Think of the parables like a filter. Some people are really
interested in Jesus, some are pretending to be, and some aren’t interested at
all. And the parables sort them out. The question Jesus is asking here is, “What
kind of reception is my Word getting in your life?”
The gospel reveals the condition
of our hearts.
So how’s your heart these days? Is it hard and dry (v. 15), like
the Pharisees, who resisted Jesus as their enemy rather than accepting him as
their Lord? Religious as they were, the more Jesus spoke, healed, and taught,
the harder their hearts became. Are Satan’s distractions, temptations, and lies closing your heart to the Word?
How’s your heart these days? Is it shallow and rocky (vv. 16-17), like the crowds that followed Jesus because he was “trending” in popularity? They sought what Jesus could give them in terms of some bread here, and a miracle there - but then left him when following became inconvenient, discouraging, or risky.
How’s your heart these days? Is it crowded and anxious (vv. 18-19), with too many “important” things all vying for your time and energy simultaneously? Are you preoccupied with so much that God has gotten lost in the shuffle? Perhaps it’s this heart of anxiety that is most prevalent in our culture right now. We worry about things we can’t control and allow them to control us.
How’s your heart these days? Is it soft and open (v. 20), like Jesus’ original disciples who welcomed his Word, and followed when it got hard, and stuck with him when they didn’t understand? They drew near and leaned in because they wanted more of him, and to them was given, not only the secrets of the kingdom, but the kingdom itself – the life that is truly life.
How’s your heart these days? If God’s Word has taken root, then there will be fruit. Okay, maybe not a hundredfold (yet)… but some growth in what St. Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” – qualities like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we live through the current pandemic, perhaps it is clearer than ever that these are the things that matter most.
But this fruit doesn’t come by trying harder to be better or to achieve more. We’ll never remove enough rocks or pull out enough weeds for that. But thankfully, Jesus has done all that is necessary. In John 12:24 he says, “Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. In this Lenten season, we remember that Jesus was speaking of himself, and the death he would die for us… for our forgiveness and salvation. He alone can make us new!
Prayer:
“Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your Word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart, Lord let my heart, Lord let my heart be good soil” (song lyrics by Handt Hansen, 1985, Prince of Peace Publishing).
How’s your heart these days? Is it shallow and rocky (vv. 16-17), like the crowds that followed Jesus because he was “trending” in popularity? They sought what Jesus could give them in terms of some bread here, and a miracle there - but then left him when following became inconvenient, discouraging, or risky.
How’s your heart these days? Is it crowded and anxious (vv. 18-19), with too many “important” things all vying for your time and energy simultaneously? Are you preoccupied with so much that God has gotten lost in the shuffle? Perhaps it’s this heart of anxiety that is most prevalent in our culture right now. We worry about things we can’t control and allow them to control us.
How’s your heart these days? Is it soft and open (v. 20), like Jesus’ original disciples who welcomed his Word, and followed when it got hard, and stuck with him when they didn’t understand? They drew near and leaned in because they wanted more of him, and to them was given, not only the secrets of the kingdom, but the kingdom itself – the life that is truly life.
How’s your heart these days? If God’s Word has taken root, then there will be fruit. Okay, maybe not a hundredfold (yet)… but some growth in what St. Paul calls “the fruit of the Spirit” – qualities like love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). As we live through the current pandemic, perhaps it is clearer than ever that these are the things that matter most.
But this fruit doesn’t come by trying harder to be better or to achieve more. We’ll never remove enough rocks or pull out enough weeds for that. But thankfully, Jesus has done all that is necessary. In John 12:24 he says, “Truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit”. In this Lenten season, we remember that Jesus was speaking of himself, and the death he would die for us… for our forgiveness and salvation. He alone can make us new!
Prayer:
“Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your Word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart, Lord let my heart, Lord let my heart be good soil” (song lyrics by Handt Hansen, 1985, Prince of Peace Publishing).
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