2 Samuel 7:4-17 / Mark 4:1-20
Human beings are naturally task-oriented beings.
We do things because there is a need to, as well as to express who we are.
And there is no doubt that some of the things that we do are noble and good.
In the 1st reading, David wanted to build a glorious house for the Lord God.
In his mind, it would be a magnificent temple and a wonderful dwelling place for the Lord.
But the Lord God revealed through the prophet Nathan that instead of David building a house for the Lord, it is the Lord who will build the house of David.
It was a prophecy as well as a revelation for David, that it is the Lord God who will preserve his descendants.
In the gospel, Jesus told a parable of the sower and the seeds.
In that parable is a prophecy as well as a revelation.
The revelation is that regardless of the state of our hearts, God will still sow the seeds of His love into us.
So, our hearts may be stony and rocky and thorny, but God will still sow the seeds of His love.
But one day, our hearts will be softened and become fertile soil and then we will bear fruits of love for God and for others.