Accept the Word with a Generous Heart

Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around Him was so large that He got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴ As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (Mark 4:1-8)

Meditation: What does the parable about seeds and roots say to us about the kingdom of God?

Any farmer will attest to the importance of good soil for supplying nutrients for growth. And how does a plant get the necessary food and water it needs except by its roots? The scriptures frequently use the image of fruit-bearing plants or trees to convey the principle of spiritual life and death. Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit (Jeremiah 17:7-8; see also Psalm 1:3)

Jesus' parable of the sower is aimed at the hearers of his word. There are different ways of accepting God's word and they produce different kinds of fruit accordingly. There is the prejudiced hearer who has a shut mind.
Such a person is unteachable and blind to what he or she doesn't want to hear. Then there is the shallow hearer. He or she fails to think things out or think them through; they lack depth. They may initially respond with an emotional reaction; but when it wears off their mind wanders to something else. Another type of hearer is the person who has many interests
or cares, but who lacks the ability to hear or comprehend what is truly important.

Such a person is too busy to pray or too preoccupied to study and meditate on God's word. Then there is the one whose mind is open. Such a person is at all times willing to listen and to learn. He or she is never too proud or too busy to learn. They listen in order to understand. God gives grace to those who hunger for his word that they may understand his
will and have the strength to live according to it. Do you hunger for God's word?
"Lord Jesus, faith in your word is the way to wisdom, and to ponder your divine plan is to grow in the truth. Open my eyes to your deeds, and my ears to the sound of your call, that I may understand your will for my life and live according to it".

The following reflection is courtesy of Presentation Ministries (c) 2013. Their website is located at presentationministries.com

FINISHING SCHOOL

"Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins and took His seat forever at the right hand of God; now He waits until His enemies are placed beneath His feet." —Hebrews 10:12-13

Jesus has already won the ultimate victory over Satan, sin, death, hell, slavery, fear, etc. It's over. Jesus is victorious irreversibly. We don't have to wonder about the outcome. As Jesus said on Calvary: "It is finished" (Jn 19:30). All that's left is to mop up after Jesus' victory by placing His enemies beneath His feet. We do this by first throwing ourselves at Jesus' feet in submission and adoration. In this way, we join in Jesus' victory and refuse to believe the devil's lies or take his bribes. We hasten the day (2 Pt 3:12) when every knee will bend, even Satan's, before Jesus the Lord (Phil 2:10). Jesus is finished. We'll be finished, too, when we place ourselves and Jesus' enemies at His nail-scarred feet.

Prayer: Jesus, I prostrate myself before You as did the wise men (Mt 2:11).
Promise: "Those sown on good soil are the ones who listen to the word, take it to heart, and yield at thirty- and sixty- and a hundredfold." —Mark 4:20