Matthew 13: Kingdom Extravaganza (1)
Pray Psalm 126.4, 5.
Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.
Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
Sing Psalm 126.4, 5.
Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns!
Restore our fortunes, LORD our King! Let grace like flowing streams prevail.
All they with tears of joy shall sing who sow while yet they weep and wail.
Read and meditate on Matthew 13.1-8, 18-23.
Which soil are you? Which do you want to be? Why?
Prepare.
1. What are the different types of soil in this parable?
2. What is the seed, and who is the sower?
Meditate.
Jesus came to bring near the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4.17). In chapter 13, He unleashes a barrage of dizzying and glorious parables to capture the hearts and impress the minds of His hearers with the greatness, extent, and power of that domain over which He is Lord. We begin with the parable of the soils, which we will consider in its entirety, skipping over for now Jesus’ explanation of why He spoke in parables.
The focus of the parable is on the four soil types, each representing a different state of readiness of the human heart, from hard and unreceptive, through shallow and easily ensnared or distracted, to good and productive. It’s probably true that, at one time or another, our hearts show each of these facets. The goal, for those who are in the Lord’s household—those who hear and do His Word (Matt. 12.48-50)—is to prepare our hearts as good soil, so that we receive the Word eagerly, sink it deep in our souls, and cultivate it daily through faithful reading and obedience, so that it brings forth the fruit God intends.
We must not be content not to hear and receive the Word. Persistence in so doing indicates a hardness of heart that has not truly received the good seed of God’s Word. Nor must we be content for our faith to be merely shallow and without deep roots, or to become choked or snared by worldly distractions (Col. 3.16). Rather, we must ready our hearts, through confession and repentance, to receive the good seed of the Word from Jesus day by day, meditating on it, seeking ways immediately to carry out what it requires, and rejoicing in the Lord at every indication of fruitfulness.
Sow the good seed in your soul. Work it in deeply, meditating on the Word, comparing it with other passages of Scripture, even memorizing a verse, to set it in your mind. Seek the Lord for guidance and power to bring forth the fruit of the Word, and thus to prove that you are a true member of His household and Kingdom. Seek also to sow the good seed of the Kingdom, and to encourage and help those among whom you sow it to open their hearts to the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“I went by the field of the lazy man, and
by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding;
and there it was all overgrown with thorns;
its surface was covered with nettles;
its stone wall was broken down.
When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction:
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest;
so shall your poverty come like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (Prov. 24.30-34).
Thus, a life overgrown by thorns and covered with nettles; with its protective walls broken down.
And a poverty, not from lack of money, but of not seeking the Word of God.
“‘Behold the days are coming,’ says the Lord GOD, ‘that I will send a famine on the land,
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the LORD” (Amos 8.11).
We must, first and foremost, “sow the good seed” in our own souls.
Look at the people who came to hear Jesus teach:
They saw Jesus sitting by the sea and they gathered around Him.
He got into a boat and sat down to teach them.
And they stood on the shore…waiting and listening for His wisdom (Matt. 13.1, 2).
Wisdom [Jesus, Proverbs 8.12-31] says:
“Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it.
Blessed is the man who listens to Me,
watching daily at My gates,
waiting at the posts of My doors.
For whoever finds Me finds life, and
obtains favor from the LORD…” (Prov. 8.33-35).
“Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Ps. 119.11).
“Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119.105).
Your Words are not idle or futile words, they are my life and guide (Deut. 32.46, 47),
to keep me on good ground, in fertile soil, to bear the fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5.22, 23),
enabling me to “sow the good seed of the Kingdom, and
to encourage and help those in my Personal Mission Field
to open their hearts to the Good News of Jesus and His Kingdom.”
Reflect.
1. Why is it necessary daily to sow the seed of God’s Word into the soil of our souls?
2. What can you do to prepare your soul—heart, mind, and conscience—so that it is ready to receive God’s Word?
3. What are some reasons why someone might not want to be that fourth soil?
Even as on bad ground there were three diverse situations (by the path, upon rocky ground and among thorns), so too on good ground the diversity is of three types: fruit of one hundredfold, sixtyfold and thirtyfold. Both in one and the other there is a change that takes place in the will, not in the nature itself. In both the unbelievers and believers it is the heart that receives the seed. Jerome (347-420), Commentary on Matthew 2.13.23
Pray Psalm 126.1-6.
Jesus is sowing the good seed of the Kingdom through His servants. How will you sow that seed today?
Sing Psalm 126.1-6.
Truro: Shout, for the Blessed Jesus Reigns!
When God restored our fortunes all, we were like those who sweetly dream.
Our mouths with joy and laughter filled, made Him our constant song and theme.
Then the astonished nations said, “The LORD has done great things for them!”
Indeed, great things our God has done, Whose Name we praise, Amen, Amen!
Restore our fortunes, LORD our King! Let grace like flowing streams prevail.
All they with tears of joy shall sing who sow while yet they weep and wail.
They who in tears of sorrow sow and cast their seed on every hand,
with joy shall reach their heav’nly home, and bring the harvest of their land.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.
Other columns of interest: This week: The Read Moore podcast is turning into the home stretch of our book, The Kingdom Turn.Our Crosfigell teaching letter presses ahead in a series on the state of the Church in Europe at the time of the Celtic Revival. TheReVision column begins to examine the hope for the church, especially struggling churches. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
