THE BEGINNING OF PARABLES
OR
SOWING ETERNAL SEED BY THE SEA
SUNDAY DEC. 29, 2019
Scripture To Consider:
“On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.”
“Then Jesus spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ‘Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up, they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away’”
“And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 13.1-9
Something To Consider:
Earlier this same day Jesus had been opposed, interrupted, and rejected by the religious leaders. His response was to go elsewhere in order to preach to others. He was not disturbed, discouraged, or dissuaded in any way from doing what was His Father’s will and business, which was and is communicating lessons of a lifetime to whomever would and will listen with ears to hear what the Spirit of God is saying to the true church.
On this particular occasion He chose the beauty and openness of the sea shore as His amphitheater for bringing the good news of the gospel to a multitude that He hoped would have spiritual ears to hear. That is what communicators of lessons of a lifetime do! They continue to be about their Father’s business by their being obedient and by their continuing to communicate the gospel through whatever open door of opportunity is afforded to them.
And at some point, in our lives as we are faithful with such occupations as carpenters, plumbers, doctors, nurses, teachers, designers, cashiers, salesmen, or saleswomen, or whatever we do to earn a living; if we are communicating lessons of a lifetime in our attitudes, actions, and words, God will be pleased with our desire to live godly lives while we honor Him.
Something Else To Consider:
As Jesus took the position of a Rabbi ready to teach, He sat down. It was never recorded that any other Rabbi had such great multitudes following them. This day Jesus and His disciples were forced to sit in a boat just off shore to keep from being crushed by the crowds. It appeared a most natural action for Jesus.
Wherever Christ was there was usually a crowd of onlookers and listeners, except at the foot of the cross, that public and humiliating site of His suffering. But on this day, many gathered willingly to hear what He had to say. And so, He spoke many things to them that day in parables, saying; “Behold, a sower went out to sow.” Jesus was speaking to an agricultural group of people and therefore, spoke in terms of interest and understanding.
Jesus also declared, “And as He sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.” Later in another lesson of a lifetime, Jesus will perfectly explain this parable to His closest disciples. But for now, the seed that Jesus is proclaiming that was sown is the Word of God.
And, in this parable style lesson Jesus revealed the four types of soil or heart conditions of those listening or reading the words of Jesus as it relates to the hearing or reading of the gospel message. In the communicating of truth, Jesus was flexible, but He never compromised the message of the gospel, and neither should those who attempt to follow in His footsteps.
Something More To Consider:
His direct teaching method had been met with hostility, resentment, and rejection by the Jewish religious rulers. Therefore, Jesus spoke to them in parables. A parable of course is a comparison or a short story with some important truth slightly hidden or veiled in order to withhold the light from those who love darkness. To the contrary, those seeking the truth were intrigued enough to ask for an explanation or an interpretation of the parable.
And Jesus never hesitated or declined to give a clear understanding of what the meaning of the parable was. It must be noted that His interpretation never violated the teaching of another parable or dishonored in any way His direct teachings. Therefore, “Jesus spoke many things to them in parables.” Do our interpretations of Scripture violate or dishonor in any way the direct teachings of Jesus? Do the teachings of those we are subject to violate or dishonor the teachings of Jesus? That is something more to consider!
The mystery writer of Hebrews began his letter by declaring, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son [Jesus], whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom [through Jesus] also He made the worlds.” But, are we honoring, heeding, and rightly communicating these teachings of Jesus, these lessons of a lifetime and end time warnings of Jesus to others and to ourselves?
Our faithfully enduring to the end rests in the proper interpretations of the Word of God and our rightly observing all the teachings of Jesus. That is the reason for this According To Jesus website. If, at the end of our lives, we have not been found observing all things Jesus has commanded, how can we acclaim that we have honored Him who is worthy of our honor? Have we allowed the sowing of the seed of Jesus’ teachings to permeate our hearts and minds? And if not, why not?
A Few Final Words:
One of the many lessons to be learned from this parable of the sower and the seed, is that only one type of soil or one heart condition produced a crop of fruitfulness. Three out of four types of soil or types of heart conditions, or three out of four individuals allowed outside distractions, concerns, desires, and or complacency, to devour, scorch, or choke the life out of the seed of the Word of God. Three out of four heart conditions were and are, in the end unprofitable.
Of what nature is the soil of our own hearts as we approach the end of this age? Of what nature is the soil of our own hearts as we approach the end of an old year and begin a new year? Are we still grabbing for all the gusto we can obtain at the spiritual loss of our own souls? Are we accumulating a retirement nest egg that will do us little to no value during the tribulation and the rule of the Antichrist upon planet earth for 3-1/2 years?
Or, are we hiding the seed of the Word of God in our hearts that we might not sin against God as is commanded in Psalm 119.11? Only a few among so many will be ready, willing, and able to enter the straight and narrow gate that leads to eternal life, according to Jesus. Will we and our loved ones be among the few or will we be among the many who hear Jesus declare, “Depart from Me, I never knew you!”
The sowing of the seed of the Word of God is a large part of a spiritual leader’s agenda, but without personal application the seed sown may simply be sown to the wind. “He [or she] who has ears to hear, let him [or her] hear!” Let this new 2020 year be the year we devote ourselves to observing all things Jesus taught. Let us this year be found sowing eternal seeds and eternal fruit worthy of our repentance!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, we thank You for revealing the truth of Your living Word to all who hunger and thirst after righteousness. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 