Matthew 13:11-9 / Mark 4:1-9 / Luke 8:4-8…
Can you hear me now...
Jesus was unveiling the secret of the kingdom of God, using parables. The big picture here is that the kingdom has come like a tiny seed. The glory of the kingdom is somewhat veiled for now. In biblical times sowing preceded plowing, and seed was plowed into many places, and rocky places that were covered by a thin layer of soil would only become visible after plowing.
Still, Jesus was announcing that His kingdom was advancing. The largest possible natural harvest might be six fold; Jesus was referring to something beyond normal. Only those granted ears to hear will actually hear it in the way Jesus means. Not everyone will be able to receive it, but those who do will bear miraculous fruit.
The disciples were commissioned to spread this seed out and so are we. We are not responsible for the results we are responsible to spread the seed, which is representative of the kingdom’s manifestation in the person of Jesus (Luke 17:21).
We are to spread His Word, and to the extent we are faithful to that we will be rewarded. Yet this is not only about the harvest of evangelism but also the harvest in our own lives. It is about knowing God and understanding the kingdom of Christ, and it is supposed to work itself out in every area of our life. Jesus said there would be 30, 60, 100 fold. There is a way the kingdom works, and Jesus is just about to give us a real clue on how we can experience an increase in our effectiveness for the glory of God in our lives.
The question is have you really heard what He has already said?
Jesus was unveiling the secret of the kingdom of God, using parables. The big picture here is that the kingdom has come like a tiny seed. The glory of the kingdom is somewhat veiled for now. In biblical times sowing preceded plowing, and seed was plowed into many places, and rocky places that were covered by a thin layer of soil would only become visible after plowing.
Still, Jesus was announcing that His kingdom was advancing. The largest possible natural harvest might be six fold; Jesus was referring to something beyond normal. Only those granted ears to hear will actually hear it in the way Jesus means. Not everyone will be able to receive it, but those who do will bear miraculous fruit.
The disciples were commissioned to spread this seed out and so are we. We are not responsible for the results we are responsible to spread the seed, which is representative of the kingdom’s manifestation in the person of Jesus (Luke 17:21).
We are to spread His Word, and to the extent we are faithful to that we will be rewarded. Yet this is not only about the harvest of evangelism but also the harvest in our own lives. It is about knowing God and understanding the kingdom of Christ, and it is supposed to work itself out in every area of our life. Jesus said there would be 30, 60, 100 fold. There is a way the kingdom works, and Jesus is just about to give us a real clue on how we can experience an increase in our effectiveness for the glory of God in our lives.
The question is have you really heard what He has already said?
2 comments:
Sometimes we can be deceived into thinking we're really planting seeds for God and our harvest is plentiful because we talk to others about Christ and how wonderful he his and how he changes lives etc. This is not wrong, we should do these things, however, if we're really interested in how we are doing spiritually, we should ask those that know us best. The people we live with. Who see and hear us day in and day out. At our best and at our worst. Then we will know if our life is a testimony for Christ or for the world. Actions speak much louder than words.
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