I was wondering what scripture I should read, said a brief prayer and 'Matthew 13' seemed to be the Lord's reply. I generally don't know my Bible books, chapters and verses well enough to associate a particular theme with a particular book, chapter and verse. Before I was praying that brief prayer, I was rereading my Blog entry from yesterday on sowing and reaping and fallow ground. I was wondering if the Lord had more to say about that theme, so, when I turned to Matthew 13, the title of chapter immediately caught my attention, for it is the parable of the sower and the seed! I guess the Lord has more to say to me about this theme!!
Here are the verses I will be meditating on this morning - Matthew 13:3-9,13-23 NIV:
[3] "Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. [4] As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. [5] Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. [6] But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop---a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. [9] Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
[13] "This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. [14] In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
[15] 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.'
[16] "But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. [17] 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."
[18] “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: [19] 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. [20] The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. [21] 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. [22] 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. [23] 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.”
I added verses 13 - 17 to this reflection, as those verses are Jesus explaining His use of parables, and it has to do with the people's hearts and minds being hardened. A hardened heart is reflected in the fact that we don't want to listen to God. The condition of the soil in this parable is really the condition of the individual hearts, the openness to receive God's word. The condition of our hearts is in large part due to our choice! We can be soil like the path, the shallow soil, the thorny soil, or good soil, and it has to do with our willingness to see and hear God's word, and allow His word to be planted deep in our heart. It also has to do with our willingness to change according to God's word!
Yesterday I was thinking about fallow ground, which is ground that has been left unplanted or is unfruitful during a growing season. In Hosea the invitation is to breakup or plow your fallow ground, thus opening up one's life, or that area of one's life to receive the Word, which is the seed. As I was thinking about the types of soil descried here in Matthew's Gospel, there is soil that is now a path, soil that is shallow, soil amongst the thorns, and good soil. Again these have to do with the condition of one's heart, so as I was thinking about these themes, it I felt like we could replace those descriptions with the following:
Soil along the path = a life so busy, there is no room for God.
Shallow soil = a life that desires God's word, but is also not totally open to change (not plowed deeply)
Soil among the thorns = a life where good intentions are over-ridden by other cares, concerns, or busyness in life - or maybe the cost of change is too high
Good soil = those who have opened there lives, been willing to change and grow in response to God's word, and those that bear consistent fruit
If I look at each of these new definitions, I see myself in each of them, and in each case it is because of my choices.
Soil along the path - There are times where I am just so busy, I don't even pay any attention to God and what He might be trying to say.
Shallow Soil - Other times, His Word lands in parts of my life where I am just not that willing to change, or ready to change. I might have some quick change on the surface but not down deep where it really matters.
Thorny Soil - I find I generally have good intentions and want to bear good fruit, but if you were to ask me what God was speaking to me last week, last month or over the last season of my life, I find that I often have lost track of those intentions, and even the Word. I get so focused on so many other things that my path forward into fruitfulness ends up being choked out, or having some change but very limited fruit.
Good Soil - I wish I could say I am 100% good soil and seeing fruit in every area of my life, but the truth is simply that I am not. I want to see God's word produce good fruit in every area, and in some areas I have seen much progress, and much good fruit, and that encourages me to keep on keeping on! I find I must constantly remind myself of Paul's own exhortation to himself found in Philippians 3:12-14 NIV:
[12] "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
I must allow God's Word to reach every area of my life, allow it to settle deeply, choose to change in accordance with His Word, then make the change a regular part of my life, and then consistently watch over and care for that Word so that it produces much good fruit! That sounds like a bunch of work, and in reality it is! It is also spread over quite some time, so intentionality, and persistence is critical. Without that focus and drive that Paul talks about, I can lose track, or even forget those things that God has spoken into my life. I must learn to be intentional and committed to becoming like Christ in every area of my life, for that is the real invitation and purpose of God's Word to me!
The Great News is that God totally understands my human weakness, my poor attention, my good intentions and poor follow-through, and my difficulty enacting long-term change, and He has compassion and mercy on me! In spite of His intimate knowledge of me and all my failures, He continues to call me forward, issuing the invitation daily! This is where I must choose to forget my past failures and focus on the new opportunity today brings!
So, today I am encouraged to keep pressing on to be fruitful! I am encouraged to reduce the bad, shallow and thorny soil in my life, choosing instead to allow God's word access to every part of my life, and choosing to change in accordance with His Word. I am encouraged to do more than just have good intentions, but instead to press forward into actual change! I am encouraged to put my faith and belief into action, for that is Good Fruit" I am ncouraged to increase the amount of good soil!
Amen!
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