Matthew 13:1-11, 14-15, 18-23

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.  Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boart and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.  Then he told them many things in parables, saying:

A farmer went our to sow his seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop- a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Whoever has ears, let him hear.

The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
He replied "The knowledge of the screts of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.... In them is fulfilled the prohecy of Isaiah:

You will be ever hearing but never understanding;

you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

For this people's heart has become calloused;

they hadrly hear with their ears,

and they have closed their eyes.

Otherwise they might see with their eyes,

hear with their ears,

undersand with their hearts

and turn, and I would heal them.

Listen to what the parable of the sower means:
When people hear the message about the kingdowm and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along the path.  The seed falling on rocky ground referes to people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time.  When trouble or persectuion comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.  But the seed falling on good soil refers to people who hear the word and understand it.  They produce a crop, yeilding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."


My prayer this week:
Be good soil, my friends.  Know the love of Christ, accept His sacrifice, find His joy and peace, root down in Him, so that the word that falls on your heart may produce a crop.