A Choral Reading of Matthew 13:1-23

Matthew 13:1-23 (the parable of the sower)

3 voices, with percussion

[Drums]

ONE: That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: Listen!

ALL: Listen! [repeating, echoing in decrescendo, with drums.]

[Silence. They listen.]

TWO: A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!

[Drums beneath above, lightly telling Jesus’ story with percussion.]

ALL: Let anyone with ears listen!

[Silence. They listen.]

ONE: Then the disciples came and asked him, 

ONE, THREE: Why do you speak to them in parables? 

ONE: He answered, 

TWO: To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’

ALL: . . . hearing they do not listen . . . nor do they understand. . . . do not listen . . . do not understand.

TWO: With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:

TWO, THREE: You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes,
and listen with their ears, 

TWO: and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 

ALL: . . . for they see . . . for they hear . . .

TWO: Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.

[Drums begin again, telling the story with Jesus.]

Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 

ALL: But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, 

TWO, THREE: in another sixty, 

THREE: and in another thirty.

[Drums have faded out with the text.]

ONE: The Word of the Lord!

ALL: Thanks be to God!