#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The Prodigal Sower & The Kingdom
Matt. 1318“Listen to what the parable of the sower means. 19When anyone hears the message of the kingdom but doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes and takes away what was sown in his heart. That is what was sown along the road. 20In another the seed falls on rocky ground. He’s one who welcomes the Word with joy as soon as he hears it, 21but it doesn’t take root in him. He believes for a while, but as soon as the Word brings him trouble or persecution, he falls away. 22In another the seed is sown among thorns. He’s one who hears the Word, but the worry of the world and the deceitful pleasure of riches choke the Word, and it can’t produce anything. 23But in another the seed is sown on good ground. He’s one who continues to hear and understand the Word and so goes on producing good things, one a hundred, another sixty, and another thirty times as much as was sown.”
One thing we can take from this parable is that the sower sows on all sorts of ground. He is a prodigal sower, i.e. he seems pretty wasteful. The path, rocky soil, thorny soil and good soil, makes no difference to him. He doesn’t seem to discriminate. To some extent, that is good news. You don’t have worry about whether or not you are worthy or good enough to hear the message of the kingdom.
Secondly, Jesus is the Word/Message of the Kingdom. Throughout the four gospels and in particularly in Matthew, Jesus identifies himself with the kingdom. Jesus is also the sower but he appoints unsowers who preach Jesus, the message of the kingdom. Jesus being the kingdom of God in the flesh means that God is fulfilling his promise in and through Jesus. What is that promise? The seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent while having his heel struck by the serpent. In so doing, he would remove the serpent, Satan from his throne of this world and become its rightful ruler. Jesus as the kingdom means he would conquer sin and death in this age and usher in a new age where they afflict us no more.
Now this message of Jesus is received and reacted to in many ways. Jesus discussed four types here. The path along the way are those who hear about Jesus and his kingdom and don’t understand. They may have heard about him or read about him but he doesn’t make any sense to them. They are stuck in the system of this world. Satan prevents them from understanding.
The rocky soil hears and rejoices in Jesus. But he does not mark, take note of what Jesus says. The message of Jesus does not take a deep root in him. He has a shallow faith so when persecution comes, he chooses the peace of this world rather than the Prince of Peace and everlasting life. The thorny soil also hears and believes Jesus and makes a start in the faith. Yet the pleasures and cares of this life choke out his faith. He does not learn from Jesus that faith in him, devotion to him is the most important thing in this life. He quits meeting with other believers to receive the good things of Jesus from the mouth and hand of his sowers. Therefore, he quits learning and quits being fed. His faith dies. The good soil is afflicted by Satan, is persecuted and lives in this world too with all its attractions. Yet he reads, marks, learns and inwardly digest everything about Jesus despite all these things. In such a person Jesus produces much fruit.
Heavenly Father, grant us your Holy Spirit that we may read, mark, learn and inwardly digest the message of Jesus so we may not fall away but bear his fruit in our lives. In Jesus’ name. Amen.