Parable of the Sower and Soils

Mark 4:1-20 is a parable Jesus told and his explanation of it. I've read this parable many times, heard sermons on it, probably preached sermons on it, taught Bible Studies about it and meditated on this scripture. Today as I read it, I thought of myself not as one of the types of soil as I have always done previously. This time I thought of myself as the sower. Jesus doesn't say in his explanation of the parable who the sower is. He simply said, "The sower sows the word." As a follower of Jesus I sow the word daily. Sowing the word does not just happen when someone preaches it or teaches it. Sowing the word is done even when we live it in our day to day lives.

While talking with a couple of friends the other day. One expressed frustration over not being able to assure the outcome. Basically, she was saying she wanted those on whom she sowed the word to receive it and produce bountiful crops. I shared my thoughts with her that it is not our part to assure the outcome. Now after being reminded of this parable I would say it this way...it is our part to sow the seed. We sowers can't make anyone be good soil. Some of the seed we sow might end up being eaten by the birds, scorched by the sun, or choked by thorns. Our work is to sow the word. The outcome is God's work.

more on prayer

Jesus told his listeners in Matthew 7:7 and 8, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." In the next three verses he gets ridiculous to make his point. He said when our children ask for bread...we don't give them stones. He said when our children ask for fish...we don't give them snakes. He said if you "evil" ones "know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" What are the good things the Father has in his storehouse? To name a few: forgiveness, eternal life, joy, peace, love, grace, mercy, strength... I mean! The Father DOES have tons of good for those who ask, seek, and knock!

Disciples and Prayer

When learning prayer, when discussing prayer, when praying...where should the disciple of Jesus Christ go for authority on the subject? How about going to Jesus? I just read and prayed my way through Matthew 5-7. Jesus' teachings are grouped together in Matthew and this is the first of those groupings. It is the first mention of prayer in Matthew's gospel. Jesus teaches first that we are to pray humbly and privately unlike the "hypocrites" he mentioned who prayed publically so all could see their piousness. (6:5ff) Then he compares the prayer of a disciple with "Gentiles" who had a repitious and many worded way of praying that was not effective. Jesus then spoke these words, "so do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. Pray, then, in this way: Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.") NASV

Could it be, that we disciples have taken prayer and made it more difficult, more complicated, more unattainable than Jesus teaches it to be? Oh, there is more on prayer in scritpure. This isn't the only teaching on prayer even in this particular discourse in Matthew...see chapter 7 verses 7-11. Certainly, the teaching on the practice of prayer continues to be a theme of the scriptures especially of the New Testament. Maybe future posts will include some of these. This is enough to think about and pray for now.