Monthly Archives: September 2014

It’s Up to You

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Jesus wasn’t being fair. At least He sounded unfair, when He told his disciples why He spoke in parables, instead of laying out His truths in a straightforward way.

“He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: “ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For 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.’” (Matthew 13:11-15, NIV)[1]

Sounds unfair, doesn’t it:  “Whoever has will be given more, etc.?”  Did Jesus arbitrarily try to confuse some people and keep them from His salvation?  The answer is revealed in the words Jesus quoted the prophecy of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:9ff).   There are some people who cannot “see and hear,” who will never understand God’s truths.  But that is because “They have closed their eyes!”  By that choice, “this people’s heart has become calloused…”   When people shut their eyes to God’s truth, when they turn away from God, their hearts do become hardened, and it becomes tougher – potentially impossible –  for them to understand anything about God.

You have seen a lesser example of this dynamic as most teenagers close their eyes and ears to what their parents try to teach them.  For a time, in the minds of those adolescents, the parents have become stupid  and ignorant.  The youth’s make a choice that hardens their hearts.  In most cases, the resulting separation and angst is temporary.  No harm, no foul.   But when people close their eyes to God, the effects are potentially much more serious and long-lasting.

When Jesus told a parable, it was like a bunker-buster of truth, designed to penetrate beyond the callouses on our hearts.  Once the seemingly harmless story has gotten past our defenses, the truth contained within it “goes off.”  But the impact of that truth separates the HAVES from the HAVE-NOT’S.  For those who HAVE a readiness to learn and receive, the truths contained in the parable produce “aha moments” of increased understanding.  Those who DO NOT HAVE that readiness don’t get it.

When those who HAVE, respond to what they understand, when they TURN, Jesus heals them.  He erases their separation from God by fully paying for their pardon on the cross.  He reconciles them with God and gives them eternal life – His Holy Spirit.  This Spirit is born in their souls and grows, producing a crop of fruit (of the Spirit) in the world. (See “Sow What” and “Seeds of Truth“)

In other words, the impact of Jesus’ parables in your life, depends upon you.  It’s up to you.  It depends on whether you HAVE a willingness to learn His truths, or whether you have closed your eyes and HAVE NOT.

[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Seeds of Truth

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Jesus frequently left people scratching their heads, trying to figure out what He meant.  But when He told the parable of the sower (see: Sow What) he explained what it meant:

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When 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. 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.” (Matthew 13:18-23)

Jesus was talking about you – “anyone,” He said, anyone who hears the message about the Kingdom.  And that’s you.  The message of the Kingdom is the message of Jesus, how He came to give people eternal life.  But there’s a couple of things to pay attention to.  First, it’s not simply hearing the message, but how you process it that makes all the difference.

Next, it’s important to realize that when the message is not understood, it bounces  off  hearts have become hardened to it.  But it does not simply lie there.  Jesus said it is “snatched away” by the “evil one.”  There is a very real battle going on over your heart and soul.  Another name for the “evil one” is “the father of lies.”  If you turn away the truth, you open yourself up to believe lies.

Thirdly, receiving the message with an emotional rush – perhaps joy – is frequently ineffective, because sooner or later the joy wears off.  Trouble comes (because of the real battle for your heart) and the joy fades.  If you latched onto Jesus because you think He will always make you happy, you will inevitably be left empty and disillusioned.  This is important to know, since so many people try to use emotionalism to convince people about Jesus.  Watch out for that.  The message of the Kingdom makes sense when you truly understand it.  You don’t need to be manipulated into believing it.

You should note that some receive the message but the “deceitfulness of wealth” and various worries of life choke it.  Jesus said you cannot worship God and money.  Again, there is a battle going on, and the evil one wants you to think you will be happy if you are rich.  Some people have a tenuous grasp of the truth but they let go of it to chase money.  Pay attention.

The only seed that matters to a farmer is the one that grows, matures and produces a crop.  The only “planting” of the message about Jesus that makes any difference, ultimately, is the one that results in life (the birth of the Holy Spirit in a soul), growth (heartfelt changes that emerge from the Spirit’s life inside) and a “crop” (new life in Christ is infectious, it rubs off on others.)

There is a lot to ponder in this parable and its explanation.  Taking the time to understand it is well worth it.

Quotes from: The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Sow What

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Chew on this:

“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. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:3b-9, NIV)

Let this curious parable of Jesus stick in your mind today.  Do you have “ears to hear?”  What’s the lesson here?  Can you find yourself in this parable?  What did Jesus allude to with the “crop?”

We will see how He explained it next time.  For now, chew on it.

Quotes from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.