Gospel of Luke 8:4–15 ; The Power of Rooted Faith Through Simple Storytelling
Praise be to Jesus Christ
A little boy planted two saplings behind his house: one was a coconut tree, and the other was a papaya. Both were watered every day. The papaya grew fast. In just a yearit bore fruit. The boy was proud. The coconut, on the other hand, barely reached his knees. Friends laughed and said, “Your coconut tree is lazy!”
Two years passed. One evening, a heavy storm came. In the morning, he ran outside. The papaya tree had fallen, its roots shallow and torn. But the coconut tree stood straight, strong, unmoved. It had no fruit yet. But it had something the papaya didn’t have – deep roots.
His grandfather, seeing his eyes full of surprise, said softly, “Remember this in life, the one who grows deep will one day stand tall.”
This story is the key to understanding today’s Gospel from Luke chapter 8.
Jesus, in the Gospel, speaks about seeds that fell in different places. The seeds that fell on rocky soil, sprouted and withered away very fast and it was because it had no root. Just like the seed that fell on rocky soil, many begin the spiritual life full of joy and enthusiasm, but when suffering comes, when prayers are not answered quickly, or when loneliness hits, their faith dries up. Why? Because there is no root.
We may grow fast like the papaya, learning prayers, attending retreats, doing good works, but if our soul is not rooted in Christ, everything will fall when life gets difficult.
Jesus does not praise speed but what He values is depth. Trials will come, and only those with roots in Him will stand.
Take the example of St. Joseph, scripture says little about him. He didn’t preach and write. But he was rooted, rooted in silence, in obedience, in trust. That is why God could entrust him with Mary and Jesus. A man without root would have run away from his responsibilities.
Or think of Ruth in the Old Testament. Her husband died, yet she clung to Naomi and chose to follow the God of Israel. Why? She had no promise of comfort, no guarantee of marriage, no assurance of a good life. But she had deep trust — a root that could hold in the dry season.
Roots are not seen, but they are everything. What are our roots; Time with God in prayer, Quiet listening to His Word, Faithfulness in small duties, Forgiveness when no one sees, Humility that doesn’t seek praise.
We know that in today’s noisy world, people like to show the branches; success, talent, followers. But the wise man waters the root. It is because fruit comes and goes, leaves fall, but the root remains.
So when your faith feels hidden, when your efforts are unnoticed, when others seem to grow faster, one should not be discouraged. Grow deeper, let your soul sink into God’s love and let your trust go beyond what is seen. The tree that survives is not the one that grows fastest — but the one that grows deepest.
Prayer
Lord, teach me to care more for the root than for the fruit — and to stay hidden in Your heart.
