Isaiah 55:10-11 / Romans 8:18-23 / Matthew 13:1-23
The present age can be called, among other things, the age of robots.
And with each passing age, the features have become more and more fascinating and amazing.
At present, we are already used to devices and appliances with robot technology.
So, there is the robo-cleaner, the robo-vacuum, the robo-car, etc.
It brings back memories of those sci-fi movies of the 80s like “RoboCop” and the Terminator movies, like “The Rise of the Machines”.
That was like nearly 40 years ago, and it seemed like fiction and rather futuristic.
Well, that fiction has become a fact, and that future has arrived.
And the age of robots is already giving way to the age of humanoid robots.
Because with the rise of artificial intelligence, the robots are not just getting intelligent, they are becoming more and more human.
So, there are humanoid robots that can walk, run, carry loads, do housework, and even perform surgery.
And then there are humanoid robots that can do sports like boxing and martial arts.
So, maybe in the near future, the World Cup football games may feature 22 humanoid robot players.
So, it seems that machines are taking over the tasks of mankind.
If that is going to be the case, then what is left for the human race?
In the gospel, Jesus told the parable of the Sower and the seeds.
It is a parable that has an obvious meaning.
But when His disciples asked Jesus why does He speak in parables, Jesus quoted from the prophet Isaiah:
"You will listen and listen again and not understand, see and see again but not perceive.
For the heart of this nation has grown coarse, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, for fear they should see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and be converted and healed by me."
That quote from the prophet Isaiah is what the Lord God said about His people.
That also makes us think about the parable that Jesus told us in the Gospel.
What may have caught our initial attention are the seeds that fell on rich soil and bore a harvest of 100 or 60 or 30.
But what about the other seeds? We may think, "Well, too bad, they have to be written off."
But why did the Sower carelessly sow the seeds in places that seem to have no chance of germinating? No chance at all actually.
The parable of the sower and the seeds makes us listen and listen again, see and see again.
The parable makes us wonder and ponder about the reality of life and the reality of our humanity.
As much as the seeds of the Word of God must take root in our hearts and bear fruits in our lives, that is not the only focus.
Because if results are the only focus, then it is about productivity, efficiency, and proficiency.
In that aspect, robots and humanoid robots assisted by AI can do a much, much better job.
But the parable reminds us of some people who are like the seeds that fell on the edge of the path and eaten up by birds.
They exist, but they are forgotten. It is like “out of sight, out of mind”.
And then there are some people, who are like the seeds that fell on patches of rock and among thorns.
They dry up, they wither, they are choked by the demands of life to be economically productive and to produce a harvest.
Theirs is the silent cry for help to those who can produce a harvest in life.
Some need financial aid, some need respect and dignity, some just need to see the goodness of humanity.
But all need the seeds of God's love to be sown again in their hearts so that they can have hope for the future.
The hope of the future is not in robots or humanoids.
The hope of the future is in us, human beings made in the image of God.
Yes, human beings who will listen and understand, see and perceive what God is revealing to us.