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Dr. W's Reflections...
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.” I appreciate the encouraging response to our Summer Sermon Series: “The Stories Jesus Told.” As previously shared–the “parables” of Jesus usually revolve around one, central decisive point. And so, as we “hear” some of the stories that Jesus told, let’s listen in carefully so that we might be blessed by the wonderful words of life that Jesus speaks to us.
We have been blessed to be a blessing! The life we share together as a church family is special, because the life we share together as a church family has been made sacred by God. And so, let’s keep praying: “Lord, send people to us, and send us to people.”
The Lord be with you,
Wyatt
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THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER (Matthew 13:1-9; 18-23)
“A farmer went out to sow his seed....”
As Jesus tells The Parable of the Sower,” the one, central decisive point becomes obvious: The “seed” is the Word of God (cf., Luke 8:11). And then, the different types of “soil”–the “path,” the “rocky ground,” the “thorns,” and the “good soil”–represent how different people respond to “hearing” the word of God that is being shared with them by Jesus. The “path” can represent the person with a hard heart. The “rocky ground” can represent the person with a shallow heart. The “thorns” can represent the person with a strangled heart. And then, the “good soil” can represent the person with an open heart.
Therefore, in sharing “The Parable of the Sower,” Jesus is teaching us that the condition of a person’s heart is crucial in determining not only how they hear, but in how they respond to the Word of God. And whether the “parable” be heard then or now, this story challenges you and me to examine the condition of our hearts by asking: “Are we receptive to the Word of God–allowing it to take root and bear fruit, or do we sadly reject and/or foolishly ignore the Word of God by allowing the distractions, troubles, worries of this life, and deceitfulness of wealth to choke it away?”
“Whoever has ears, let them hear.”