I’m someone who likes people to give me the information straight. Don’t beat around the bush just tell me the facts and we can go from there. However, Jesus doesn’t do this. Jesus more often taught in parables which as we have been often told are earthly stories with a deeper, heavenly meaning. Now there’s nothing wrong with that definition, it is correct. However, there’s something deeper going on in the parables. To the disciples and for those who are followers of Jesus, the secrets and the meanings of the parables have been made known. We can look into them, search them, and find their meaning. But for those who aren’t followers, for the religious leaders of the time, the parables were also a type of judgement for them. They had already hardened their heart, they had already rejected Jesus, so Jesus doesn’t reveal the secrets to them because of the callousness of their hearts. It is all about how we receive the word and that is what Jesus goes onto say in the rest of these verses as he explains the parable that we looked at yesterday.

There are four different responses to hearing the word of God. Some may respond with utter hard hearts and reject the word, so the word is taken from them. Others may respond with joy and spring up! But then things get hard or tough, their response slowly grows dim and they fall away. Still, others may respond and hear the word but it doesn’t get a chance to bear fruit because they are distracted by the worries of life and money and then the growth of the word in their lives is stunted. But lastly, the final response is those who receive the word with joy, put it into practice, and then they grow and multiply and are fruitful. As disciples and follower of Jesus, we should be committed to growing in Jesus, listening to him, receiving his word, and putting it into practice. MC

Questions

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank you for your word and for making known the secrets of the kingdom of God to us. Help us to not take this for granted but invest in it, grow in it, and be fruitful for your glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen