[Linux4christians] Monday - Read Luke 8:4-15, Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-9

[Pastor David]

*Monday - Read Luke 8:4-15, Matthew 13:1-23, Mark 4:1-9*

     *Commentary*

     The “Parable of the Sower” raises a number of 
theological principles, based on the
     response of an individual's heart (the “soil”) to the 
offer of salvation (the “seed”), which
     Jesus explains to His disciples.

     Luke 8:12 “Those along the path ...” refers to a heart 
that has become hardened,
     somewhat impervious to feet, rain, or wagon wheels, 
unresponsive even to God.

     Luke 8:13 “Those on the rock ...” refers to hearts that 
are shallow, most likely to respond
     to an invitation at a “tent meeting” or a Christian 
concert or in some other sort of
     emotionally manipulative context but who then fail to 
participate in follow-up
     discipleship.  These may be the ones whom Jesus 
described “... they cry 'Lord, Lord' ..."
     to which He responds "... but I never knew you.” or who 
declare “... we did miracles in
     Your name” but of whom He said “I never knew you.” 
Like Ghandi, they cannot accept
     God at His Word but require of God "signs”; Jesus 
called these "... a rebellious generation”
     noting that even when they saw signs they still would 
not believe.

     Luke 8:14 “... among thorns ...” refers to hearts that 
James described as “double-minded,
     unstable in all their ways.” These are like Judas of 
Iscariot, Ananais and Sapphira, and
     “The rich young ruler”, truly owned by the world and 
unwilling to make the necessary
     surrender of the things of the world – especially of 
their free will – in order that they
     might receive His gift of salvation.  They have their 
own agenda and unless Jesus fit it
     He was not their first priority.

     Luke 8:15 “... the good soil ...” refers to hearts that 
are not perfect but that are teachable,
     hearts that have made “... honest and good ..” choices 
along the way, genuine seekers of
     truth who recognize truth when they see it because they 
have a history of so doing,
     thereby keeping their hearts soft.  (Jesus noted that 
the Jews had prophesy of the Messiah
     and should have recognized Him as “The One” but for 
many their hearts had become
     hardened by man-made tradition, little has changed 
since then.)

     In Luke, as in the parallel tellings of Matthew 13:1-23 
and Mark 4:1-9, Jesus notes that
     the rhetorical soil-condition of each person would be 
discernible from their fruits.


     *Reflection*

     Have we considered where we are choosing to cast the 
seed of the truth of the good news
     of Jesus?  Perhaps the fruits of those into whom we are 
investing time are telling us that
     they are not ready.  If the Holy Spirit of God cannot 
prepare them then nothing we do
     will.  Perhaps we need to discern where is the 'good 
soil' and invest our time there?

     Have we done a personal inventory to discover to what 
degree our hearts may be less than
     good soil, not necessarily to the degree to which we 
are unsaved, but to a lesser degree
     where we limit the work of the Holy Spirit in and 
through us?

     *Action*

     Today I choose to evaluate if the enemy has me 
distracted by the unteachable when the
     Holy Spirit is trying to redirect me to those whose 
hearts have responded to Him – if so I
     will change my focus.  I will also evaluate if my heart 
is not as teachable as it should be.

     *Be Specific* 
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Have an http://Ultrafidian.com Day!  Pastor David
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