ST Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 23, The Seed on Good Ground.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the sower explained) Part 4.  

And now Christ concludes the parable of the sower with the last verse.  The purpose of the sower is to plant seed that will yield a crop.  He goes out and clears the ground.  He does back breaking work to remove all the trees, the underbrush, and the weeds, so that what is left is clear ground, dirt.  The soil is where the seeds will be planted.  Next the ground has to be turned so that it is broken and ready for the seed.  The soil has to be turned so that moisture will get into the ground 
without evaporating.  The soil has to be nurtured so that the seed, when planted, will take root and grow.  After all this preparation then the seed is planted in the ground.

Any farmer is familiar with the growing process.  But the most important thing in that process is to make sure you have good seed.  Christ has seed given from the Father.  He has the words given 
by the Father to plant in the hearts and minds of the people.  He has seed that will bring forth a bountiful crop.  And the seed is ready to grow.  Such a precious seed.  Such a glorious seed.  Such a seed that will produce a great crop.  But then there are the outside forces that must be dealt with.  There are the birds that will come and eat the seed left on the ground.  There are weeds that will grow among the seeds, for their seed remains in the earth to grow among the glorious seeds from God.  And there is also the evil one that will come and snatch the seed from the ground that is planted.

And the purpose of the planting is to produce fruit.  Christ tells his disciples and the people the last part of the parable.  He says,  "And the one sown upon good ground, that is he who hears the word and understands it; he bears fruit and yields in one case a hundredfold, in another sixtyfold, and in another thirtyfold."

So, the parable is finished, and the seeds are sown.  Will fruit come forth?  Will the good ground bring forth a plant that will produce fruit 100% of the time, or 60% of the time or will it produce fruit 30% of the time?  God is the giver of the seed and the keeper of the soil and the nurturer.  But the soil has to be receptive to the nurturing.  The soil has to receive the living water.  The soil has to receive the cultivation so that the seed may grow and prosper. 

Christ says that the one on good ground hears the word.  Do you hear?  Christ says that the one on good ground understands the word.  Do you understand?  For from your hearing and from your understanding will come forth fruit that will feed and nourish.  From your hearing and from your understanding will come forth fruit that will provide life to those who have no life.  And from your hearing and from your understanding will come forth seed that will feed the ground of other good soil.  And it will produce more good fruit.  And the earth will be populated with fruitful people that love the Lord.  Come, hear the words and understand.  For the sower is ready to sow!

St Matthew, Chapter 13, verse: 12, He who has vs He who does not have.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The disciples ask why He speaks in parables) Part 2. 

Christ has spoken to the people in parables and the disciples want to understand why.  This is a change for them.  He has taught before, directly to the people.  But now he talks in parables, he talks in stories and the disciples are puzzled.  So they question him that they may know why.  Christ tells them that it is given for them to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.  But to the crowds it is not given.  So he talks in stories that those who have hearing will hear the message and those who do not, will hear an entertaining story.

Many have come.  Some have come to hear.  Some have come to be entertained.  Some have come to be healed physically.  But few have come to have their souls cleansed.  Christ has told the story of the sower.  Some seed fell by the wayside and the birds came and ate the seed.  Some seed fell on rocky ground and did not have root.  When the sun came they were scorched and withered away.  Some seed fell upon ground with thorns.  And when the seed grew the thorns grew also and choked the seed and it died.  Some seed fell on good ground and yielded a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirtyfold.  The question asked is how does this apply to us.  Christ said he who has ears let him hear.

Christ explains to his disciples, "For to him who has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who does not have even that which he has shall be taken away."   What does he have?  What shall be given that he will have abundance?  These are questions that rang true in the minds of the people that they may make sense of what Christ was telling them.  Some may have questioned the meaning.  Most may have just passed it off as a story.  But the disciples knew what was being said by Christ.  They knew the mystery of his teachings.  They understood the hidden meaning of his saying.  Only a few would know.

Will you have abundance?  Many today, seek abundance.  They plant their money seed in ministries throughout the world in the hope and expectation that their money seed will bring back a hundredfold or sixtyfold return or thirtyfold return.  After all this is what we are given by our pastors and preachers and teachers.  We must sow into the church so that the church will grow.  We must give a bounty to God that he may open a window of bounty to us. 

Christ said that he who has, it shall be given and to he who does not have, even that which he does have will be taken away.  How is this that those who are less fortunate will become even more less fortunate because what they have will be taken away?  Is this the meaning of what Christ has spoken?  What fruit shall we bring forth?  If the seed is the word and it is planted in us how shall we grow and produce fruit?  Are you a fruitful Christian?  Will you have abundance in your life?  Do you have, that you may have abundance or will it be taken away, even that which you have? 

Christ loves you and wants you to be fruitful, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.  He wants you to grow and yield spiritual fruit.  But some will only produce 30% of the time and 70% of the time they will not.  Some will produce 60% of the time and 40% of the time they will not.  And there are some that will be productive 100% of the time, at all times and in all ways.  Are you ready to be fruitful?  In which type of production category do you belong.  Are you a sometime christian, only 30% of the time?  Or are you a 60% christian leaving off 40% of who you can be?  Christ seeks all but looks for 100% Christians devoted to producing 100% of the time.  Be rooted in the good soil of Christ and you will produce 100% spiritual fruit that is pleasing to him.

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.