To Be Least

Matthew 13

1That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9He who has ears, let him hear."
10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
11He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 13This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15For 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.'[1] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men 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: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The 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. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."


      I have recently pondered over this common parable. The first type of person mentioned heard about the "kingdom" but didn't understand it. Satan came and took this "seed" that was sown in his heart. A path is generally well packed and hard to grow in as it always being trampled and walked on. Because it could not go deeper in the soil the birds could easily eat it. Unlike the second kind of person that hears of the kingdom of God this one could not even begin to grow, much less take root. Again, this person could not even understand.

      The second type of person described hear heard the word and "at once receive it with joy." I have wondered about this statement. Did this person except the truth? Was he only glad that this truth existed? When it says that he received it with joy I think it is possible that this person did become a Christian. To receive according to The American Heritage Dictionary is to take or acquire (something given, offered, or transmitted); get. So if this is the right meaning of this word, then this man acquired salvation, the word was offered and he took it. Another thing to notice is that all this happened with joy. Is there any greater joy then becoming a child of God? However, Jesus goes on to say that he had no root. Yet he sprang up quickly. This person grew for a short period of time, obviously not long enough to become a mature Christian. When troubles and trials came because of his new faith in Jesus, he falls away. Falls away from what? He obviously had to fall away from something. I believe it was his salvation. Jesus says that he faced trials because of the word. Do you face trials for a faith that is not you own? I think not. This passage is saying that he acquired the word, grew, fell away and no longer is a Christian, he lost his place in eternal life.

      Going on Jesus describes to use yet another person. This person heard the word, not necessarily excepted it as truth. His life and his success is obviously more important then God. Just as I stated in my last post we can not serve both God and money. Thus the everything that he heard was unfruitful as it was "choked." Also in Mark 10 Jesus says that, "25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." It is quite evident that a person preoccupied with his life and wealth has a harder time entering heaven.

      Finally he ends his parable with an example of a person that a true Christian should be. He received the word (there is that word again), and understands it. Unlike the others, he lands in good soil he grows, forms roots, and produces a crop. This man will obviously enter heaven if he continues to do what he has been doing. We obviously need to produce a crop or fruit as shown in Matthew 3:10, "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire." This Christian received the word, grew, and produced fruit, and is exactly what a Christian should be doing.

      So there you have it, an analysis of this well know section of scripture. In attempting to post something worth while reading on this blog I am learning much and growing in knowledge and truth. I just wanted to thank all of you that encouraged me throughout the short history of this blog and I hope to continue to learn truth as the Lord wills.

Good night and God bless.