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Lenten Devotion

March 6, 2023

All Day

Mark 4: 1-20 

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that,“‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

The Parable of the Sower

I bet you are very familiar with this Parable of the Sower, so familiar that you find it hard to imagine how Jesus' followers - even the disciples - could fail to understand what he was trying to teach them. Today we find the image clear and compelling - but don't forget, this way of teaching was very new at that time. (Mark 1:22) Today we all have a Bible, available to everyone since the Reformation, so we have heard many of Jesus' parables and are accustomed to Jesus' way of teaching.

However, we live in a society that is increasingly illiterate of the Bible and also of the rural world which was the background for Jesus' parables. How then can we talk to not-yet-believers about the good news of God's good plan for the world?

First of all, we need some courage, because it has become taboo to talk about faith matters. Second, have you ever noticed in a sermon how you become wide awake when the preacher illustrates his theology with a real-life story? We may not be as creative as Jesus for inventing parables, but we can always tell the real-life stories that have emerged ever since Jesus' time on earth.

Let us also consider what the message in this parable says to us:

In theory, we understand it easily, but what about how to put it in to practice? How do we apply it to our lives? I personally have experienced Stages 1 and 2. There was a time in my life when my heart and mind were rock for the seeds of God's Word. There was a time when I was shallow soil with enthusiasm for the Word on one hand, but dismissing it when difficulties seemed to contradict it. In Stage 3, I feel I'm in good company with many Christians who struggle with the lure of wealth and the worries of this life, constantly tuggging at me, trying to keep me away from following Christ.

I suspect that Europe has become so vastly estranged from its Christian roots precisely because it is so wealthy. “What do I need God for? I have all I need!” is a basic tenet of our society. “The goal of life is to be happy, not to serve God!”

More than 80% of youth who grow up in the faith of Christ, give it up during university. Sadly, they have not learned to defend their faith against the onslaught of secular thinking.

Regarding Stage 4, I have not seen any conversions directly caused by me, but I do have confidence that many seeds which I planted as a teacher, have sprung up and are growing, through the power of Christ.

May we be good soil for God's Word. producing much fruit!

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