THE IMPORTANCE OF READINESS… This is a very familiar story of the Farmer and the Seeds to church goers.  The story has been preached from the platform and taught in Sunday School classes and other small groups for decades but are we “listening, really listening?” Jesus asks me today.  Do we teach as Jesus taught—in story form—in order to ready people with where they are, beginning with what they already know in order to point the way to Jesus?  Are we getting the attention of people who do not know to be ready to know and believe? 

People who are not “in the know” are as Jesus described those:

Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”

So, Jesus tells stories that relate to the current, everyday life of His listeners so they have an opportunity to hear and understand what they need most—a relationship with God. 

So, what do you make of this story?

Mark 4, The Message

The Story of the Scattered Seed

^1-2 He went back to teaching by the sea. A crowd built up to such a great size that he had to get into an offshore boat, using the boat as a pulpit as the people pushed to the water’s edge. He taught by using stories, many stories.

^3-8 “Listen. What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled among the weeds and nothing came of it. Some fell on good earth and came up with a flourish, producing a harvest exceeding his wildest dreams.

⁹ “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”

^10-12 When they were off by themselves, those who were close to him, along with the Twelve, asked about the stories. He told them, “You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom—you know how it works. But to those who can’t see it yet, everything comes in stories, creating readiness, nudging them toward a welcome awakening. These are people—

Whose eyes are open but don’t see a thing,
Whose ears are open but don’t understand a word,
Who avoid making an about-face and getting forgiven.”

¹³ He continued, “Do you see how this story works? All my stories work this way.

^14-15 “The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

^16-17 “And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

^18-19 “The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

²⁰ “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Don’t skip this message within the message!  Jesus is teaching us that every person is living and growing in and out of the many phases of belief and acceptance of Him as Savior and Lord. 

Think about it, there are people today who:

• Have never heard and not concerned enough to hear. Complete apathy.
• Heard about Jesus, considered His story of salvation, but don’t think or believe Jesus was or is real as the Savior.
• Avoid church because people who go to church hurt or offended them.  They judge the imperfect church to be the same as Jesus.
• Visit church with a friend, get excited with others in worship, hear the message of redemption, accept it on the spot while emotions run high, then go home and fall for Satan’s voice telling them that what they just heard isn’t really real and are “snatched” from believing what they just heard and accepted.
• Hear the Word through a song with a story over media playing in their car.  They want what Jesus has to offer—love, acceptance, no condemnation, mercy, and grace, but all their friends do not believe in what they seek, so their growth is “strangled” among friends who do not support their search for Jesus.

• Hear the Word but still consistently worry, waffling between do I commit or not, because of what Jesus might ask them to let go of or add to their already overstressed schedules of life stuff in order to be established in the community.  (Work, kids’ activities, school, family, hobbies, etc.) Their main character trait is people pleasing which is having one foot in the world and one foot into Jesus abundant living.  They soon discover that life cannot thrive divided and cut up into parts.  It doesn’t work.  Their attention is divided between worry, stress, performing well, doing more with less energy, overwhelmed by to do lists versus being with Jesus. They are living in the gravel, the “shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.”  
• Then there are those who are ready to hear with understanding and desire to know more about Jesus.  Their eyes are wide open to see Jesus in all His glory.  These seeds are learners that grow readily and steadily.  They absorb the nutrients of God’s Word. They even memorize portions of His Word so that when trouble comes, they remember what God promises.  Remembering helps them to stand firm against the storms of life and with Satan’s attempts to “snatch and grab” them, by God’s power, strength and wisdom helping them.  These people have an eternal, unquenchable joy, even in challenging times, that is the work of God in them.  There is peace that seems to guide their walk and keeps them in balance.  They are not perfect, but are assured they are perfectly forgiven by Jesus.  They are content because they believe with all their heart, mind, and soul, that Jesus is all they really need to live life to the full.  AND they can’t wait to tell others about who Jesus is and what He can do for them! Bonus harvest!

If we really stop to think about all these scenarios of “knowing and believing,” we probably have passed through most of them in our search for what is most important—our relationship with God through Jesus, His Son.

The Farmer knows what the seeds need to grow and flourish.  He knows that the rain must fall, the soil stirred, and the Son must shine to give Light to grow healthy and strong seeds of faith.  The Farmer knows what stage of growth we are in.  He lovingly tills the soil making us ready to grow.  His tilling might be uncomfortable but necessary.

I like to grow vegetables and fruit as well as flowers in our gardens.  The most exciting day of all is when the “fruit” of our labors begin to appear on the vines.  Imagine what God is thinking when we grow and mature and finally begin to bear the fruits of His Holy Spirit when we fully embrace what He is doing in us—His character traits of “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5)

Yes, the Farmer knows we are a work in progress.  Believe in the Farmer who knows exactly what we need when we need it most.  Trust and obey for there’s no other way to grow in His character, embrace His love, and be at peace with the One who loves us most.

Lord,

Thank you for stories that teach us how to grow, how to relate, how to love and how to trust and obey.  I love you with all my heart, mind, and soul.  I’m listening—really listening—ready to obey.  Thank you for your daily manna through your Word that strengthens our resolve to follow you.

In Jesus Name, Amen