The first reading of this parable, Jesus was explaining the parable to His disciples explaining why those who reject the message of this parable of the Farmer (Sower) and the Seeds. However, a little bit of change in perspective is needed here if we are going to get the TRUE LIFE meaning of what Jesus said. Let me break it down for all of us.
Christ explains that seed that fell down on the rocky ground took on instantaneous growth in that the seed (people) accept the Truth of Jesus Christ readily, yet when trial or persecution comes because of the Word of Jesus Christ, they immediately wither and fall away. Maybe because the way that it is written (because it is), rather I always thought that this could never be inside the church, the local gathering of believers in the way of Christ. Nevertheless, TRUE LIFE CHRISTIANS have a duty to spot this trickery inside the church as well.
Even Jesus had the same problem. You can see it all through the Gospels. Fallen church people has the same problem of getting excited for a while, and they appear as they are all on-board with the mission of the church. However, something happens, like a necessary surgery that God won’t heal instantaneously, or a personal financial situation that God won’t take care of, or you get sick of going to your local church with the perception of God not caring because you don’t see Him evident in your life. You start to speak to yourself, justifying your actions of missing church. It is our duty to watch out for these things, especially among oneself.
Another example was in Jesus Christ’s 3-year ministry. Although Jesus Christ was perfect and could have picked the “perfect” Apostles, He would have never died if He did. Instead, like everyone of us, God the Father has chosen to give each human being free will. For the same goes for choosing the 12 Apostles. Judas Iscariot, the only one of the 12, to sell out for a measly sum of money Jesus Christ. I am pretty positive that Judas Iscariot was just like any other of the other 11 Apostles when Jesus Christ first met them. However, the evils of riches finally overtook Judas. Three years of following Jesus around, staying in uncomfortable places, with uncomfortable people, sleeping in rocky places, seeing miracles that fallen human knowledge can’t understand, and finally the hard teaching of communion (which on the surface {to the fallen human ear} seems like He is teaching cannibalism of His own body as found in John 6:22-71). Please don’t let the spirit of Judas Iscariot overtake you, especially not among the local believers in the way of Christ Jesus (the church); for He knew one of the twelve was a devil (John 6:70-71).
“As for what falls among the thorns, this is the one who hears the Word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness riches choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.“ This is where us local believers in the way of Jesus Christ have got to be careful on how we interpret this vital part of the explanation of Jesus Christ’s words. After seeing this in action over several local churches I have been a part of, Jesus is primarily talking about a warning about those who say they got saved, but worries in their life keep them from producing “fruit.” I almost was caught up in this several times because I was more concerned over not enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month. It wasn’t until I continuously gave it up to Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit that I received peace about that situation.
Another situation early on in my life, took place when I just celebrated my high school graduation and my eighteenth birthday. Shortly after that (18 days after my eighteenth birthday, 25 days after my high school graduation) my car crashed into a granite ledge, forever changing my life. After suffering an almost fatal car accident in which I incurred an open traumatic brain injury, I spent a month in a coma. As soon as I woke up, they sent me to a rehab hospital. In a fog where everything was not clear to me, I was sent to the head psychiatrist. His assessment of me was not good. In my hospital room, it took two to three weeks later that I prayed that the Lord God take me out of this. Yet I was confident that It was all an extended dream, so I promised that I would serve Him no matter what. My prayer, that night, however, did not get answered in the way I was expecting; yet God did answer my prayer because I tagged a promise on the end of it- “I would serve Him no matter what.” Although God had delivered me and gave me miraculous healing. Still, He left me with a variety of issues that I would have to get closer to Him in order to make sense of it all. For I could have worried about all my personal cares of this world, how my life would never be the same as it was pre-accident; several years after that near fateful day, I indeed try to do that-seeking, God, in prayer. I could not tell you how many times I sought the Lord in prayer because it was a lot.
“…the deceitfulness of riches…“ I always thought that this didn’t apply to me because I was never going to be rich; however, just worrying about money to pay for things you legitimately need is sin. For the people that go to the local church, most of them are in the same boat. They worry about making their house payment, rental payment, car payment, utilities, etc… I can go on and on. Then time comes for church. The people that go to the local church are inendated with other bills that they can hardly see where the money to go to the local church will come from. So, either they don’t give, or they give a little amount to satisfy the social pressure. Our family was caught in this too, but 5-6 years ago, we decided to trust God with our money. I happy to say that we are giving much beyond our 10 percent.
“What falls among the thorns…” The thorns are “the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches,” for they “choke the Word, and it becomes unfruitful.” I beg of you, do not let this happen to you or any other True Life Christian! Jesus talks about the Vine in John 15:1-17.
In the first verse of this passage, Jesus says He is the True Vine, and His Father is the Vinedresser. And He says in the second verse, “Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He (the Vinedresser) takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it may bear more fruit.” Yet Jesus says it more than once in this short little passage-“Abide in Me (Jesus), and I in you” lest something happens and you will be lost caring more about the things of this world and less on Jesus Christ that you ultimately forget Him.
Please don’t be caught on the wrong side as it pertains to “A Unique View Of The Explanation By Jesus Of The Parable Of The Farmer And The Seeds (Who Knew That This Parable Was Speaking About The Church?)
“The Parable Of The Sower Song” ~(unknown artist)
“Abide With Me” ~Matt Redman (2015 New Worship Song)
~ Darren L. Beattie, BA, MSHS
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