Article for Sunday July 16, 2023
Matthew 13:18–19 18“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path.
Why do I have to do this? And my parents would always say, because I said so! We are very good at telling people what to do, but we are very bad at explaining why they should do it. Much is said and laid on deaf ears, but their deaf ears may be because they do not understand what is being told to them. Because this is what I believe does not explain anything.
We can be very demanding of other people even to the point of driving them away. Maybe the way to help others know what we are trying to accomplish with them is to explain clearly in a loving manner. They say you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make the horse drink. I say, keep leading the horse to water and eventually the horse will drink. When we know the water is important and we thirst for what is important then we will drink that water and our thirst will be quenched.
You cannot force a person to believe but you can teach a person how believing can be helpful for this life and for the next. Too many times we try to scare or demand people into believing and all we accomplish is to drive them away. It takes 33 times to lead a person onto the path that leads to eternal life. It only takes one second to push a person off the path or even away from the path. Know and understand fully their situation before you speak. Choose your words wisely, and speak them with love, kindness and compassion.
Matthew 13:20-21 20As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away.
Are you quick to believe and quicker to jump ship when things get rough? Is it your way or the highway? I see this a lot. People come in and seem to be on fire for the Lord. These same people are the first to jump ship if they don’t continually get “their perfect” fix. That is, some people expect that everything will go their way and when it doesn’t, they leave in anger and their faith dwindles and they’re eager to say bad things about their experience.
It is great to be excited for God but remember even the church on earth is not perfect. Mankind, sinful natures, and even the unkind, does not make anything perfect. The Church, as well as the world, is full of these. If you want your “perfect” you will never get it. Only God can produce perfect, and God chose Jesus Christ alone to wield “His perfect.”
Jesus Christ’s perfect is His righteousness and the Father will choose who He will be cover and cloth with it. The Father will choose, not you or me. The choice is not yours and you cannot demand it.
God never said following Him would be a cake walk. Besides, have you ever tried to walk on cake? It gets slippery especially if it comes with frosting. Best to walk on solid ground. Jesus Christ is that solid ground. So, know our savior, and know His salvation for all believers. You too have a lot of forgiving to do, you too have a lot to be forgiven for.
Matthew 13:22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.
What of the world do you let interrupt your spiritual walk? Is it riches, is it jealousy or coveting, is it flesh and self-importance, or is it your lack of faith. We all have our kryptonite, which one is yours? The world wants you to fit into its way and wants you to love people to “death.” God wants you to know and live in His way and wants to love you to “life.” Which of these statements sounds safe and truly loving to you?
There are many paths to please the world and the world is trying to open new paths every day. The world legalizes sin, encourages you to sin and accept other people’s sin. The world wants to rub sin in your face and expects you to love its smell. For those who do not know God the world sounds good to them even when the world is hurting them.
Why do you think it is so important to get God’s way, word, and love out to all in the world. Because the world wants you to die for its sake. There is only one path to eternal life and that is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
We see people choked away from God as if God is the enemy. We need to show people that God is not the enemy but the one who truly loves us all. Love is not accepting one’s sin, “that is death.” Love is trying to show the better way through love, forgiveness, and kindness to lead them away from the lies of the world and into the truths of eternal life with God.
Matthew 13:23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Faith comes in all sizes, and it is not for us to judge one’s faith or its size. We are not here to measure one another but to help one another. We help one another through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We help one another with constant love, forgiveness, kindness, and sincere compassion for our God and His ways.
Jesus did not die for a few but for all. When Jesus suffered for our sin, He suffered for everyone’s sin. His love is for all, in hopes that all will believe that He, Jesus Christ is the savior of the world. We all have hope in Jesus Christ, and this is something that we all can believe. For Christ saves us through faith, big or small, through His grace, always big, and His love, always with us. Amen.
Written by Pastor Curtis A, May