January 21, 2013
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 13:1-9
OBSERVATIONS
I am trying to get into the story, to hear this message as if for the first time. This is hard because I have heard and interpreted this parable many times. But imagine I was a part of the crowd, I’ve come to hear this miracle worker speak. He certainly is a prophet, is He the messiah we’ve been waiting for? What does He have to say?
He’s telling a story, about a farmer spreading his seed. Nothing shocking here, some seed lands on rocks, some seed is eaten by birds, some seed is choked by the weeds, but there is always some seed that grows… otherwise the farmer wouldn’t bother. So what is the point? Is this a coded message? an allegory?
Ears to hear? Is that different from ears that do not hear? Maybe He means that if I really listen, listen with my heart, think long and hard, I will hear the message within the story. Are there some people here who won’t hear it?
If I were to take a guess, the point or moral seems to be that a person can work hard at something (spread seed), but still only see a partial result. I can invest my love in my kids, but only 1 of 4 will receive it; I can invest my passion in my students, but only 1 in 4 will learn from it.
As a prophet, is He saying that God does this for us, that God works among us spreading His love and truth and will, but only 1 in 4 actually receive it? Will only 1 in 4 accept the Messiah when He comes?
Do I have ears that hear, am I soil that receives, am I losing God’s work of love in my life because the seed is not taking root in me?
What do you notice in this passage?
APPLICATION
Jesus is not suggesting 1 in 4 as a precise statistic, but I do think that He is right on that the majority of people seem to resist or reject God’s work of love, or to receive it only half-heartedly, in a shallow way.
For me personally this story challenges me to think about how I respond, what kind of soil my heart is?
And for me in my work, I should not be surprised that I can share the message of Jesus with conviction and passion, yet it will not be received by all, perhaps by most.
Like the sower, my job is to sow the seed, not test the soil. I need to be free and generous with the seed, trusting that there will be a response, there will be a harvest, even if not everyone will receive it.
Yet it is sad, if these statistics are even somewhat accurate, that the majority of people will NOT have ears to hear, and will NOT respond to Jesus or God with faith.
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, help me to be good soil, and may Your love produce a harvest in my life. And encourage me to trust that You will reach others through my seed, and may I actually see some of the harvest!
Jesus follower
trying to find His way
Really appreciated the prayer (haiti Tony)
My own prayers reflect that my heart needs to be fallow, enriched and ready to receive the word of God through hearing God speak.
I know He has spoken before, and I have responded appropriately, but I am sure He has spoken a lot more that what I have heard, so I surely have missed some, maybe many, opportunities to serve Him.
I pray that I may be more fully atuned to hearing his voice.
Seed
I have planted quite a bit of seed in my life- corn, beans, and vegetables of all sorts. I also know that there is an optimum way to plant seeds. Too deep and you have a problem, too shallow, or just scattered and you have a problem. I have also used tools and equipment to sow seeds. Sometimes with this equipment, I can think that I am putting seeds into the ground, and in fact the machine is empty. In these cases (Yes it has happened to me) I am going through the motions of planting seed. It takes just as much effort to prepare the soil and go over it with an empty planting machine as it does with a properly filled machine. So it is important when planting to ensure that you have the seed and that the seed is good seed and viable. Old seed can be damaged from moisture, age etc. Depending on the type of seed, it may only be good for a year or two. Some seed will remain good for longer.
So what is the seed in today’s verses. This is the good news of the kingdom. I am always interested in why sometimes this good news will cause a revival, and other times, without much effort and evangelism, the news of the kingdom seems to fall on deaf ears. The church today is trying to spread the kingdom of God to their community. Why is a real crop of good news ready to be spread to others so elusive? Do we have a viable seed? If so, Then spreading this seed –good news, will produce more of the same, this kingdom message. Maybe we are going through the motions with no message of the kingdom. We are running around without any story to tell. When was the last time I told someone my story of how I fit into this kingdom.
I pray that I can be shown the real, viable message of the kingdom, that will reproduce, and cause myself and others to live and grow God’s kingdom on earth.
Observations:
I am always amazed by the miracles of Christ – speaking to large crowds and still all could hear Him. Wow! This time from a boat and not a church or large meeting place. He spoke in parables using examples familiar to the people. Christ is the Sower and we are the ground – the receivers. We all hear the Word but only some live the Word producing fruit.
Application:
Ears we have and we do hear. But the hearers must also do – bear the fruit of the hearing. God’s Word will not be heard by some, will be quickly snuffed out by other, or flourish until trials come, or grow to maturity. What kind of hearer am I. A tree is known by its fruit. I must bear good fruit. To hear is to do. Open heart, open minds and open hands. Good fruit.
Prayer:
Open my ears Lord that I hear You speaking loud and clear. Hearing is doing. May others see that I am who I am because of Your great love.
Open my eyes, that I may see
Glimpses of truth Thou hast for me;
Place in my hands the wonderful key
That shall unclasp and set me free.
Refrain 1:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear.
Refrain 2:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
Open my mouth, and let me bear,
Gladly the warm truth everywhere;
Open my heart and let me prepare
Love with Thy children thus to share.
Refrain 3:
Silently now I wait for Thee,
Ready my God, Thy will to see,
Open my heart, illumine me,
Spirit divine!