READ: Matthew
13
This chapter has several parables in it, most having to do with the
Kingdom of Heaven. The well-known parable of the sower who plants seeds is the
first one. A parable is a story or word-picture told to help a particular truth
or truths be understood better. In this case, Jesus is telling a story about a
sower who throws seed out, hoping for a harvest. Some seed falls on the path,
others on rocky ground, some among thorns and some on good soil. Jesus explains
that the seed is God’s word. The kind of ground the seed falls on is the state
or condition of the hearts of people.
This parable helps us understand why some people hear the same message
of salvation and freedom and they all react differently. It also helps us
understand why some endure to the end and others don’t seem to last. This gives
us an invitation to evaluate what the soil of our hearts is like.
- Is it like a path, so hard and beaten down that it doesn’t have a chance to penetrate and bring life? It doesn’t take much for others to talk us out of what we’ve heard, or we don’t even think twice about issues of faith.
- Is it like rocky ground that has a thin layer of dirt – just enough to get a little sprout started – but not enough to grow a sturdy plant? Those of us in this stage find it hard to stay connected to God in difficult times. We wilt and waver because of hard times. Perhaps we’ve even come to believe the difficulties we face are proof that faith doesn’t work.
- Is it like ground that is full of weeds? If this is our situation, we find ourselves too busy to spend time with God, and no time to serve, minister, pray, read the Bible or go deep with God. We might also find ourselves attending church on the weekend but the business of life, the busyness it offers, and the pursuit of riches and success keeps our faith on Sunday and out of the other six days of the week. Other priorities take the place of our relationship with Christ and His Church.
- Is it fertile ground? This ground is soft and moist and sheltered. People with fertile hearts may find their hearts in pain sometimes as the ground is cultivated, to keep it soft. However, they also find that as they spend time with Jesus He waters their hearts with hope. They protect their hearts by spending time in the Word and in prayer. They begin to see spiritual growth, maturity and then their spiritual heritage being passed on to others.
Another parable in this chapter is the Parable of the Weeds. This
parable is an answer to a question many ask: Why doesn’t God just take all the
evil out of the world? The truth is - He could. Yet in this parable we see the
kind and oh-so-tender heart of God. He doesn’t take the ‘weeds’ or the evil out
of this world because if He did, He might disturb the growth and maturity of
believers. He wants to give everyone a chance to reach full maturity. Our responsibility
is to trust the God of the Harvest that He will come back to gather His people
at just the right time. And of course… be ready.
JOURNALING
AND PRAYER
1.
Ask Jesus which of the four soils in the parable matches your heart. Ask
Him what you need to do, if anything, to turn your heart into more fertile
soil. Submit to what He directs. Ask Him to help you become a plant that grows
to full maturity and bears much fruit.
2.
Ask Jesus to give you the name of a non-believer, or remind you of
someone you have been praying for. Ask Him to show you what kind of heart this
person has. Then ask Him for direction on how to pray for this person’s heart
to become one of fertile soil. Make a commitment to pray for this person each
day for the next seven days.
3.
Thank the Lord for His never-ending love and His gracious and kind
patience. Ask Him to give you endurance to the end so that you will be part of
that Great Harvest one day soon. Ask Him to give you a glimpse of the
magnificence of that Day.
