Jesus shared the following parable, one that stands out in my head and is very prevalent for today. Matthew 13:1-9:
“A farmer went out to plant his seed. He scattered the seed on the ground. Some fell on a path. Birds came and ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky places, where there wasn’t much soil. The plants came up quickly, because the soil wasn’t deep. When the sun came up, it burned the plants. They dried up because they had no roots. Other seed fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and crowded out the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It produced a crop 100, 60 or 30 times more than what was planted. Those who have ears should listen and understand.”
God’s Word is all around us, especially in this day and age. People have access to it via the radio, television, books, the internet. God’s Word IS seed. So the question is – How’s your soil?
When Holy Spirit distributes God’s seed (i.e. His Word) into your life, what is it falling on? How can you tell? Which category below do you fall in? And what is God saying to you about where you are at in Him, if you are in Him at all?
Matthew 13:3-4:
“A farmer went out to plant seed. He scattered seed on the ground. Some fell on the path. Birds came and ate it up.”
This is a description of God’s message going forth, like within a Sunday church service. The birds represent satan. The seed on the path represents people who hear the message but immediately it is lost. Perhaps a good example would be: A person goes to church, perhaps out of habit or family tradition. It’s what their family does, so it’s a “tradition” that they’ve decided to carry on within their family. This is someone who feels that God needs a seat – over there. That hearing God’s Word is something that they can endure for an hour or so, but once they’ve heard it, they feel as though they have “done their churchly time” and are good for the rest of the week. This is someone who does not feel that God should be their main focus, He is a “Sunday morning appointment.” His Word gathers dust on the shelf of their home because it is not important to “read the word” it is just important to have one that is to be shown as a displayed item. This is also someone who is more concerned with labeling themselves a Christian, but it is an empty label because the Word of God does not remain IN them and you can tell it by the way they conduct themselves. They show NO fruit. They are as the Pharisees of old – outward show, but inside – hollow. The only ones they are fooling is themselves. They have NO desire to put God front and center (which would require spiritually dying to themselves and allowing Holy Spirit to live in them in accordance to the scripture found in Galatians 2:20 see scripture below). The distain they show those who do so results in showing the seeds that they have allowed to take root – which are NOT of God. They do not walk in love but truly have roots of bitterness, jealousy, envy, violence, discord and a distain for those who put God front and center. Almost even a “gnashing of teeth” for those who do so. Signs of what is known as a spirit of religion. These elements are indications of someone who has not allowed the seeds of God to penetrate their hearts, but have allowed satan to remove what God, through Holy Spirit had scattered within the soil of them.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Matthew 13: 4-5:
“Some seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil. The seed soon sprouted, but when the sun came up it burnt the young plants.”
This is a description of people who when they first hear the Word of God are full of enthusiasm for it. But the seed (God’s Word) only falls on the “surface level” of who they are, it doesn’t sink in deep so it doesn’t develop roots. An example of this would be someone who is a “fence sitter” or “lukewarm” as soon as hard times (represented by the sun) come along, they give up because while they may believe Jesus is the Savior, they haven’t made Him Lord over their life. They haven’t made that daily, life-changing commitment, so when the rubber hits the road, and they realize that with that commitment means change (and some of what can be painful) – they say “no thanks, I’m outta here.” And choose to walk in the flesh and not the spirit.
Matthew 13: 7:
“Some seed fell among thorn bushes which grew up and choked the plants.”
This is when a person hears the message of God, but they don’t have a desire to put God in the center of their life. Again, they want God to be somewhere over there on the side lines. They are concerned more about prestige – what others think and their focus is materialistic. This is someone who is more concerned with the joys of living with the approval of people. Not necessarily concerned about “dying to self” or believe that the Word of God is prevalent for today. It’s just a nice little traditional story to be put in its place.
Matthew 13:8-9:
“Some seed fell on good soil and the plants produced corn.”
Good soil represents people who hear the Word of God and allow it to penetrate their hearts. With their “free will” they choose to make God the center of their lives, so they allow God’s Word and direction to come to fruition and don’t allow the worries of life to choke it out, don’t allow others opinion of their faith determine whether or not they go forward in what God is calling them to do. They allow the Holy Spirit to show them the areas of their soil which most needs tending and nurture. Areas within them that God NEEDS to change (even when it is painful to allow Him to do so). They are more concerned with “growing in Christ” and “dying to self” so that God’s good and perfect will can go forward. These are the people who show the fruit of the spirit, which can be found in Galatians 5:22-23 (see scripture below) and are asking God to change ANYTHING within them that is evil or that does not glorify Him. These are people that recognize that as long as they have God’s breathe in their body, that there is room for improvement and they are open to God making those changes so that their soil will be fertile for the seeds of God to take root and grow. This IS a lifetime process. The difference is, they recognize it and allow Holy Spirit to work with them on what needs changing in the soil of them.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
And when trouble comes (as is the case in life) they lean upon God for help and direction, not seeing Him as a crutch, but seeing Him AS the way, the truth and the life.
The parable that Jesus presented is an indication of where people spiritually stand. We are each given a choice to choose (by our own free will) what place we will give God in our heart, what we decide to do with the seeds He scatters into our lives. When we stand before Him we will give an account for that decision. The time is now to decide for Jesus. Jesus gave His very life for you, for the forgiveness of your sins (and mine) so that you can have eternal life. You may think, “well, I’ll commit to Him at a later time…” But none of us are promised tomorrow. How do you know what tomorrow will bring? Tomorrow may be too late. Tomorrow you may have run out of time. Tomorrow you may stand before Him with regret that you were not the person in the last part of that parable. That’s one regret you REALLY don’t want to have. Because it is an all eternity regret. It won’t go away. The seed represents people who listened and who responded to God’s Word. These are the people who belong to the Kingdom of Heaven. God is having you see these words so that you can allow His Word (the seed) which is what this that you are reading now – God’s seed that He has had me write so that you can read it… Will fall on GOOD soil in the life of you. Will you let it sprout up and grow into what God is calling you to be? Or will you scoff at it, allow satan to speak his lies to your heart that this is “stuff and nonsense” spoken by a “Jesus freak” and walk away going about your life with no further regard. Or will you read the words, say, “I know this is what I should do…” But get caught up in something else, distracted and then totally forget what you read. My hope is that you will read these words, Jesus’ parable and feel in your heart that you need to heed them. If that is you, please pray this prayer:
“Father God, Thank you for the seeds which You have scattered into my life. I don’t want to be a hearer of Your Word and not a doer. I pray that you would take the acidity of the soil of me out, and make the soil of me healthy so that it won’t fall on surface-level only. Please penetrate the very heart of me and take root. Help me not to live for others, but to live for YOU. Forgive me for my sins and wash me with the precious blood of Your Son, Jesus, who THIS day I choose to make Lord over my life. I choose to accept Him personally as my Lord and Savior. Please let Your seed (Your Word), sink deeply into my heart, make the soil of me good enough to give me – ears to hear, eyes to see and a heart to receive ALL that You would want me to know. Thank You Father for giving me understanding and for growing deep within me. Please be glorified, in Jesus name I pray AMEN.”
The Bible says in Matthew 7:20:
“You will know who they are by the fruit that they bear.”
What is your fruit bearing? Are you even bearing fruit? What does that fruit say about you? Does it represent Christ or does it represent self? Who are you? Where are you allowing the seeds that God scatters within the life of you fall? What is the fruit that is taking root and growing in you? Whether or not you know it or even admit it, the seeds of whatever you believe, however you live, how you act, how you treat others, and more importantly what you believe about God and His Word are what formulate the fruit of your life. And those seeds may not necessarily be from God…. If they aren’t, I pray that you will examine your own heart and allow Holy Spirit to uproot the seeds that are not of Him, and that you allow Him to till the soil of you so that it will be good and hearty and ready to DEEPLY receive the scattered seeds that God desires to plant in you and bring into fruition. They are the ONLY ones that will last eternally. All others will wither and die out. May the seeds being scattered in you as you read these words fall on GOOD soil that God has prepared in the heart of you, take root and flourish and become a harvest of everlasting fruit that will bless NOT ONLY you but others, all the days of your life and in the eternal life to come. In Jesus’ name. AMEN.
9
0
20