Jesus taught them by telling many stories in
the form of parables, such as this one: Mark 4:2
"Listen! A farmer went out to plant
some seed. As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a
footpath, and the birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on shallow soil with
underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But
the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn't have deep roots,
it died. Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender
plants so they produced no grain. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and
they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a
hundred times as much as had been planted!" Then he said, "Anyone
with ears to hear should listen and understand." Mark 4:3-9
 |
| Where will you plant these grains of wheat? |
Jesus used parables describing common
things that His followers—His audience—could relate to like this one of the
farmer sowing seeds. There near Capernaum where He was speaking people lived
close to the land. If they weren’t farmers or fishermen themselves then they
knew farmers or possibly planted their own gardens. I live in a rural
area—although there are over 280,000 people in this collection of
communities. There are farms nearby and it is easy to shop at a Farmer’s Market
every day in the summer time. Now we can take a drive out into the farmland and
see farmers working in their field—planting just like Jesus was describing this
farmer in His parable, although using much more sophisticated equipment. Rocks,
roads, weeds and flocks of birds are still problematic…and the sun will soon be
hot here. There is also fertile soil—where the crops can thrive and grow.
Look at where the seeds landed. In a couple of days we’ll see what Jesus intended for people to hear. Remember He said… Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand. Are you
listening? He didn’t say…look. Our eyes get us into trouble…but our ears allow
us to hear God’s word…and obey.
Prayer
~ Jesus, give us ears to hear…and wisdom in our hearts and minds to listen and
obey as we apply Your word to our lives.
Daily
Bible Reading: Psalm 73, 77-78
©
2018 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted
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