14).

Let us seek the advice of priests and monks whenever we have a question or do not understand what we read or hear. It is a sign of great pride not to seek counsel when we are perplexed and unable to understand the Holy Scriptures. Remember what happened to the eunuch, the high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was returning home from Jerusalem. As he sat in his chariot, he was reading the Prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to the Apostle Philip, “Go near and join yourself to this chariot.” Philip ran up, heard him reading the Prophet Isaiah, and asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” Then he invited Philip to come up and sit with him in the chariot and explain what he did not understand (Acts 8:27–31). Therefore, my brothers, know that the Holy Scriptures contain passages that are mysterious, obscure, and difficult to understand. If someone reads or hears them without a guide to help him understand, he can easily fall into error and depart from the bosom of the Church of Christ.

My brothers, the Holy Scriptures are like a bottomless sea of God’s wisdom. Anyone who wishes to cross such a sea without knowing how to swim will become lost in it and, instead of gaining benefit, may lose the salvation of his soul. Therefore, do as the eunuch of Candace, whom I mentioned above, did: ask the priests whenever you do not understand the depths of the Holy Scriptures.

This very thing has caused many thousands of souls to stray from the truth and fall into heresies and various sects: they have wished to rely on their own understanding and interpret the Holy Scriptures independently. Saint John Cassian the Roman says: “Whoever wishes to be saved must travel by way of asking questions” (The Philokalia, vol. IV, p. 135).

Therefore, pray with faith to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the great Shepherd of the Christian Church, that He may appoint good priests and hierarchs to lead His Church. Then ask Him to provide good seed, that is, wise words filled with grace for all the priests who shepherd you. And may God grant you the gifts of wisdom, meekness, humility, the true faith, and obedience, so that you may put into practice what Christ teaches you through the priests, the Holy Fathers, and the Holy Scriptures. Amen.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.