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Reaping What We Sow
In Matthew 13:1-8 a large crowd and the Disciples gathered around Jesus by a lake. There He tells a story:
“A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots. Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.
Jesus ends this parable saying, “Let those with ears use them and listen,” verse 9. In other words, He is telling us that we must have an open and receptive heart for hearing and understanding.
The disciples questioned Jesus as to why He used stories to teach and Jesus replies, "You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets. Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand," Matthew 13:11-13.
Jesus, in all His wisdom, quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 to give us a fuller understanding:You will listen and listen, but you will not understand.
You will look and look, but you will not learn.
For the minds of these people have become stubborn.
They do not hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might really understand
what they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand in their minds
and come back to me and be healed.’
Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of the story, revealing a secret about the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:18-23):
The seed that fell by the road
That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person’s heart.
The seed that fell on rocky ground
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.
The seed that fell among the thorny weeds
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life.
The seed that fell on the good ground
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”
Jesus used parables to teach because there were many then and even now with hardened hearts, not able to hear the word of God, let alone understand them. Many do not know who Jesus was and is and can’t comprehend that He is the Messiah. They and many today could not see the kingdom that had come upon them.
However, He reveals truth to those with open hearts and mind so that they may be able to plant seeds with productive fruits.
A lesson to be learned from this parable is that we, the children of God,
* Must sow the word, knowing that some will accept it and others will reject it.
* That a person has to have an open heart to receive the word and we can’t convince them otherwise
* That in order to hear the word, a person also needs an open heart.
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fantastic stuff. I am really enjoying all this.
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Thanks Clay. I'm enjoying the sharing and I want to thank you for allowing me to do so. May God bless you abundantly. MUAH!
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you are welcome Carmen.
you are sharing some wonderful stuff with the whole world.
and now, unlike facebook, your posts are staying put for the world to see and read and enjoy.
we are brand new here so at some point we will have a lot more members in the camelot family.
i will keep taking about camelot on facebook and twitter. -
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Reaping What We Sow
In Matthew 13:1-8 a large crowd and the Disciples gathered around Jesus by a lake. There He tells a story:
“A farmer went out to plant his seed. While he was planting, some seed fell by the road, and the birds came and ate it all up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, where there wasn’t much dirt. That seed grew very fast, because the ground was not deep. But when the sun rose, the plants dried up, because they did not have deep roots. Some other seed fell among thorny weeds, which grew and choked the good plants. Some other seed fell on good ground where it grew and produced a crop. Some plants made a hundred times more, some made sixty times more, and some made thirty times more.
Jesus ends this parable saying, “Let those with ears use them and listen,” verse 9. In other words, He is telling us that we must have an open and receptive heart for hearing and understanding.
The disciples questioned Jesus as to why He used stories to teach and Jesus replies, "You have been chosen to know the secrets about the kingdom of heaven, but others cannot know these secrets. Those who have understanding will be given more, and they will have all they need. But those who do not have understanding, even what they have will be taken away from them. This is why I use stories to teach the people: They see, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really hear or understand," Matthew 13:11-13.
Jesus, in all His wisdom, quotes Isaiah 6:9-10 to give us a fuller understanding:You will listen and listen, but you will not understand.
You will look and look, but you will not learn.
For the minds of these people have become stubborn.
They do not hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might really understand
what they see with their eyes
and hear with their ears.
They might really understand in their minds
and come back to me and be healed.’
Jesus goes on to explain the meaning of the story, revealing a secret about the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:18-23):
The seed that fell by the road
That seed is like the person who hears the message about the kingdom but does not understand it. The Evil One comes and takes away what was planted in that person’s heart.
The seed that fell on rocky ground
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and quickly accepts it with joy. But he does not let the teaching go deep into his life, so he keeps it only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the teaching he accepted, he quickly gives up.
The seed that fell among the thorny weeds
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching but lets worries about this life and the temptation of wealth stop that teaching from growing. So the teaching does not produce fruit in that person’s life.
The seed that fell on the good ground
That seed is like the person who hears the teaching and understands it. That person grows and produces fruit, sometimes a hundred times more, sometimes sixty times more, and sometimes thirty times more.”
Jesus used parables to teach because there were many then and even now with hardened hearts, not able to hear the word of God, let alone understand them. Many do not know who Jesus was and is and can’t comprehend that He is the Messiah. They and many today could not see the kingdom that had come upon them.
However, He reveals truth to those with open hearts and mind so that they may be able to plant seeds with productive fruits.
A lesson to be learned from this parable is that we, the children of God,
* Must sow the word, knowing that some will accept it and others will reject it.
* That a person has to have an open heart to receive the word and we can’t convince them otherwise
* That in order to hear the word, a person also needs an open heart.
Wonderful stuff, Carmen.
This is important work that you're doing here.
I know these stories well, as I have studied the Word for years, but it's nice to revisit them. My mind keeps going back to services, prayer time, and meditation periods where I first gained understanding.
You are truly blessing my soul.
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