Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Scatter with Joyous Recklessness" Thursday, 1 January 2014 - Scripture: Matthew 13:24-35

Kansas City, Missouri, United States - Reflecting God – Embrace Holy Living - "Scatter with Joyous Recklessness" Thursday, 1 January 2014 - Scripture: Matthew 13:24-26 He told another story. “God’s kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too.
27 “The farmhands came to the farmer and said, ‘Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn’t it? Where did these thistles come from?’
28 “He answered, ‘Some enemy did this.’
“The farmhands asked, ‘Should we weed out the thistles?’
29-30 “He said, ‘No, if you weed the thistles, you’ll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I’ll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.’”
31-32 Another story. “God’s kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.”
33 Another story. “God’s kingdom is like yeast that a woman works into the dough for dozens of loaves of barley bread—and waits while the dough rises.”
34-35 All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy:
I will open my mouth and tell stories;
I will bring out into the open
    things hidden since the world’s first day.
"Scatter with Joyous Recklessness" by Stephen Mayes
Growing up I had some opportunities to take part in work around the farm. No work was as enjoyable as during the planting season. During the first months of the season the farmer is full of optimism. Walking through the fields the farmer’s dreams are big. There may be thoughts like, “This could be a record breaking year. Perhaps my family will be able to live more comfortably.” The farmer scattering seed in the early season is a farmer full of optimism and hope for what might be.
This joyous optimism is seen in God as He scatters His good seeds of life into our broken world. The size of the harvest which God’s seed can produce is unfathomable. Regardless of the barrenness of the soil, God is a miracle worker. He will till the rockiest of soil to enable His seed to take hold. This optimism of God must be ours today as we to scatter his seeds of life. What may be produced with the seed we scatter? We must dream big dreams, believe and wait for the harvest only God can provide. Share God’s seed with expectant joy today!
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