Buffalo farming
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Thorns are a problem for seeds to grow
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THE SEED
Rocky ground
THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS PART ONE
(Matthew 13:4-9)
THE SEED
The words that Jesus taught were not just any old words that you can pick up at school or university. Jesus had these words from his Father in heaven and so they are God’s words. In a conversation with his Father Jesus prayed, ‘The words that you gave to me Father I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.’ (John 17:8)
This reveals immediately that Jesus did not learn any of his wisdom and truth from a school or college. His words were, in fact, kept from the wise because they were scholarly and proud, intellectual and academic. (Matthew 11:25) In studying the words of Jesus we need to remember that he did not present himself as a college graduate but as God’s spokesman. This was probably the real reason why he was resented so much from the teachers of the law and the scribes. They were graduates but Jesus was a nobody in their eyes.
There are those Christian scholars too, who dig in their books and brains for theories to explain the life of Jesus and his words but to no avail. Jesus spoke his Father’s words and did so in a simple uncomplicated language and forms of speech that everyone, children included, might understand.
PARABLES
Jesus often told parables. They were stories like this one of the seed. We all like to hear stories don’t we? Boys and girls, mums and dad’s, grandmas and granddads, uncles and aunts, yes everybody likes to hear stories. Some of the stories Jesus told were intended to illuminate reason and show from nature the laws of the spirit. The seed is one of them. He portrayed the seed as a very precious gift of God that is sown in a person’s heart. How can anyone grow seeds in a persons heart? I think the people who heard him tell stories must have smiled a lot, especially boys and girls, because he told his stories for everyone, not just scientists and philosophers but little boys and girls too.
The story of the seed is one that everyone understood because sowing seeds and harvest time was a way of life then as it still is now. But Jesus was not just showing how applicable the laws of nature are if we want good harvests but how identical these laws are with the ground of the human heart, mind and spirit. He compared the seed with the Word of God. From the questions his disciples asked him it is clear that they found this hard to follow, even though it was as clear as a bell! They simply could not make the leap from nature to God. It was as if nature was made by itself and God had nothing to do with it.
SEEDS ARE VERY PRECIOUS
Seeds are very precious. They are more precious than diamonds and the finest jewels. The seeds that Jesus sowed were even more precious than that because he did not sow them in the ground but in the hearts of boys and girls, mums and dads.
WHAT ARE THESE SEEDS?
What were these seeds? They were words of life, life that never ends, life that was pure and holy, good and true. Jesus said, ‘My words are spirit and life.’ (John 6:63) That is because they bring the life of God to us and within our reach.
We all know the power of words. They can hurt us, blame us, condemn us and discredit us. They are flung about like swords and bombs which are intended to destroy our hearts and make us sad and weary with this world. Words are not just any words. They contain anger, hatred, vengeance and fear. Words can lie and cheat, make false claims and bring unhappiness to those who use them like this. They can cause divorce, mental illness, corruption and wars. Jesus did point out that ‘By your words you will be justified and by your words condemned.’ (Matthew 12:37) So much for the importance of words for they really do show the hearts condition and character.
THE WAYWARD HEART
Jesus compared the words of God with seeds that are planted in the ground, the ground representing the hearts of human beings. Here is the simple truth that Jesus taught us. No seed will grow by the wayside will it? If the birds of the air see the seed they will gobble it up. Jesus said, the bad angel, Satan, is like that. He is always ready to snatch a word from your mouth and heart, the wayward heart especially. A wayward heart is one whose ways are off track, like an explorer who has lost his way and wanders across unchartered territory. That kind of heart is without a compass or a map in life.
THE ROCKY HEART
A rocky heart is one like rocky soil. Not much seed can grow in rocky soil. And, likewise, no word of Jesus can take root in a hard hearted heart. Once, the teachers of the law said to Jesus, ‘Why can’t we divorce our wives if we don’t like them? Moses said we could, why not you?’ Jesus replied, ‘It was because you were hard hearted that he permitted you to divorce your wives but at the beginning of time it was not what God wanted you to do, and so neither do I.’ (My translation) A rocky heart is hard hearted and has no tender, loving feelings. So how can the seed of love grow in a heart like that?
THE THORNY PRICKLY HEART
Have you ever tried to grow seeds where there are thorns and thistles? Most disappointing! The seeds get choked and pricked and just give up trying to grow. A prickly, thorny heart is like that. There is a little poem that illustrates just how thorny a prickly heart can be:
Here I come grumping my way through life,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP,
Stirring up trouble and breeding strife,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP
That sort of heart can’t grow the seed of peace and love for it is constantly stirring up trouble. Is that why countries go to war? They have thorny, prickly hearts? The words of Jesus are seeds of peace and love. ‘Love your enemies,’ he says, ‘and do good to those who hate you.’ That is the only way to spread peace and be peaceful, the only way to spread love and by loving.
THE GOOD HEART
There are no perfectly good hearts except God’s, but they can be made good if the seeds of love are allowed to grow in them. For the seed of God’s word is truth, wisdom and forgiveness. Jesus holds out his wounded hands to love and care for you. Hard hearted men nailed him to a cross and he died suffering pain and sorrow. But he died for us to make us good and he rose from the dead to be with us always, hearing our prayers and telling his Father in heaven about us.
LEARN FROM ME
Jesus said learn from me. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:29-30)
There is a yoke in learning. Anyone who has been to school knows that it takes effort and study to learn and pass exams. But Jesus tells us that his yoke is easy. He does not complicate matters by expecting a scientific explanation of the origins of the universe, or a description of the miracles he performed. This has to do with the speculative knowledge of nature. He wants to simplify our lives and come into our hearts that his word will grow their and be fruitful.
(Matthew 13:4-9)
THE SEED
The words that Jesus taught were not just any old words that you can pick up at school or university. Jesus had these words from his Father in heaven and so they are God’s words. In a conversation with his Father Jesus prayed, ‘The words that you gave to me Father I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.’ (John 17:8)
This reveals immediately that Jesus did not learn any of his wisdom and truth from a school or college. His words were, in fact, kept from the wise because they were scholarly and proud, intellectual and academic. (Matthew 11:25) In studying the words of Jesus we need to remember that he did not present himself as a college graduate but as God’s spokesman. This was probably the real reason why he was resented so much from the teachers of the law and the scribes. They were graduates but Jesus was a nobody in their eyes.
There are those Christian scholars too, who dig in their books and brains for theories to explain the life of Jesus and his words but to no avail. Jesus spoke his Father’s words and did so in a simple uncomplicated language and forms of speech that everyone, children included, might understand.
PARABLES
Jesus often told parables. They were stories like this one of the seed. We all like to hear stories don’t we? Boys and girls, mums and dad’s, grandmas and granddads, uncles and aunts, yes everybody likes to hear stories. Some of the stories Jesus told were intended to illuminate reason and show from nature the laws of the spirit. The seed is one of them. He portrayed the seed as a very precious gift of God that is sown in a person’s heart. How can anyone grow seeds in a persons heart? I think the people who heard him tell stories must have smiled a lot, especially boys and girls, because he told his stories for everyone, not just scientists and philosophers but little boys and girls too.
The story of the seed is one that everyone understood because sowing seeds and harvest time was a way of life then as it still is now. But Jesus was not just showing how applicable the laws of nature are if we want good harvests but how identical these laws are with the ground of the human heart, mind and spirit. He compared the seed with the Word of God. From the questions his disciples asked him it is clear that they found this hard to follow, even though it was as clear as a bell! They simply could not make the leap from nature to God. It was as if nature was made by itself and God had nothing to do with it.
SEEDS ARE VERY PRECIOUS
Seeds are very precious. They are more precious than diamonds and the finest jewels. The seeds that Jesus sowed were even more precious than that because he did not sow them in the ground but in the hearts of boys and girls, mums and dads.
WHAT ARE THESE SEEDS?
What were these seeds? They were words of life, life that never ends, life that was pure and holy, good and true. Jesus said, ‘My words are spirit and life.’ (John 6:63) That is because they bring the life of God to us and within our reach.
We all know the power of words. They can hurt us, blame us, condemn us and discredit us. They are flung about like swords and bombs which are intended to destroy our hearts and make us sad and weary with this world. Words are not just any words. They contain anger, hatred, vengeance and fear. Words can lie and cheat, make false claims and bring unhappiness to those who use them like this. They can cause divorce, mental illness, corruption and wars. Jesus did point out that ‘By your words you will be justified and by your words condemned.’ (Matthew 12:37) So much for the importance of words for they really do show the hearts condition and character.
THE WAYWARD HEART
Jesus compared the words of God with seeds that are planted in the ground, the ground representing the hearts of human beings. Here is the simple truth that Jesus taught us. No seed will grow by the wayside will it? If the birds of the air see the seed they will gobble it up. Jesus said, the bad angel, Satan, is like that. He is always ready to snatch a word from your mouth and heart, the wayward heart especially. A wayward heart is one whose ways are off track, like an explorer who has lost his way and wanders across unchartered territory. That kind of heart is without a compass or a map in life.
THE ROCKY HEART
A rocky heart is one like rocky soil. Not much seed can grow in rocky soil. And, likewise, no word of Jesus can take root in a hard hearted heart. Once, the teachers of the law said to Jesus, ‘Why can’t we divorce our wives if we don’t like them? Moses said we could, why not you?’ Jesus replied, ‘It was because you were hard hearted that he permitted you to divorce your wives but at the beginning of time it was not what God wanted you to do, and so neither do I.’ (My translation) A rocky heart is hard hearted and has no tender, loving feelings. So how can the seed of love grow in a heart like that?
THE THORNY PRICKLY HEART
Have you ever tried to grow seeds where there are thorns and thistles? Most disappointing! The seeds get choked and pricked and just give up trying to grow. A prickly, thorny heart is like that. There is a little poem that illustrates just how thorny a prickly heart can be:
Here I come grumping my way through life,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP,
Stirring up trouble and breeding strife,
GRUMP, GRUMP, GRUMP
That sort of heart can’t grow the seed of peace and love for it is constantly stirring up trouble. Is that why countries go to war? They have thorny, prickly hearts? The words of Jesus are seeds of peace and love. ‘Love your enemies,’ he says, ‘and do good to those who hate you.’ That is the only way to spread peace and be peaceful, the only way to spread love and by loving.
THE GOOD HEART
There are no perfectly good hearts except God’s, but they can be made good if the seeds of love are allowed to grow in them. For the seed of God’s word is truth, wisdom and forgiveness. Jesus holds out his wounded hands to love and care for you. Hard hearted men nailed him to a cross and he died suffering pain and sorrow. But he died for us to make us good and he rose from the dead to be with us always, hearing our prayers and telling his Father in heaven about us.
LEARN FROM ME
Jesus said learn from me. ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.’ (Matthew 11:29-30)
There is a yoke in learning. Anyone who has been to school knows that it takes effort and study to learn and pass exams. But Jesus tells us that his yoke is easy. He does not complicate matters by expecting a scientific explanation of the origins of the universe, or a description of the miracles he performed. This has to do with the speculative knowledge of nature. He wants to simplify our lives and come into our hearts that his word will grow their and be fruitful.