The longer the root of Commitment,
the greater the Sacrifice of Self-will,
the stronger and more Fruitful the Life.
Matthew 13:19-23
19 When any one heareth theword of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. 20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended . 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit , and bringeth forth , some an hundredfold , some sixty , some thirty.
When we want to study God's Word to fully understand it and be able to apply it to our lives, we need to first: hold it in our hands, close our eyes and ask God to show us what He wants us to hear and understand as we read our Bible. Otherwise, we will get nothing out of it.
It is not enough to be able to read the Bible all the way through in one year. It is not sufficient to read different translations to try to understand our Bible. Those translations are man-made and inefficient. Only God can reveal Himself in His Word. That is one of the reasons He sent the Holy Spirit here: to reveal God to us. If God were to meet us face to face, many would die in their sins, as sin cannot be in God's presence and live. We need the Holy Spirit.
Oh, Lord, as I begin this study, reveal in me and through me, what You want us to understand today. Make plain Your wisdom in these verses. Amen.
Farming is fast becoming a lost art. Many of us live in cities and towns, instead of on a few acres, which is required for your basic farmer. This parable which Jesus teaches is about a sower, a farmer; and the seeds he plants. Not all of his seeds land in the field.
v19. Seed by the wayside. We can sit in church and listen to the sermon being preached. But if we don't hear the Word being spoken, then the message we are listening to gets thrown away. Many times we are unable to hear the Word given because the devil distracts us: what will I have for lunch after church? I hope the dog/cat doesn't make a mess before I get home. My kids better be good in Sunday School. That hat she is wearing doesn't become her at all. Why are his clothes wrinkled? Don't I smell lovely? And such foolishness along these lines prevent the Word from getting into our hearts.
v20-21. Seed into stony places. The Word of God is heard but not taken to heart. The person hearing it is joyful to receive it, but does not take the time to take care of the Word. He/She takes on the appearance of Christianity but is not truly Christian. When troubles come along, that person is offended and may, in all likelihood, lash out or seek revenge. The Word of God never reached the heart, only the ears.
v22. Seed among the thorns. The Word of God is heard but not applied. Here, too, the Word of God never reaches the heart. God's Word was heard by the ears. But the eyes prevented it from reaching its destination. We get caught up in the cares of this world: life-bills to pay, living to earn, kids to feed, mortgage to pay. We get hooked on riches: gotta buy this and gotta buy that, keeping up with the Joneses, "if i were rich". And so, the Word of God, which we have heard, is choked and unfruitful in our lives.
The farmer tosses one handful of seed at a time. Some here, some there. It is where the seed lands that determines its growth. The field is not just an open grass land. It has been prepared for the seed. The land is tilled, dug up and plowed under, creating an open ground to receive the seed. It is fertilized, usually with manure, to give the seed strength to grow. And after the field is seeded, the farmer tends it to keep it growing: water when needed, pulling out weeds, preventing animals from eating it up.
v23. Seed into the good ground. The Word of God is heard and understood. Because it has fallen on fertile ground. The heart of this person is ready to receive the Word into it. And the seed flourishes, the Word takes root and begins to stretch out inside this person. Soon, the Word of God, the seed into good ground, reaches out beyond the heart into the mouth where the Word of God is shared with another person. And another. And another. And that person shares the Word, the seed, with even more people. And so, the seed is fruitful.
We may never know until we reach heaven just how many people we have impacted by our faithfulness in hearing, receiving, reading and understanding the Word of God for ourselves. Until then, I pray God gives you the desire to be Seed Into Good Ground.
