Every day that I sit down and wait for my spirit to be fed with wisdom from the word of God, I get something that makes sense after I investigate it. The word this morning was “unfruitful”. I was dumbfounded for a little while until I got my flesh out of the way and the spirit took over. Here’s a little something for all of us.
Today’s Prayer
Father, I come before You this morning to make a confession on behalf of my brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes in the busy “inn” of our lives, is there no place for You? Oh Lord, forgive us for our hurrying through life , our often smug self-righteousness, with the hundred and one things we have to do! Remind us, especially now, to “center down,” to make room in our hearts for You. Let our only concern be to hear Your voice; our only hurrying, to obey Your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Let’s eat.
Unfruitful Seed
In Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake. A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore. He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”
His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”
He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don’t really see. They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, ‘When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ “But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it. “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”
The Wayside Hearer
(v. 4)
As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.
The Indifferent-Satan the Cause the Stony Ground
(v. 5)
Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.
The Professor – The Flesh – No Life the Thorny ground
(v. 7)
Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.
Three classes of Gospel hearers, present wherever Christ is preached.
Quote of the Day
If you knew that there was One greater than yourself, who knows you better than you know yourself, and loves you better than you can love yourself; One who gathered into himself all great and good things and causes, blending in his beauty all the enduring colour of life, who could turn your dreams< into visions, and make real things you hoped were true; and if that One had done one unmistakable thing to prove, even at the price of blood – his own blood – that you could come to him, would you not fall at his feet with the treasure of your years, your powers, your love? And is there not One such? Would you not fall at his feet with the treasure of your years, your powers, service, and love? And is there not one such, and does he not call you?
A. E. Whitham
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REV. ELDER G E STERRETT
FOUNDER
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James H. Taylor Sr. – Kankakee City News has published my Daily meal message for a decade.