St Matthew, Chapter 13, verses: 7 - 9, Seeds with the thorns and Seeds in the good ground.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the sower) Part 2. 

Christ sat on the shore and communed with the father.  And the people came to him in crowds.  Overwhelmed with their needs, he got into the boat.  He began to preach but this time he spoke in parables.  This time he did not teach directly to the people.  He changed how he taught.  He brought something different.  He spoke not to them but through them.  He spoke to those who had ears to hear.  For many had come to see.  Many had to come to hear.  Many had come to be entertained.  And so they were, for he spoke no more except in parables.  So that those who had would understand and those who had not, would not understand and that which they had would be taken away.

Christ continued to talk about the sower.  Many have heard to story.  It has been preached throughout the land by each and every preacher, pastor, deacon, lay person, priest, and commoner.   Many use the story as a platform for raising funds.  Sow your seed money and you will be rewarded with a great reward.  Is this the meaning of the passage.  Christ tells the story:
"And other seeds fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked them.  And other seeds fell upon good ground and yielded fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold."    

So the sower continues to sow his seeds.  He first sowed by the wayside and the birds came and ate the seed.  Then some fell on rocky ground and they had shallow roots.  So they  withered and died when the sun scorched them in the heat of the day.  Now some fall among the thorns and some on good ground.  And the fruit comes forth in bounty.  Some fruit comes a hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty.  So what are we talking about.  Christ spoke in parables.  He entertained the people and filled the spirit of those who heard his message.  For there were many who came to be entertained.  There were many who did not believe.  There were many who did not understand.  And Christ said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"  

The mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are given but few receive it.  Few understand what they are given.  And few come to know the true value of the mysteries of the kingdom.  But for those who have ears to hear, great is their joy and overflowing is their peace.  Do you have ears to hear the message of Christ?  For he is sowing the seed.  Do not let your seed be scorched.  Do not let your seed be eaten by the birds of  darkness.  Do  not let your seed be chocked by the thorns of this world.  It is a precious gift, the seed.  Nurture it.  Treasure it.  Water it.  Keep the weeds out.  The mysteries of the kingdom await your discovery.  Can you hear them?  Can you understand?  Will you open your heart to the Holy Spirit to come in?  The treasures of heaven await your discovery.  Seek not the riches of this world.  For they are but dirt compared to the riches of heaven.  But first you must seek them.  You must desire them.  You must want to know them before they will come to you.  For those who seek will find.  Those who knock it will be opened to them.  And those who ask it will be given to them.

St Matthew, Chapter 12, verse: 33, Discerning the Tree: Good or Bad.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Blasphemy against the Spirit not forgiven)
Pt 3. 

The Pharisees have been given the curse that they brought upon themselves.  Christ has told them that blasphemy against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven either here on earth or there in the coming of the kingdom of heaven.  The demons have delight in this pronouncement by Christ because the Pharisees have placed themselves into the hands of Satan.  They have officially taken on the mark of the beast through their actions against Christ and the Holy Spirit.  How did they do this, by proclaiming that Christ performed miracles by the power of Beelzebub. 

Christ had warned them of their blindness.  He had warned them of their judgment.  He had warned them of the presence of the kingdom of God.  But they did not listen.  They did not hear.  They did not understand the truth.  For they were fearful of loosing their positions.  They were fearful of loosing their power.  They were fearful of loosing their authority over the people.  And it was this fear that led them to bring upon themselves the curse proclaimed by Christ.  For the battle continued.  The lines were drawn and the sides were chosen.  The Pharisees chose their side in the battle and they chose to fight against Christ.  Christ had told them that they were either against him or they were with him.  There was no in between.  They were there to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel or they were there to scatter the sheep.  It was simply a matter of black and white.  There was no grey.  The tree was either good or bad.  Christ said to them,  "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad for by the fruit the tree is known."

Long had the Pharisees been in power.  Long had they exercised authority over the people.  Long had they led the people in the ways that were of their own making.  And the devil came.  They devil crept into their midst.  The devil slowly and steadily grew on them such that they began to change to his ways and forsake the ways of God.  Greed took over.  Lust brought her chains into the temple and enslaved the leadership.  Vanity prevailed.  Corruption was brought in.  And all manner of evil began to surface and become part of the rank and file of the Pharisees.  And Satan had his grip upon them, that their passions and desires blossomed fully without check.   And Christ came into the picture.  Christ began to preach.  Christ spoke against them.  And Christ proclaimed the curse upon them that they spoke with their own mouths.

The Pharisees lived in luxury.  The Pharisee lived in honor and respect of the people.  They enjoyed favors and privileges that were given to no others.  And it was those same favors and privileges, that same honor and respect, that brought them to their downfall.  They did not want to change.  They did not want to relinquish to a higher authority.  They wanted to hold own to their positions despite the decrees of the higher authority.  For God declared the end of their reign.  God declared the beginning of a new time.  God proclaimed the judgment and the sacrifice of the lamb to justify the people.  God proclaimed the end of the reign of Satan on earth.

But Satan continues to influence, even today.  Satan continues to creep.  Satan continues to steal, and kill, and destroy.  For the tree is bad and the fruit is bad of those who follow him.  There is no middle ground.  Satan would have man believe that there is a middle ground so that he can snatch those who walk the fence.  Do you know the fruit of the Spirit?  Are you a tree of good fruit or a tree of bad fruit?  There is no partial fruit, partially good and partially bad.  Do not be deceived by the suggestions of the devil.  For he is there to deceive, he is the father of all deception.  

Are you with Christ or against him?  Are you a scatterer or a gatherer?  Know your fruit.  Know who you are.  Stand up and become a warrior for Christ that your fruit may be known.  Put on the armor of the Holy Spirit and take the sword of God that you may fight the temptations of the devil.  The devil will deceive you.  The devil will lie to you.  The devil will steal from you that precious gift of life given you by the blood of Christ.  Be not in the world but be in the word of Christ!  Be not in the world but be in the Holy Spirit!  Know that he will come to you.  Know that he will provide for you.  Know that he will protect and guide you that you may do the will of God in this world and be blessed with his riches.  For God is the owner of the vineyard and all those who produce bad fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.  Be of good fruit and know who you are!