If you are familiar with the Gospels, you would notice that they are littered with a lot of parables. This is one of the methods that Jesus uses in order to be understood by his audience, who are mostly ordinary people. People during the time of Jesus do respect the parables because they are easily construed by people. Today we hear a famous parable, the Parable of the Sower.

In this pericope or Gospel account, we focus on the theme of “rest or being refreshed.” This is what Jesus had promised to those who are laboring for His Kingdom or for His vineyard. Mind you, Jesus had just sent his twelve disciples to the towns and villages where He intended to go. He specifically instructed them to go after the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” The disciples most of the time were successful, but there were times they were not.

All human relationships from personal to business have one principle that they follow. What is this principle? It is a “give and take” kind of relationship. Does Jesus have the right to demand from us? Of course, He does. He emptied himself to become like us in all things, except sin to show His unconditional love for us. He suffered and had to experience excruciating pain and was crucified and died for our salvation.

We humans have a lot of fears. We fear water, that is, "hydrophobia." We fear of heights, that is, "aerophobia.” We fear of death, that is, "thanaphobia." We fear enclosed spaces, that is, "claustrophobia."

In our Gospel today, Jesus assures the twelve disciples and all of us: "Fear no one. Nothing is concealed, that that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known...And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in Gehenna." (Mt 10: 28)

One of the things that I have realized in the Ordinary Season is that we are being asked and invited to focus our attention on Jesus. What is He doing? What are His feelings? What are His attitudes about people? And what are His aspirations for the people?

Jesus is true and faithful to the mission that the Father has given to Him. Prior to this pericope, Jesus, according to Matthew, toured around towns and villages; in other words, he was an itinerant preacher. He proclaimed the good news of God's reign - the conspicuous realty that the reign of God is amongst the people, He cured diseases and sickness and expelled demons.

Food is an essential element in life in order to survive and to be energized. Jesus understood this when He compares Himself as the "living bread from heaven". He says: "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." The Jews quarreled among themselves because they didn't understand what He was trying to tell them.