Matthew 13: 1-9,18-23
The same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell on 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 the 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. He who has ears, let him hear.”
“Listen to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 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. But 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.”
A Thought
Jesus told many things about the kingdom of heaven in parables using simple things that most people could understand to explain the truth of the gospel. Today Jesus uses a farmer to explain about how we are to prepare our hearts to receive the good news of the word of God and then after we receive, we are to plant the word of God to others. We must pray, believe, study, obey, live and be a witness to God’s word so we will not let the cares of this world cause us to fall away. We must be take root, be grounded in God’s word so that we will understand the kingdom of God and we will produce a crop of believers for Jesus Christ. Our lives here on earth is a testing ground to make sure that we love God more than anyone or anything else. This is the good news for all: We must receive God’s word in faith as the truth and the Holy Spirit will lead us to Jesus Christ and Jesus will present us to God the Father as his righteous children. Thanks be to God!
Our Prayer
Father open our eyes that we may see; open our ears that we may hear; that we may understand with our hearts, and turn from our wicked ways so that you will heal us. Awaken us by the power of your Holy Spirit to be witnesses of your love and grace that other may receive this hope of eternal life found in your Son. We ask in Jesus’ name, amen.
