The Daily Guide-The Daily Devotional grow. pray. study. at The Resurrection United Methodist Church in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Monday, 9 November 2015 - "Don’t choke out the good seed"
Daily Scripture: Luke 8:4 After a large crowd had gathered from the people who kept coming to him from town after town, Yeshua told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was stepped on, and the birds flying around ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock; and after it sprouted, it dried up from lack of moisture. 7 Some fell in the midst of thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 But some fell into rich soil, and grew, and produced a hundred times as much as had been sown.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear with, let him hear!” 11 “The parable is this: the seed is God’s message. 12 The ones along the path are those who hear, but then the Adversary comes and takes the message out of their hearts, in order to keep them from being saved by trusting it. 13 The ones on rock are those who, when they hear the word, accept it with joy; but these have no root — they go on trusting for awhile; but when a time of testing comes, they apostatize. 14 As for what fell in the midst of thorns these are the ones who hear; but as they go along, worries and wealth and life’s gratifications crowd in and choke them, so that their fruit never matures. 15 But what fell in rich soil — these are the ones who, when they hear the message, hold onto it with a good, receptive heart; and by persevering, they bring forth a harvest.
Reflection Questions:
In this parable, Jesus said our priorities matter. He used images of various states of the human heart (soil) to show how each one affects our ability to hear and follow God’s word (seed). When we cultivate an open, “good soil” heart, he said, then “concerns, riches, and pleasures of life” won’t be able to crowd out the good fruit God is at work to bear in us.
- What’s most important in your life? Who or what first planted "the seed" of God's Word in the soil of your life? What are some concerns or interests that have become less prominent in your life as you’ve made God your top priority? Which of the four types of soil in Jesus' parable best describes how receptive you are to the seed right now?
- What are the concerns or interests that most often compete with God’s kingdom to be the top priority in your life? What key choices have helped to open you to God’s work in helping you to cultivate that “good soil” heart? What shifts in attitudes, actions and values would move you further in the direction of being “good soil” for God’s Word to grow in?
Lord God, the fruit you bear in my life is wonderful, and I want to be good soil for it. Give me clear vision as to what gets in the way of letting that fruit grow. Amen.
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Donna Karlen serves in Communications at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
As I looked at some reflections I found online about the Parable of the Sower (including a rather dramatic video portrayal — in Legos!), some of the writers stated emphatically that one cannot move from one type of soil to another. If you let the word be taken from your heart then you can never get it back. Or if it gets choked out by temptations or other priorities, then game over.
I don’t see how this view can possibly be true. In my own spiritual life, I have been planted (and self-planted) in all four types of soil — moving in and out of shallow, rocky, thorny and good soil.
I think the very actions of the sower — aka Jesus — shows that we are given chance after chance after chance after chance to hear the word and let it grow and bear fruit within us. Why would Jesus even try sowing seed in those who let evil overtake their hearts, or in someone who falls into temptation, or in anyone who at any point in their lives allows some messed up priorities to come ahead of knowing, loving and serving our awesome forgiving God? Jesus tries because he wants us with him. Because he is God’s grace. Because he will not give up on us.
Jesus will keep sowing and sowing and sowing and sowing in hopes of finding a patch of good soil in each and every one of us.
Hmmm – wonder if I can find that Lego video again … ---------------------
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
As I looked at some reflections I found online about the Parable of the Sower (including a rather dramatic video portrayal — in Legos!), some of the writers stated emphatically that one cannot move from one type of soil to another. If you let the word be taken from your heart then you can never get it back. Or if it gets choked out by temptations or other priorities, then game over.
I don’t see how this view can possibly be true. In my own spiritual life, I have been planted (and self-planted) in all four types of soil — moving in and out of shallow, rocky, thorny and good soil.
I think the very actions of the sower — aka Jesus — shows that we are given chance after chance after chance after chance to hear the word and let it grow and bear fruit within us. Why would Jesus even try sowing seed in those who let evil overtake their hearts, or in someone who falls into temptation, or in anyone who at any point in their lives allows some messed up priorities to come ahead of knowing, loving and serving our awesome forgiving God? Jesus tries because he wants us with him. Because he is God’s grace. Because he will not give up on us.
Jesus will keep sowing and sowing and sowing and sowing in hopes of finding a patch of good soil in each and every one of us.
Hmmm – wonder if I can find that Lego video again … ---------------------
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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