Thursday, August 07,
2014, 5:55 p.m. – the Lord Jesus put the song in mind, “Your New Life.” Speak, Lord, your words to my heart. I read Matthew 13:1-23 (NIV).
The Parable
That
same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds
gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people
stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A
farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along
the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it
did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But
when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had
no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty
or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Hearing and Seeing
The
disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
He
replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has
been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they
will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be
taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though
seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or
understand.
In
them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You
will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never
perceiving.
For
this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise
they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and
turn, and I would heal them.’
But
blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For
truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
Jesus Christ often spoke in parables (allegories). He said
he did this because, even though the people could see physically with their eyes,
and could hear with their ears, their spiritual, intuitive, and perceptive eyes
and ears were closed to what Jesus had to say to them. They didn’t really
listen, which is why they never understood. They could physically hear Jesus’
words, and they could physically see all the miracles he performed, and yet
their hearts were calloused (hardened; dull). They didn’t even try to
understand. If they had listened, and if they had heard and seen what Jesus was
teaching them with spiritual ears and eyes, anxious to know and to understand
the will of God, Jesus would have spiritually healed them of their sin, and
would have given them new lives in Jesus Christ.
Only those who truly wanted to know and to understand would
seek understanding of what the parables meant, which was why he spoke in
parables. Jesus said that to those who had been given this knowledge and
understanding, more would be given them. I believe the indication here is that
it was because they were receptive and had eyes to see and ears to hear what
Jesus had to tell them. But, to those who did not have this knowledge and
understanding, even what they had would be taken away. Again, I believe the
context here dictates that it was because their hearts were hardened, and that
they refused to see and to hear, and that is why what they had been given would
be taken from them.
So, how does this apply to us today? God has given us his
word, the Bible. He has put within the hearts of all people the knowledge of
him, for his divine character is seen in what he created (see Ro. 1), so that
humans are without excuse. In addition to that, in America, we have churches
all over the place, and sermons galore, and the freedom of religion, at least for
now. We can also hear the gospel preached on TV, the radio, on the Internet, on
podcasts and videos. Christian literature, books and Bibles are available to us
just about anywhere that sells books. There are so many avenues available to us
here in America to hear and to read the gospel message, and also to hear
diversions of the true gospel, as well as the word of God is practically everywhere,
and even at our fingertips. Christian-based music abounds, as well. Not many
countries throughout the world have been as blessed as we have been with the
freedom and availability of access to the Word of God.
And, yet with all of that available to us practically
everywhere we go here in America, still many have closed their eyes and their
ears to hear what Jesus Christ is saying, and to hear what the apostles taught,
and to hear and to receive the truth of the gospel of our salvation from sin. Even
many who proclaim Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives close their eyes and
their ears to the truths of scripture, and they choose to follow the teachings,
philosophies and wicked schemes of humans, instead. Many who call themselves
followers of Christ are really followers of humans, and of their own selfish desires
and wills, and in place of or above and beyond any desire for the Lord and for
his will for their lives. So many have fallen prey to deception because they
believe everything they hear and see in the media and from church pulpits,
without bothering to check it out to see if it is true or not. And, because of
this, they will often close their ears and their eyes to the truth.
Four Heart Responses
“Listen
then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message
about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches
away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The
seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once
receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time.
When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the
worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it
unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the
word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a
hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
The truth is that not everyone who hears the word of God and
the gospel of our salvation receives it. As well, not everyone who gives the
appearance of having received Christ as Lord and Savior really has come to know
him. They may have shown initial excitement and enthusiasm about their decision
to receive Christ, but when the reality of it all sinks in as to what this
Christian life is truly about, they quickly fall away because their faith was
superficial only, and it never truly took root in Jesus Christ. Not everyone
who says, “Lord, Lord,” will see the kingdom of heaven.
And, then there are those who hear the word, and perhaps
even receive it, but it gets choked out by the cares of this life so that it
becomes unfruitful. So, if you are relying upon a decision you made at an altar
to receive Christ, and you think that is your ticket into heaven, no matter
what happens in your life after that, then think again. The good soil is the
person who hears the word, understands it, and applies its truths to his or her
life. He or she will bear spiritual fruit (outgrowth; results) in keeping with
true faith.
Jesus said that if anyone wants to come after him, he must
deny his self-life, die daily to sin and to self, and follow him in obedience
wherever he takes or sends us. The apostles taught the same message in relation
to the gospel of our salvation. When we come to Christ in faith, we are crucified
with Christ to the sins which once enslaved us, we are transformed in heart and
mind away from sin and to God, and we are given new lives in Christ to be lived
out in his righteousness and holiness (See Ro. 6-8; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 4:17-24).
The grace of God, in fact, teaches us to say “No” to
ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled and upright lives
while we wait for Christ’s return (See Tit. 2:11-14). Jesus Christ died, not
just so we would escape hell, and so we would go to heaven when we die, but he
died so that we would no longer live for ourselves but for him who gave himself
up for us (See 2 Co. 5:15). This is the truth of the gospel! If we say we have
fellowship with Christ, yet we continue to live sinful lifestyles, we are
liars, and we do not live by the truth (See 1 Jn. 1-5). The same applies if we
say we love God, but we do not do what he says.
So, will you be among those who truly see and hear and who
gain understanding? Or will you be among those whose eyes and ears are closed,
and whose hearts are hardened to the truth of the gospel of our salvation? Will
you be the hard soil lacking understanding, or the rocky soil which has no
root, or the thorny soil which chokes out the truth? Or will you be the good
soil which hears the word and understands, and which applies its truths to your
life so that you produce fruit (outgrowth; results) for God’s kingdom?
Your New Life /
An Original Work
Based off the Gospels
/ May 15, 2014
Go and make disciples
of peoples,
Teaching them to obey
their Savior.
Do not fear, but go
where He sends you.
Tell them all of what
you have heard.
The kingdom of God now
is upon you.
Come, and follow
Jesus, your Lord.
He will make you
fishers of man.
If the people Jesus
desire,
They must die to sin
and to self-life.
If they want to hold
on to their lives
They will lose them
forevermore.
Surely you heard that
coming to Christ
Means a new life in
Jesus, your Lord.
Follow Christ wherever
He leads.
Love the Lord with all
of your heart, and
Love your neighbors as
you would yourself.
Preach the gospel to
all the nations.
Do not worry what you
will say.
Proclaim the freedom
for all the captives.
Share the light with
all who are blind.
You are ministers of
our God.
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