Matthew 13:1 On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the
sea. 2 And great multitudes were gathered
together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude
stood on the shore. 3 Then He spoke many things to
them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and
the birds came and devoured them. 5 Some fell on
stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang
up because they had no depth of earth. 6 But when
the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered
away. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns
sprang up and choked them. 8 But others fell on
good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 10 And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do
You speak to them in parables?" 11 He
answered and said to them, "Because it has been given to you to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he
will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken
away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in
parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do
they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of
Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not
understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; 15
For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear
with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So
that I should heal them.' 16
"But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and
righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what
you hear, and did not hear it. 18 "Therefore
hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone
hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one
comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received
seed by the wayside. 20 But he who received the
seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it
with joy; 21 yet he has no root in himself, but
endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of
the word, immediately he stumbles. 22 Now he who
received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this
world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes
unfruitful. 23 But he who received seed on the
good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit
and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."
When it comes to productive agriculture, there are many
important ingredients, chief among them the fertility of the seed, and the
condition of the soil.
If you have ever been involved in any kind of gardening
project you are already aware of this. Rain and sunlight are also hugely
important, but without soil a seed remains dead, and without ‘good’ soil, a
seed may remain dormant.
In Matthew 13, known of as ‘the kingdom chapter’ in
Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares this aspect of agriculture to how it is people
will come into His Church.
One of the main things we must point out is that entry
into His Church ONLY takes place through His Gospel. There is no other way. His
Gospel is His Word, (which, in this case, is the seed.) The condition of the soil
the ‘seed’ of His Word lands upon makes all the difference in whether or not a
person enters His Church, and thereby eternal life.
-Pastor Bill
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