If you have ever read a passage of scripture in the Bible and found yourself with more confusion than clarity when you finished reading, then today’s devo is for you! If you read that sentence again in an overly enthusiastic voice, it sounds like the opening line to an infomercial. Anyway, I found myself encouraged and very grateful that the passage of scripture that we are walking through today not only included a parable of Jesus but also an explanation of that parable by Jesus Himself.

In Matthew 13:1-9, Jesus begins to speak to a large crowd, and He tells The Parable (or story) of the Sower. Then in verses 18-23 Jesus gives us a plain explanation of what this parable means.

I find it interesting that this story is called, “The Parable of the Sower,” and not the “The Parable of the Soil” or “The Parable of the Seed.” That gives me hope, because it reminds me that the most important part and main character of this story isn’t us or even the seed. It’s the person with whom it starts. It’s Jesus, the Sower, the one who spreads the seed. This reminds me that regardless of my ability to hear and understand any passage of scripture or “message about the kingdom” (19) the Sower, Jesus Himself, is still sowing seed. This relieved the pressure to always hear or always understand what Jesus is trying to show me. Sometimes we grasp it, and sometimes we miss it, but the Sower is still sowing seed in our lives, and He always will be. Praise God for His faithfulness.

Aside from that, I want to create some space here for us to be honest about the condition of our hearts today. Jesus described 4 types of ground, or soil, that the seed of the message of the kingdom was scattered on: the path where the birds came and ate it up, the rocky ground where it sprang up quickly but died because it had no place to take root, the ground with the thorns which grew up and choked the plants that were sprouting from the seed, and the good soil where it produced a plentiful crop. Which ground describes the condition of your heart today? I find myself almost always in between the good soil and the ground with thorns. On my 7 Marks assessment (take this on our Venture Church app if you haven’t yet), daily essentials of spending time in prayer with God were pretty high up on the list, but I daily wrestle with worry, fear, anxiety, and recently, doubt. I have found myself relearning countless things that God has already taught me because I have allowed lies, fear, and worry to squeeze my mind so tight that there has been no room in my life to remember messages of the Kingdom like God’s love, His faithfulness, and His promises to provide. Where are you today?

Reflection:

• Reread Matthew 13 and find yourself in this story. Do you hear the word of the Lord, understand it, and become different now that you have heard it? Are you lost and seeking an understanding of who Jesus is? Do you often receive the word of the Lord with joy but find yourself struggling with consistency and crashing shortly after? Do you hear the word but often worry or find security in things other than Jesus that choke out the word of the Lord in your life?
• Once you find where you are today, be reminded and meditate on the truth that regardless of what ground you have in your heart today, the Sower is still sowing seed. The fact that you are reading this right now is proof that Jesus loves you where you are right now, and He is still pursuing a relationship with you regardless of the condition of your heart. He loves you and nothing can change that. Find hope in that today.
• Prayer: If you’re comfortable, say this prayer out loud, “God, thank you for being a faithful Sower. Thank You for continually spreading seeds of Your Word and Your love into my heart even when I don’t receive it. Thank You for loving me enough to send Your son, Jesus, to live a sinless life, die a death He didn’t deserve, and then rise from the dead three days later so that I could experience Your forgiveness, Your love, and a relationship with You. Expose the conditions of my heart and my soul that make it hard for me to receive Your Word. Rid me of the things in me that make it hard to receive You, and heal me so that I can begin to receive Your Word and follow You with all of me. Amen.”

Family Application: Farming with Jesus

Author: Scott Strahan

• If you have ever helped your mom or dad or your grandparents plant a garden, you learned that there are certain things that must be done for the plants to grow and to produce fruit, vegetables, or flowers. The soil must be cultivated (loosened by digging, tilling, or plowing), seeds planted and watered, fertilizer added, and weeds pulled. If these things are not done properly, the plant does not grow, or it may grow but not produce the fruit, vegetables, or flowers that it should.
• Jesus told His followers that His Word, the gospel, is very much the same. In the gospel story, Jesus is the farmer or gardener, His Word is the seed, and our heart is the soil. If Jesus plants His Word (seed) in our heart (soil), but our heart is hard because of bitterness or anger, or unnourished by distractions with too many thoughts or activities other than the goodness of God, then the seed cannot grow and fruit is not produced. The fruits that God designed us to produce are things like love, kindness, forgiveness, and helping others.
• Let’s think of some ways to make sure our hearts are ready to receive God’s Word and produce His fruit:
• Read the Bible to learn more about Jesus, how He lived, and His plans for us.
• Spend time helping others, such as our teachers, friends, and neighbors.
• Tell our friends about Jesus and invite them to church to learn about Him together.
• Prayer: God, please forgive me of thoughts of selfishness and anger and replace them with thoughts of Your goodness. Help me to think of things that are good and honest and kind. Remind me of how Jesus treated others when He was on earth and help me to treat others the same way.