David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 13

¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear.”

 ¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”

 ¹¹He replied, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables:

   “Though seeing, they do not see;
      though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
   ” ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
 ¹⁵For this people’s heart has become calloused;
      they hardly hear with their ears,
      and they have closed their eyes.
   Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
      hear with their ears,
      understand with their hearts
   and turn, and I would heal them.’

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

I’m sure Jesus was thankful for the opportunity to speak to so many people. He made provision for all of them to hear him speak. He also spoke to them in parables – a means of communication with which they would be familiar. It would allow him to be understood well – unless they were unwillingl to understand. And that’s part of Jesus’ message to them: “He who has ears, let him hear.” (v. 9)

Hearing the word is good. Thank God we have the word, that we can hear it and that he speaks to us! But that was not all that Jesus desired for us. Note the success he desires: a harvest of one hundred, sisty or thirty times what was sown. It isn’t enough for Jesus that people hear the word. His desire is that the word takes root in our hearts, survives the onslaughts of sin, the devil, and the world, and produces fruit in our lives.

That means that God wants more for and from us than showing up for worship, opening and reading our Bibles, being part of the crowd that hears the word. While all those things are good, he desires more. He works in those who listen and hold to the word so that they bear fruit. He works to make a difference in us and, through us to make a difference in others. It starts with listening; that is vitally important. It continues as we hold onto the word and allow it to grow and take root in our hearts. That’s when grace, love, truth, and mercy truly shapes us, and we in turn give the gifts we have received. This is God’s work in us and he delights to see it happen.