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: 10 - 11, The Mysteries are given.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The disciples ask why He speaks in parables) Part 1. 

Christ is teaching in parables.  He does not teach directly to the people now, but only in stories that entertain some, has meaning to others, is lost for still more, and is babble to those who are of the devil.  For Christ knows that some will perceive and some will not.  He knows that some are lost, some are withered, and some are chocked.  This is why he preaches in parables.  The disciples are puzzled.  They do not understand why he has changed and they come to ask,
''Why dost thou speak to them in parables?''

The disciples want to know why he does not preach directly to the people.  They want to know why the change.  They want to know what has happened that Christ does not talk directly to the people.  And Christ answers them, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given."  

And now they know why he preaches in parables.  Now they understand the why of the change.  Now they see the given that they have and the given that the others do not have.  For mysteries have been revealed to them.  Knowledge of the kingdom has been given.  Understanding of the truth is theirs.  But for the others it is not given.  For the others it is not understood.  For the others the mysteries are not revealed to open their eyes.  For the evil one still operates in their lives and he is present in the lives of those who do not see.  He is present in the hearing of those who do not understand.  He overshadows those who do not have the light of Christ before them.  And now the disciples understand.

Do you understand today?  Are you given that you may understand the mysteries?  Or do you just repeat the words without the truth of their meaning.  Some would add their own meaning so that they have their own understanding.  And that which they thought they had is taken away because they do not have.  Christ is the giver.  Do you have?  Has he given you?  Do you now know what is given?  Come receive the given that you may know the mysteries of the kingdom.  Come, receive that you may understand.  Come, Christ is the giver.  Have you received?

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.