Day #20: January 20, 2009 - Matthew 13:1-23

Pretty historic day - an African American man being sworn in as President of the United States. It was not very long ago that in this same country we were lynching black men. Amazing times we live in. Lord, direct President Obama's path. Watch and over and protect our soldiers who stand in harms way on our behalf. God have Your hand upon our country.

This is my favorite parable. In this passage, we see that Jesus continued to minister to crowds of people, but, He did something He had not done before. For the first time in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus told parables. The word “parable” comes from two Greek words (para and ballō), which together mean “to throw alongside.” A parable, like an illustration, makes a comparison between a known truth and an unknown truth; it throws them alongside each other.

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus compared the four results of sowing to four responses that people will have to His message. Jesus says that the farmer represents God, the seed represents God's word, and the soil represents my heart. As you read this parable, don't make the mistake of categorizing yourself in one of these categories. He's not talking about types of people. He's talking about attitudes of the heart. I float back and forth among these four and so do you. Sometimes I'm more receptive to God than at other times, and the same is true of all of us. Our receptivity changes from moment to moment. God says, just like the farmer plants the seed, God plants His word in your heart. He wants to speak to you but the condition of your heart determines whether you hear Him speak or not.

As the farmer through his seed out in the field (they didn't plant them one by one, they just threw them out there) inevitably some would fall on the hard path. In every field there are footpaths that the farmer walks on between the furrows. Over the period of time, through all the trampling and walking, those foot paths become very hard, almost baked like concrete.
Because it was so hard the seed was not allowed to penetrate the ground. It laid on the top and birds came along and ate it. It never got the chance to take root. Jesus says the hardened path represents a hard heart. This is the person with a closed mind. He's unwilling to listen to God. God never gets a chance in his life.

Jesus says the shallow soil represents a superficial heart. This is the impulsive person who reacts emotionally when they hear a sermon or a message. They get excited but they never let the word of God sink into their life.

Have you ever wondered - how is it possible for somebody to come to church year after year and never be changed? They just walk out the front door and forget what they heard. You see, if I don't let the message sink into my life I never allow God's word to penetrate the bedrock of my personality. It doesn't sink in.

When Jesus speaks about the third kind of soil, here He's talking about seed that gets into the ground but weeds come up and choke the plant. Jesus said that the soil with weeds represents a preoccupied heart. I'm just too busy to hear God. I've got so many things going on in my mind I can't hear Him because He's crowded out. The seed sprouts but there is no fruit because it's choked out, suffocated by weeds.

There are so many voices calling out for your attention, clamoring for your focus. As a result, we're not fully committed to anything, because we're partially committed to this, and that, fifteen different things.

Jesus says if you want to hear God speak to you, you've got to eliminate some of those distractions. He talks about three kinds of weeds. First, there are life's worries. Those are the problems, the pressures, anything we try to solve without God's help. Then, riches can take up all our time. Bills, budgets, investments, careers -- all of those can crowd into our life and we can get so busy making a living we do not have time to make a life. It becomes a weed and chokes out God. A third thing He says is pleasures. Even good things can become a weed in your life when recreation takes priority over worship. When my hobbies, my cabin, my boat get in front of God then they become a god. Jesus says watch out. He says a weed is anything that robs my time with God. It's a misplaced priority.

Finally, here in the fourth kind of soil - Jesus talks about the good soil. He says it represents a responsive heart, the heart that says, “Lord, I'm willing to do whatever you want me to do in advance.” When you take that attitude, then you're tuned in. God will start speaking to you! When you take the attitude of “Whatever it takes: I'm willing to eliminate the distractions, allocate the time, cooperate in advance and I've got an open heart.” When we bring this kind of heart to God, God speaks to us. God uses us. The truth is very clear - God speaks to the person who has predetermined in advance to do whatever He tells him. The result: You bear fruit. You produce a crop. You're productive. Your life is worthwhile. It's significant.

SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)

Jesus, in this parable, explains four kinds of hearts, attitudes. I go back and forth between all of these and you do. But if today, God were to do a spiritual X-ray of your heart, what would it reveal?

Would it reveal a hard heart? Maybe you've been afraid of God. Maybe you've been afraid to give a hundred percent to God because He might make you a fanatic and people will think you're a kook, a religious nut. You're afraid of that so you don't give God a chance in your life.

Would it reveal a superficial heart with shallow soil? How deep is your commitment to the Word of God? Do you have any roots? Are you willing to let God's word sink into the bedrock of your personality and really change you?

If God did an X-ray of your heart, would it reveal a preoccupied heart? Have you been too busy for God? Has He taken a back seat in your life? What are the weeds that are crowding out His word in my life? The question is, “What's keeping me from total commitment?” Is there anything?

Jesus said in Revelation 3:20 - "Look! Here I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If you hear me calling and open the door, I will come in….”

Maybe some of you hear God knocking at the door of your heart. He promise that if you open that door, He will come into your life. He will help you – He will come along side of you – he will change you!

PRAYER

Would you say to God today - "God, I am available. I am Yours." Pray, “Dear God, I want to learn to hear Your voice. I want to cultivate an open heart. I want to allocate time to listen. Today, I commit or recommit to having a daily time with You – a quiet time with You. Help me to eliminate the distractions or the weeds in my life. I want to cooperate with You. Before You even tell me what You want me to do I’m saying yes in advance to You, Jesus. I surrender my life to You. In Your name. Amen.”