Recently I was reading the parable of the sower again, maybe for the umpteenth time, and again I was pleasantly surprised to discover how timeless Jesus' teachings are. In Luke 8 Jesus tells the parable of the sower to a large crowd and later explains it in detail, to his disciples.
He basically tells them what to expect when sharing the gospel. There are four different ways people will react to the Good News according to His words in verse 11-15,
- Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. It is really sad when this takes place, and maybe you have seen it happen to someone you know. Remember that we can always pray for another moment to come.
- Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. Faith without roots will not survive, the first sign of a storm will knock it down. Our faith should be rooted in love, Gods love. Let's remain in His love!
- The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. I believe, many Christians find themselves in this group nowadays. Jesus mentions worries, riches and pleasures in one sentence; it doesn't matter if life's distractions are good or bad, when they keep us away from the Word, they will eventually choke us. Choking... one of the biggest problems for believers in the Western world. Worries, stress, fear, materialism, luxuries... if not careful they will keep us from maturing.
- The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. This is our goal, this is where we want to be! Retaining the Word, cherishing it, which means we will keep it close and meditate on it day and night. By PERSEVERING we will produce a crop. Fruit bearing does not happen automatically, we need to be faithful and not give up.
Hi Marja - this is the second time today I have read about perseverance. Think the Lord is telling me something?
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Tracy
Could be Tracy :) go back to your last blog post! LOL. Keep going girl, keep going!
ReplyDeleteThis is always something good to review, whether hearing it for the first or 100th time. I've been thinking on sowing and reaping of late, so this is timely.
ReplyDeleteThanks and blessings,
Karen
Love it when that happens Karen, timely posts.
DeleteJust like the soil outside, the soil of our hearts needs to be cultivated - often adding amendments so it will produce a better /healthier crop. My desire is for the soil of my heart to be good, yet I often struggle with the distractions of this life. I'm thankful for a merciful Savior! Hugs & blessings!
ReplyDeleteDistractions... I get really bad sometimes, doing 12 things at the same time and not accomplishing much :)
DeleteHi Marja,
ReplyDeleteMost people don't realize that even good things can keep us away from God's best. Remember, the tree Adam and Eve ate from was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Man's good will never accomplish the purposes of God.
Blessings,
Susan :)
That's right Susan, good AND evil. Thanks for adding your thoughts, I appreciate it, as always.
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