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freebiblestudyhub · 17 days

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Who is the Sower in Matthew 13?

The Parable of the Sower, found in Matthew 13:1-23, is one of the most well-known and frequently discussed teachings of Jesus. This parable not only provides profound insights into the nature of God’s Kingdom but also offers an introspective look at the human response to divine revelation. Central to this narrative is the figure of the sower, whose identity and role have been the subject of much theological discussion. To fully grasp the significance of this parable, it is essential to explore who the sower is, what the sower represents, and the broader implications of the sower’s actions.

The Context of the Parable

Before delving into the identity of the sower, it is important to understand the context in which Jesus presents this parable. In Matthew 13, Jesus is teaching by the sea, and large crowds have gathered to hear Him. He uses parables—simple, metaphorical stories—to convey deeper spiritual truths. This method not only engaged His listeners but also prompted them to reflect more deeply on His message.

The Parable of the Sower is the first in a series of seven parables in this chapter, all of which describe various aspects of the Kingdom of Heaven. In the parable, a sower goes out to sow seed, and the seed falls on four different types of soil: the path, rocky ground, among thorns, and good soil. Each type of soil represents a different response to the word of God.

Identifying the Sower

In the most direct interpretation, the sower in the parable is Jesus Himself. This is evidenced by Jesus’ role throughout His ministry as the one who spreads the message of the Kingdom of Heaven. He travels from town to town, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the good news. This sowing of the seed symbolizes His efforts to share divine truth with humanity.

The Sower as a Broader Metaphor

While Jesus is the primary figure represented by the sower, the parable also extends to include anyone who disseminates the message of God. This can be seen in the work of the apostles, early Christian missionaries, and even modern-day evangelists. Essentially, anyone who shares the gospel can be seen as a sower. This broadens the scope of the parable and allows it to apply to different contexts and eras within the Christian faith.

The Seed: The Word of God

The seed in the parable represents the word of God, or the message of the Kingdom. This is clear from Jesus’ own explanation in Matthew 13:19, where He says, “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.” The seed, therefore, is the divine truth that the sower spreads. The effectiveness of the seed, however, depends on the condition of the soil upon which it falls.

The Four Types of Soil

The four types of soil represent different responses to the word of God. Each type of soil corresponds to a different state of the human heart and its receptiveness to divine truth.

1. The Path: This represents those who hear the message but do not understand it. The word is snatched away by the evil one before it can take root. This can be seen as a metaphor for a hardened heart, resistant to spiritual insight.

2. Rocky Ground: This soil represents those who receive the message with joy but have no depth. When trouble or persecution arises, they quickly fall away. This symbolizes a superficial acceptance of the word without a deep, sustaining commitment.

3. Among Thorns: This soil describes those who hear the word but are overwhelmed by life’s worries and the deceitfulness of wealth, which choke the word, making it unfruitful. This reflects a divided heart, where worldly concerns overshadow spiritual growth.

4. Good Soil: This represents those who hear the word, understand it, and produce a crop yielding thirty, sixty, or a hundred times what was sown. This is the ideal response, indicative of a receptive and fruitful heart.

The Role of the Sower in Different Contexts

Understanding the sower’s role can vary depending on the context. For early Christians, the sower was a representation of their mission to spread the gospel in a hostile and diverse world. The different types of soil they encountered reflected the varied receptions to their message, from outright rejection to enthusiastic acceptance and growth.

In contemporary settings, the sower can represent anyone engaged in spiritual or religious education, whether it be clergy, teachers, or laypeople. The parable encourages modern sowers to persist in their efforts, regardless of the varied responses they encounter. It also serves as a reminder that the outcome is not solely dependent on the sower’s efforts but also on the condition of the hearer’s heart.

See Also: 23 Parables in the Gospel of Matthew

Implications for Believers

The Parable of the Sower carries several important implications for believers. First, it underscores the importance of persistent and faithful dissemination of the word of God, regardless of immediate results. The sower sows the seed without discriminating between the different types of soil, demonstrating a commitment to spreading the message to all.

Second, the parable highlights the responsibility of the hearer. While the sower’s role is crucial, the ultimate growth of the seed depends on the soil’s condition. This calls for introspection and self-examination among believers regarding their receptiveness to God’s word.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the sower in Matthew 13 is primarily Jesus Christ, but by extension, it represents all who share the message of God’s Kingdom. The parable emphasizes the varied human responses to divine truth and the importance of both the sower’s efforts and the soil’s receptiveness. It serves as a timeless reminder of the power of God’s word and the diverse ways it can be received and nurtured. For believers today, the parable encourages faithful sowing and personal reflection, ensuring that the seed of the Kingdom can flourish in the hearts of all who hear it.

#bible

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thejesusmaninred · 24 days

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"The Sickle." From Mark 4: 26-29.

Everyone thinks Jesus was selling doves, but that is not what He was doing. Jesus was not hocking eternal life or something pearly white, but the Kingdom of Israel, AKA the Kingdom of God. It has so far been a seed that fell on the wrong persons, but that time is past. The seeds are in the air and they will come to ground soon.

Jesus explains using the Four Winds as His Method. First read this passage from Chukat:

27 That is why the poets say:

“Come to Heshbon and let it be rebuilt; let Sihon’s city be restored.

28 “Fire went out from Heshbon, a blaze from the city of Sihon. It consumed Ar "city" of Moab, the citizens of Arnon’s heights. 29 Woe to you, Moab! You are destroyed, people of Chemosh "as if he saves"! He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to Sihon king of the Amorites.

30 “But we have overthrown them; Heshbon’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon "two cakes dominion". We have demolished them as far as Nophah "the windy place", which extends to Medeba "waters of grief.”

“Come to think and let it be rebuilt; let the uprooted city be restored.

28 “Fire went out from thinkers, a blaze from the city that was uprootedIt consumed Ar "city" of “father’s water”, the citizens of cheery heights.29 Woe to you, father’s water! You are destroyed, people of "as if he saves"!He has given up his sons as fugitives and his daughters as captives to the uprooter king of the talkers.

30 “But we have overthrown them; The Entire Library’s dominion has been destroyed all the way to Dibon "two cakes dominion" ( yesterday and today, there are two shabbat loaves, one is taken at the beginning one is desert at the end).We have demolished them as far as Nophah "the windy place", which extends to Medeba "waters of grief.”

The fukchucks say "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free," well that is a bunch of bullshit. As God told Moses, "From Liberty's Domimion, I will uproot them, I will overthrow them, I will dry up the waters of grief."

The Parable of the Growing Seed

26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground.

27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.

28 All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.

29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”

v. 26: The North Wind. He also said, meaning He revealed for the first time: The Number is 3345, גגדה‎‎, gegada, "everything must be cut off, we must start anew."

"The feminine noun γη (ge) means earth (hence our English prefix "geo-") but predominantly as fertile and producing ground. In translations our noun may be interpreted as earth, land or ground but always with the underlying idea of being fertile and bringing forth. When our word is juxtaposed with ουρανος (ouranos) or "heaven", it should not be understood to denote our planet in space, but rather as the dry land that had risen from the seas and now brings forth produce, and has clouds over it and water exchanging between all of them (see for more about the hydrological cycle in the Bible our article on the Hebrew equivalent of our word, namely ארץ, 'eres, meaning earth).

When our word denotes the arena in which something like news propagates, it denotes basic humanity as the fertile field in which culture sprouts and grows (the actual world-wide human civilization is most often referred to with the familiar word κοσμος, kosmos).

It should be clearly understood and diligently remembered that where the English translations use words that expresses vastly different things and properties, the Greek consistently uses this same word: γη (ge), not a place or territory or particular substance, but "that in which things grow; anything in which whatever grows". Dry land sits in between sea and heaven.

It sprang from the sea (Genesis 1:9, 2 Peter 3:5), which represents the formless beginning of all growth. And it evolves to be like heaven, which contains its final form (Matthew 5:48, 6:10, Revelation 21:1-2)."

Things are too predictable right now. The future must not be so certain. Palestine is a mess, it is wrecked. The Mormons and the rest have ensured it will never know peace. Palestine is a sacred place and its people- it's real people- deserve a good life. For this to happen Israel must start over before it was carved up like an Easter ham.

v. 27: The East Wind. All sins have to be blown away as the seeds of Grace are blown in. The Number is 7337, ז‎גגז‎, "zigzag." The process of elevation, according to the Torah happens in the pattern of a zipper. In order for the Age of Reason to dawn, the Age of Agony has to close.

v. 28: The South Wind. "Understanding." Jesus said a "full kernel in the head" is a requirement of the Gospel Torah.

Once one applies effort to the end of humankind's troubles, one has to apply oneself to the making of an intelligentsia. Harmless, cuddly, fugly dumb people whose ideas of a good time used to include sawing each other's legs off are not what God ordered on His plate.

Once the Torah and Tanakh are learned, they format the brain on their own provided the mind is growing in every way. To hide from the outside world is not what God intended. We learn this the second we get springy downstairs and the urge to explore the world becomes overwhelming.

The Number is 3339, גגגט‎, "a gadget on the roof."

v. 29: The West Wind. Shabbat! The Age of Enlightenment. Once the mind and the behind catch up to each other and the Self is well known, one detaches from the field of work and retires. The Sickle is the most important aspect of the study of the Torah and the Gospels. It represents emancipation from all the forms of oppression, whether they are physical, intellectual, spiritual, political, digital, all of them.

The Number is 3477, גד‎ז‎ז‎, gadzzzz, "the moment you get moving."

From:

Ga= the moment, the minute, the instant

Dz= then

Zz=moving

Z= is the Seventh.

Grief must no longer consume the cities. It is time for the wind to change directions. The Kingdom of Israel, called the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kindgom of God by the scriptures is waiting.

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backtochrist · 2 months

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Sower and four types of soil

Parable 11

Great crowds gathered about Him, so that He got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. And Jesus told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” - Matthew 13:2-9 Additional Verses: Mark 4:3-8; Luke 8:5-8

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almaqead · 3 months

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"The Evil Tree." From Surah 14, Ibrahim, "They Happened."

We pray to God and study the scriptures for one thing- to earn a way of life equivalent to the worth of our soul. Every day I think about this. Then I see Joe Biden failing to make an account of the horrible crimes of his opponent Donald Trump who has raped, murdered, stolen, cheated, lied, and profited from immense amounts of wickedness and cost hundreds of thousands of people their lives, and I cannot believe it.

There are four kinds of disobedience that devalue the worth of one's soul. One is an inadvertant sin. These are the little things we try to get away with accidentally on purpose. There are violations, doing something we know is wrong, not doing what we know is right. There is disobedience, associated with criminal activity and there is willful disobedience associated with corruption and crime on a significant scale. I cannot believe President Biden wants to hop into the hot cauldron of willful disobedience by allowing Donald Trump to soil one more second of our lives.

Failure to properly prosecute Donald Trump for his sins and crimes is a Crime Against Humanity and we must not stand for it. The very idea he might attain to the White House and then fail to be accountable for all the evil he has done in the eyes of God and man is such a gross dereliction of the Oval Office I am not sure President Biden should get a second chance himself.

Former President Donald Trump is more than partly responsible for what happened in Israel on October 7, 2023 and the whole world knows it. Now put him to death for it, and give the world the truth and the vengeance it is owed. Especially the people of Israel.

In the prior frame, the Quran says a tyrant must not escape judgement. This one- Donald Trump is planning to make a break for it and he is getting help from the US Gov and this obscenity has to be stopped.

14: 19-27:

Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth for a reason? If He wills, He can eliminate you and produce a new creation.

And that is not difficult for Allah ˹at all˺.

They will all appear before Allah, and the lowly ˹followers˺ will appeal to the arrogant ˹leaders˺, “We were your ˹dedicated˺ followers, so will you ˹then˺ protect us from Allah’s torment in any way?” They will reply, “Had Allah guided us, we would have guided you. ˹Now˺ it is all the same for us whether we suffer patiently or impatiently, there is no escape for us.”

And Satan will say ˹to his followers˺ after the judgment has been passed, “Indeed, Allah has made you a true promise. I too made you a promise, but I failed you. I did not have any authority over you. I only called you, and you responded to me. So do not blame me; blame yourselves. I cannot save you, nor can you save me. Indeed, I denounce your previous association of me with Allah ˹in loyalty˺. Surely the wrongdoers will suffer a painful punishment.”

Those who believe and do good will be admitted into Gardens, under which rivers flow—to stay there forever by the Will of their Lord—where they will be greeted with “Peace!”

Do you not see how Allah compares a good word to a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches reach the sky,

˹always˺ yielding its fruit in every season by the Will of its Lord. This is how Allah sets forth parables for the people, so perhaps they will be mindful.

And the parable of an evil word is that of an evil tree, uprooted from the earth, having no stability.

Allah makes the believers steadfast with the firm Word ˹of faith˺1 in this worldly life and the Hereafter. And Allah leaves the wrongdoers to stray. For Allah does what He wills.

Commentary:

Donald Trump and his followers are evil trees that incapable of providing mankind with anything but poisonous fruits. Within this forum, I have been asking the world and the White House do perform in their duties and protect this world during this fragile time and the news is unchanging.

Joe Biden we are going to go to hell if you do not do your job, enforce the law, remove Donald Trump from the November presidential election, and arrest and execute every last man, woman, and child responsible for that attack on Israel on October 7. The human race must not witness such unequivocal injustice go unpunished, it will imbalance it for the rest of its existence.

Federal law has given you all you need to dispose of this problem readily and easily...so why will you not do it? Why are you avoiding this all-important greeting between the world and its future peace?

Donald Trump is a traitor. He cannot be the President a second time.

youtube

Quran 24: 19:

"Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know."

The Verses are also duties. Please join me in insisting that the White House carry out this Fatwa Fard Wajib, and expunge Donald Trump form this world.

#Youtube

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marysittingathisfeet · 4 months

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I'm Back- Read The Four Seeds

I published a book recently Titled "The Four Seeds"

Its a story about walking through the storm. Hidden in the story are the four types of seeds that Jesus mentions in his parable. Can you spot them?

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 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.”

#christianity #bible study #faith

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johnhardinsawyer · 8 months

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When the Kingdom Takes Root

John Sawyer

Bedford Presbyterian Church

1 / 21 / 24

Mark 4:1-9

Mark 4:21-34

“When the Kingdom Takes Root”

(Scattered Seeds and Fertile Soil)

It’s hard for me to believe, but this Tuesday will be the third New Hampshire Presidential Primary that I have lived through in the Granite State, after having moved here ten years ago. For my first Presidential Primary, I was just overwhelmed by how new and big it all was to me – so many yard signs, so many candidates. For my second Presidential Primary, I don’t really remember much, aside from seeing a few candidates at the Amherst Fourth of July parade. I remember Amy Klobuchar smiling and waving and I remember that Bill Weld was very sweaty. Oh, and my cousin, Frances, worked on a campaign – so, we got to see her when she came to town. This year, when it came to the Primaries, I decided to do something different, just for fun. Back in August and September, I started collecting those political campaign mailers that seem to blanket the state every four years. Where we live, in Manchester, in addition to the flyers from presidential candidates, we were having a citywide election which meant even more flyers and door hangers. So, from my unofficial start of collecting flyers in September until yesterday, we have personally received 104 election flyers.

Now, this might seem like a strange way to begin a sermon about the so-called “Parable of the Sower” and the “Parable of the Mustard Seed” from the Gospel of Mark, but when I think about what all of these mailers have been trying to do, they have been trying plant seeds. . . seeds of ideas, and opinions, and influence. Whoever has been sending these flyers have been scattering these seeds very widely – in every mailbox. Now, some of these seeds could be seen as positive, in that the flyers are promoting ideas and hopes and dreams. But some of these seeds take a different track, in that most of the flyers are saying that “so-and-so is a liar,” and “so-and-so is a criminal,” and “so-and-so is a failure,” and “life stinks because its so-and-so’s fault,” and “only-so-and-so can fix things.” The question is – with all of these flyers coming our way, flooding my mailbox for the past five months – which one of these seeds-of-words-and-ideas, if any, is going to take root in my mind and heart and have an impact on how I vote on Tuesday? Or, should I – or do I – have a different standard when it comes to which seeds I allow to take root and grow in my mind and heart?

They – whoever “They” are – say you need to hear a certain message at least seven times before it starts to sink in. Well, what about hearing a certain message twenty times or hundreds of times, thanks to the wonders of 21st century communication? After a while – for a lot of folks – resistance is futile, the seed is planted, the message sinks in, the seed takes root, minds are made up, and worldviews are set in stone. . . at least until the next set of flyers, and TV ads, and internet memes, and TikTok videos, and profusely predictable pundits start chipping away at said set-in-stone worldviews, and some cracks begin to appear, and maybe some different seeds take root in the cracks to shake things up again.

In the first chapters of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus has been scattering the seed of a new way of life and this seed has begun to take root in a small corner of the Roman Empire, along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. All along, Jesus has been talking about something called the “kingdom” or “empire” of God – not the Roman Empire or the historic kingdom of Israel, but the kingdom, the empire of God. Jesus is shaking things up – talking about a different standard and different kind of rule and causing a stir by doing some non-traditional things. He has been healing people on the Sabbath in the synagogue, calling people to leave their livelihoods and follow him, and – as we heard last week – forgiving sins and healing a paralyzed man who had been lowered down through the roof into a crowded room. Right before today’s passage, Jesus’ mother and brothers have come to see him and he is told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for you.” And Jesus replies, “Who are my mothers and brothers? . . . Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” (Mark 3:32-35).

So, Jesus is bucking conventional thinking about the rule of human beings vs. the rule of God, and the standard laws of Moses, and people’s expectations, and traditional family relationships. And, in today’s passage, he starts to point toward the “why” of it all. Of course, the “why” is not entirely clear, at first, because Jesus uses parables – stories that teach a lesson through symbols and metaphors.

In today’s readings, the symbols and metaphors that Jesus uses to teach are fairly common – things that the people who heard his words, knew very well. Just about everyone around knew something about planting and harvesting because there was plenty of nearby land for growing things and water for irrigation. Now, Jesus was not a farmer, at least not in the literal sense. But Jesus knew that he was – through his words and actions – planting spiritual seeds as opposed to physical seeds: the seeds of ideas, the seeds of hope and faith, the seeds of love, and new life, and a new heaven and earth. These seeds of God’s kingdom have taken root and – in today’s reading – have attracted a very large crowd.

You should know that these parables about seeds from the Gospel of Mark are also found in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The Gospel writers and New Testament compilers believed that these parables had great enough significance to include them three times in the New Testament.

In today’s first reading, you heard the story of the sower – the s-o-w-e-r – who goes out to sow some seed. Jesus describes the seed falling on four different kinds of soil. Of course, what Jesus is really talking about here is that he has come – like the sower – to sow the “word” of the good news of God’s kingdom. Some of the word is scattered in the lives of certain people who refuse to hear it or are distracted by other things and the word does not put down roots or bear fruit. But, as Jesus later tells his disciples, “the [seeds] sown on the good soil [of people who are ready to hear and be changed by the word of the good news, or gospel] is like those who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit – thirty and sixty, and a hundredfold.” (4:20)[1]

Now, anyone who has ever planted a garden knows that sometimes you have a very good year when it comes to produce. But for a garden to produce thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold just doesn’t happen. However, when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit that can be produced in the life of someone who hears and receives and is changed by the good news, there is no limit to what God can do.

“What does this fruit look like?” you might be wondering. Well, it nourishes others with abundance and changes the environment in surprising ways – just like Jesus does in Mark’s Gospel. In the days and weeks leading up to today’s passage, Jesus has changed the environment around him, calling people to turn toward God because God’s kingdom is so near. He has forgiven sins, touched the untouchable, welcomed and loved the unlovable. This forgiveness, and touch, and love has planted seeds – seeds of good news, seeds of God’s kingdom – that have taken root in the lives of regular, everyday people. And now, here is Jesus, talking about the ways in which the seeds he has sown have and will produce fruit. The people touched by the good news of God’s kingdom both are the spiritual fruit and will produce fruit that the sower will harvest and put to good use.

This does beg the question, “What kind of fruit are you and I producing?” Or, maybe, “How willing are we to be put to good use by the sower – by Jesus, and his ministry of nourishing, and healing, and forgiveness, and love?” Or, maybe even, “Has the seed of God’s kingdom taken root in our lives, in the first place?”

We are constantly being bombarded by seeds that take root in our lives, to varying degrees. It is when and where they start to bear fruit that it becomes clear who and/or what our God is. Whatever takes root is a test of the heart – our hearts – in how we share whatever fruit has grown in our lives. I’m going to be honest and say that there’s some bad fruit out there and a whole lot of seed that takes our attention and then does not produce any fruit at all – even in my own life.

There is a lot in the history of the church, too, that has not borne fruit, either – whether we have kept doing the same things over and over just to try to preserve ourselves, or selectively choosing to engage or not engage with the world based not on the gospel or on what God’s kingdom calls us to do – because God’s kingdom often stands in stark contrast to our own self-centered, security-seeking, needy, and sinful worldviews.[2]

But, just when we think our minds are made up and our worldviews are set in stone, the good news can surprise us. God isn’t through with you or with me, yet. When Jesus says that the kingdom of God is like a tiny mustard seed that takes root and becomes “the greatest of all shrubs” (4:32) he is telling us that it doesn’t take much for a tiny word of God’s wondrous grace to find a place in our hearts to grow into something that can change our lives and the world around us.

You know, Jesus chose the image of a mustard seed to talk about how God is working for good in the world – but the people who heard him were in on a kind of first-century farming joke. You see, it was forbidden to plant mustard seed in fields because it spread too quickly – like crabgrass or kudzu in the South. We might like to think of the kingdom of God as something huge – a mighty tree or something – but Jesus talked about it almost like an infestation. The teacher and preacher Shane Claiborne writes,

The Jesus revolution is not a frontal attack on the empires of this world. It is a subtle contagion, spreading one little life, one little hospitality house, at a time. Isn’t it interesting that Saul of Tarsus went door to door trying to tear up the contagion like it was a cancer? But the harder people tried to eradicate it, the faster it spread. And in the end, even [Saul, who became] Paul caught the contagion. The mustard weed grabbed him.[3]

The kingdom of God is more powerful and subversive and longer lasting and life changing than any earthly idea. Where do you see the kingdom growing and spreading in your life and in the life of the world? Will it grab you and change the way you think about other people and how you live in relation to them? Will it change you – taking over your life, your time, your energy, your relationships, your community, your trip to the voting booth, your bank account, and your church? Will the kingdom of God hold you to a different, Holy, standard – a new way of life?

Where will you see the kingdom of God taking root and growing and producing fruit in your life this week? Where and how will you grow, with the Spirit’s help, today? The wonderful grace of God is at work, beloved. May our eyes and ears be open to see and hear it.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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[1] Paraphrased, JHS.

[2] From a lecture by Dr. William Yoo at the Matthew 25 Summit – January 17, 2024 at New Life Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajbn1EMYVsQ.

[3] Shane Claiborne, The Irresistible Revolution: Living As an Ordinary Radical (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) 336.

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aclayjar · 8 months

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#Apostasy #Faithfulness #Parables

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destinyimage · 11 months

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Bill Johnson: ‘Mario Murillo Changed My Life With THIS Book’

Around 35 years ago, my friend and mentor, Mario Murillo, told me about this little book by Charles Price called The Real Faith.

At the time, I was a pastor in Weaverville, a young father and husband, and I remember The Real Faith having such a great impact on me. The way Price teaches on faith unraveled my understanding of the subject in the most profound ways.

I’ve gone on to recommend this book to countless others, because I believe it is a significant masterpiece. I still find myself discovering new things, like peeling back layers of an onion, because of the profound nature of Price’s teaching. The Lord is so kind when He teaches us things. Every revelation comes with an invitation: “Here is the truth. Now, come and know Me.” That is the invitation I’ve encountered in this book. It is the invitation to surrender, to encounter God as the Author and Finisher of our faith.

I thought faith was something I could work for, an aspect of walking with Jesus that I could choose to manifest in my life. My prayer life used to be so focused on outcomes. I was desperate to see certain diseases eradicated, for a breakthrough to come, to see specific miracles take place. Not all of that has changed. I still long to see those things happen, but it’s no longer the focus of my time with the Lord. My focus has shifted to Him. I really just want to be with Him, to interact, to hear His heart, to be close to Him. When your focus shifts, you don’t grade yourself on the outcomes. You don’t punish yourself for not seeing this or that result. You’re in it for the relationship.

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Many of the things we ache for in life—the encounters, the experiences with God, the breakthroughs—are products of the faith-filled life. So often, we can slip into a striving, anxiety-filled connection with the Lord. We begin to focus on our own efforts, evaluating our faith in God by the results we see. But when we’re born again in Christ, our natures are changed. Our hearts are aligned with Him. The faith we so often feel like we’re fighting for is actually a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the faith of God, given to us.

When we are born again, we are actually given Jesus’s own heart of absolute surrender to the Father’s will. We are given an invitation to know Him deeply, to understand the hope that is in Him to such an extent that all of our anxiety-filled efforts fall away. In exchange for our striving self-governance, we are given the gift of the Person of God. His heart, His faith, His strength, and His hope are now available to us through Jesus.

In the parable of the Sower, Jesus tells us about “he who received seed among the thorns” (Matthew 13:22 NKJV). The picture is of a garden choked with weeds. The seed represents the living, present word of God; the soil is the condition of our hearts. In the parable, we are shown four different kinds of soil, three of which were not compatible with life. The seed is consistent, but in these unhealthy soils, fruit could not develop. In the soil with the thorns, the good seed was planted, but the weeds competed for nutrients, absorbed the moisture, and eventually overshadowed the plants that were supposed to bear fruit.

The word of the Lord is the same way. The Bible says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17 NKJV). It doesn’t say that faith comes from hearing the Word of God. If it did, we could all just go home and put on a recording of Scripture being read and play it for 24 hours a day. We’d have the faith of Smith Wigglesworth in a few days!

But it doesn’t work that way. Faith comes from hearing Him. It’s our connection to the voice of God, our intimate relationship with the Father. Steeping ourselves in His Word trains our ability to hear Him, but it doesn’t supplant the relationship. When God speaks a word over us, the challenge is to not let all of the other voices in our lives—other ideas, disappointments, criticism, complaints—compete for the same nutrients in the soil of our hearts. The Bible says that the cares of the world can actually “choke the word” of God (Mark 4:19 NKJV). We have the ability to choke that seed of faith, given as a gift from God, with our other interests, burdens, and the sheer busyness of life. Learning to dismantle the obstacles and come to Him fully surrendered is our challenge and our joy as believers.

Faith is not about striving; it is about surrender. The Holy Spirit is not something we struggle to obtain, but rather Someone we surrender to. The shift, as small as it may seem, has had a huge impact on me and continues to speak to me to this day. I wish I could say this truth is fully evident in every aspect of my life, but I am still walking it out. I am still peeling back layers of revelation found in Price’s book.

Faith is not complicated. Jesus said His yoke is easy, His burden is light (Matthew 11:30). We don’t have to be geniuses to walk in the kind of faith that moves mountains, because it’s not our faith to create. Faith is a gift from Jesus, a product of our complete surrender. It is not a concept obtained by our intellect; it is a gift received into the soil of a surrendered heart.

God has made Himself available to us. It is almost unfathomable, but true. He wants to pour His love, His peace, His righteousness, His faith into us. Our job is to receive, to stay humble and surrendered to Him, walking in full dependence on our Creator. Only then will we begin to reveal to the world what Price calls, “the living, pulsating reality of His diving indwelling.” May we all learn to walk with Him in this way.

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mybeautifulchristianjourney · 8 months

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"The issue is not the skill of the one proclaiming the message, the packaging of the message, or the technique used in proclaiming it. The issue is the condition of the hearer. Jesus illustrated that principle in the parable of the sower. The same message (the seed) is proclaimed by the same individual (the sower); the only variable is the condition of the four soils. What is essential for the messengers of the gospel is not cleverness but clarity. Only God can open the sin-blinded eyes of those who are "dead in [their] trespasses and sins." – John MacArthur

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globalworship · 11 months

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Four Soils (parable painting)

James B. Janknegt has been a favorite artist for many years. Here's one of his parable paintings, followed by his commentary.

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Four Soils 2000

In 2000 I started a series of paintings based on Jesus’ parables. This is the first one. I often use borders that have a conversation with what is happening in the painting in the center. The four sides of the painting’s border depict the four types of soil mentioned in the parable.

I chose the ubiquitous grackle to be the bird eating the seed as they are particularly obnoxious as I was reminded when we stopped by the HEB the other evening at dusk. Thousands of grackles were settling into the trees, on the power lines and on the building. I kept expecting to see Alfred Hitchcock lurking in the bushes. :-) https://www.facebook.com/jbjanknegt

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christian-perspectives · 1 year

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The Fields Are Ripe For Harvest

In this portion of scripture, Jesus’ disciples tried to get Him to eat a meal. The Lord though, took the conversation in a different direction. This led Him to say the fields are ripe for harvest. You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. John 4:35 This story came at the conclusion of when Jesus ministered to the woman at the well. She ran back to the village where she told everyone about this man claiming to be the Messiah. “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” So the people came streaming from the village to see him. John 4:29-30 Earlier Jesus’ disciples went to buy some food. They returned about the same time the women left to go to the village. The disciples were concerned if Jesus had eaten anything or not. What they didn’t understand was, Jesus had just talked to a woman who was deeply lost in sin. Even though He revealed the depth of her sin to her, He didn’t condemn her. At that moment she was freed from her sin knowing that she received redemption through Him. From the standpoint of Jesus, His hunger was satisfied by doing God’s will. Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.” John 4:34 The Lord used this incident as a mentoring moment in the process of developing His disciples. Metaphorically He spoke of the harvest and how the fields were ripe for picking.

Personal Gardening

The process of putting in a garden involves quite a bit of work just to get the ground ready. As much as I enjoy gardening I don’t plant a big one anymore. As I am writing this, it is Springtime. I recently planted a few vegetables including some tomato plants. In the evenings I love to walk along to observe how well each plant is growing. Right now everyone of those tomato plants has at least one yellow flower on it. Each evening I’ll water all the plants and watch how those flowers will turn into tomatoes. Soon the day will come when we can pluck ripe tomatoes off the plant for our enjoyment. Then I’ll be able to use the words Jesus used; out in the fields the tomatoes are ripe for harvest. When we plant a garden, the responsibility of tilling, raking, planting, weeding, and harvesting falls directly on our shoulders.

Our Responsibility in God’s Garden

But when we work in the God’s garden, He only holds us responsible for some of the work. He told us in His Word what He wants us to do and what He will do. Paul explained our duties. I planted the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 1 Corinthians 3:6 So in that verse of scripture, Paul laid out for us the three aspects of gardening. We can’t make anything grow, that’s God’s job. Our job consists of planting and watering. We as humans like results. Therefore if we continually plant the seed (the gospel) without seeing results then we feel like a failure. But look what the apostle said about planting and watering. The one who plants and the one who waters work together with the same purpose. And both will be rewarded for their own hard work. 1 Corinthians 3:8 Both the jobs of planting and watering the seed are equally important. But who does them isn’t. God, however, takes care of the most important task. It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7

Who Prepares the Soil?

What is the first thing we must do in order to plant a garden? Prepare the ground or soil. In fact, that is often the hardest job. God takes care of the preparing the ground in His garden. The Holy Spirit works the ground so to speak(the heart) in each person’s life. The closest we come to that job is when the light of Jesus to shines forth so others can see it. We, however, must plant the seed, which is the Word of God. Jesus told a parable about a farmer sowing the seed. He mentioned nothing about not sowing it. He said the farmer put it in all soils. - “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, - Some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. - Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. - Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. - Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Matthew 13:3-8 The point to His story is we must plant the seed everywhere. Remember God will gave the increase. And I want you to know that God continually gives the increase. Jesus told His disciples the day when they stood at the well in Samaria that He needs harvesters. And He will reward them handsomely. The fields are already ripe for harvest. The harvesters are paid good wages, and the fruit they harvest is people brought to eternal life. John 4:35-36

Begin to Harvest, the Fields are Ripe!

So plant and water for the kingdom even though you may not see that harvest. Just like we will harvest souls that others have planted and watered. It’s a job we must do until Jesus comes back. I sent you to harvest where you didn’t plant; others had already done the work, and now you will get to gather the harvest.” John 4:38 Lord, help us to see that the fields are ripe for harvest. And also to understand the urgency of how you have called us to be harvesters for your kingdom. A related post to the Fields are Ripe unto Harvest - In The End TimeWho Will Harvest You? Read the full article

#BibleStudy #Devotions #Evangelism #John

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carolap53 · 1 year

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Being Choked by Wealth TGIF Today God Is First Volume 1 by Os Hillman

05/08/2023

"Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income...."

- Ecclessiastes 5:10

Workplace believers are especially susceptible to a trap in their spiritual lives - one to which others may not be so susceptible. That trap is wealth. Scripture tells us that if we are having our basic needs met for food and clothing, we are considered to have riches. Jesus cautioned us against living a lifestyle that required more than our basic necessities. However, it is clear that Jesus was not against wealth, but against a dependence on wealth. Jesus continually taught that a dependence on anything other than God was evil.

Whenever Jesus determined that money was an issue for an individual, He addressed it and found that the individual could not let go. This was true for the rich young ruler. When talking about what he must do to inherit the Kingdom, Jesus told him to do the one thing that would be the most difficult - to give away his wealth and follow Him. Jesus was not saying this was what every person must do, only the rich young ruler, because Jesus knew this was his greatest stumbling block. For others of us, it could be something else Jesus would ask us to give up (see Mt. 19:16-30).

In the parable of the sower in which He describes four types of people, Jesus also gave us another example of the problem money creates for any follower of Jesus.

"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" (Matthew 13:3b-8).

"The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful" (Matthew 13:22).

Much like the frog in the boiling pot, if we are not careful we gradually begin to acquire and walk the treadmill of material gain. Those around us begin to expect more and more. Soon we begin expanding our lifestyle. Before we know it, we are worrying about how to take care of what we acquire. Our emphasis becomes what we own versus our relationship with Jesus and His Kingdom. One day I woke up and realized I had a cold heart toward God. Apathy toward the things of God became apparent. I was still going through the motions of service toward God, but with no power. We wake up to realize Christ is no longer Lord of our lives, much less of our money. The greater independence money gives us, the less dependence on God we need. Christ talked much about money in the Kingdom because He knew how much of a problem it was. This is why we have so few who are bearing 100, 60, or 30 times what is sown.

Do you have the same hunger for God that you once had? Has financial blessing had an adverse effect on your passion for Jesus Christ? Ask Him today if your heart has grown cold as a result of financial blessing. Ask Him to keep you hungering for more of His presence in your life.

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penhive · 1 year

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A Structural Narrative on the Parables of Jesus

Structuralism is a French narrative that says all language is made up of signs as said by Saussure. A sign in structural language is made up of the signifier and the signified and the signifier is a visual tangible thing, and the signified is an idea. For example if I say that rose is passion, rose is the signifier and passion the signified.

In this narrative I am taking up four Parables of Jesus

The Parable of the Wise man

In the parable of the wise man, Jesus says that the wise man built his house upon the rock and the foolish man built his house upon the sand. When the rains came down the house on the rock stood firm but the house on the stand fell flat. The signifiers used in the narrative are wisdom and folly and the signifiers is house built on the rock and the house built on sand and both the signifiers and the signified have a material and a spiritual meaning. Spiritually speaking the rock is the foundation, protection and providence of God and sand is an apostasy of thought a denial of God. The parable urges us to turn radically to God. The material meaning of the parable is God ensured giving us a successful and comfortable life.

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

When a man was going towards Jericho, he was attacked by bandits who robbed and mauled him. And he was lying on the road injured, two Levite priests went along the way and they totally ignored him with disdain. Then came a Samaritan man who stopped and took him and put him on his donkey and took him to an inn and asked the keeper to apply medicine and offer him residence. The Samaritan man offered the inn keeper money. In this narrative the signifiers are the Samaritan man and the Levite Priests and the signified is: help and negligence. The meaning of the signifiers and the signified are a demonstration of how we as humans should reflect and show concern, kindness, care, compassion and empathy to our fellow beings. And Christ demonstrates that we should not turn down those who are helpless and needy. Our behavior should not be the disdain and negligence as shown by the Levite Priests.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son

The Parable of the Prodigal son starts with a father who has two sons and the younger one asks the father for his inheritance and goes on to squander it all and lives a life of profligacy. He loses all wealth and works as a swine keeper and when he is hungry he is forced to eat the pig’s food. Finally feeling repentant he returns to the father who embraces him and forgives him and adorns him with royal robes and prepares a grand feast for him. The signifiers used in the narrative are the prodigal son and the father. The signified are choices of hedonism and acceptance and forgiveness. The son’s free choice was accepted by the father who gave all his resources freely and willingly and when the son came back he was received with love, celebration and compassion.

The Parable of the Sower

The sower plants seeds and some of it fall on the road and are eaten up by birds and some of it fall on rocky ground and perish as there is no soil left and some of it falls on thorns and they die because thorns choke them out. Some seeds fall on good ground and the seeds yield much fruit. The signifiers used in the Narrative are: seed, sower, path, rocky ground, thorns and the good soil. The signified are: not bearing fruit and abundance of fruit. The parable points to the need for the divine acceptance of the word, obedience to it and overcoming from temptation that makes the word desolate. At practical level the sower is a man who by sowing bestows upon him spiritual and material blessings.

#Christianity #Jesus Christ #Parables of Jesus #Literary theory #Literature #Philosophy #Sturucturalism #The Parable of the wise man #The Parable of the Good Sanaritan #The Parable of the Prodigal son #The Parable of the sower

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