David Bahn – Reflections

Then Jesus said to them, “If you can’t understand the meaning of this parable, how will you understand all the other parables? ¹⁴ The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others. ¹⁵ The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away. ¹⁶ The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. ¹⁸ The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, ¹⁹ but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. ²⁰ And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

²¹ Then Jesus asked them, “Would anyone light a lamp and then put it under a basket or under a bed? Of course not! A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light will shine. ²² For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open, and every secret will be brought to light. ²³ Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

²⁴ Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. ²⁵ To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.” – Mark 4:13-25

The light suddenly came on. He was a young man in confirmation class and we were talking about faith, forgiveness, and salvation. Suddenly he got it. “You mean, because of Jesus, our sins are forgiven?!? We get that by believing it?” 

“Yes,” I said, “that’s exactly what I mean.” 

“Wow! That’s amazing!

This actually happened to the young man. He had ears to hear, and he listened. He was one who believed the Word, and was given even more understanding. What a blessing!

How is the light of God’s love, grace, and truth in your heart these days? Is it hidden beneath piles of this world’s trouble and stress? Is it covered by a cloud of worry and fear? Or is it burning brightly as you continually see God’s goodness unfold?

In any case – no matter what level the flame of faith is in your heart – it is a gift from God. Note clearly what Jesus says here, “Then he added, “Pay close attention to what you hear. The closer you listen, the more understanding you will be given—and you will receive even more. ²⁵ To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given.” 

God’s word is a light for our path. His truth is unchanging. It may be time to clear the clutter from your heart and unplug your ears. What a precious gift it is when the light of faith is turned on! Let it shine!

Psalm 6:1-2

O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.

Psalm 36:5-9

Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. ² He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. ⁴ As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. ⁸ 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!” ⁹ Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, ¹² so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’” – Mark 4:1-12

Our vision clinic mission trip to Kenya was designed very intentionally. People would come from miles around, in order to receive eye care, eye glasses, and sometimes even eye surgery. The process by which they received that included receiving the message of Jesus. Not once, but twice during their process.

They would register upon arriving at the clinic site. From there they would go to a waiting area. During that time we would share the message of salvation utilizing the Evangelcube®. This was an overview – a scattering of the seeds of sorts – in which everyone heard the same presentation. I enjoyed doing that, and my interpreter and I hit it off quite well.

After the waiting area presentation, one by one they would progress through the various stops of the clinic. Two stops later they would have a one-on-one conversation with one of the evangelists. They would briefly go over the medical record, then ask, “What did you think of the Jesus presentation? Did anything stand out to you?” This was the point at which a deeper conversation could take place.

Some were brought to faith in those conversations. That would be the seed sown in good soil. The real conclusion about encounter would be evident many years later. Would their children and their children’s children also be brought into the fold? Would these new converts share this message with their family?

The church is not one generation away from extinction, even though that is a popular trope. But if we do not pass on the faith from generation to generation, to our friends and families, coworkers, and others, we are certainly not producing 30, 60, or 100 fold crops. Any sower would wish for a larger harvest. That large harvest is made possible by those who hear the word, let it grow, and become sowers of the word themselves. 

Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. ² He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. ⁴ As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. ⁸ 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!” ⁹ Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, ¹² so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they see what I do,
    they will learn nothing.
When they hear what I say,
    they will not understand.
Otherwise, they will turn to me
    and be forgiven.’” – Mark 4:1-12

There was a moment of confrontation between father and son that went something like this: “Don’t take me on. You will not win. You will lose. Don’t take me on.” I was ready to go to the mat to win that confrontation, and there for a moment it all hang in the balance. He didn’t take me on. Thankfully. 

Sometime later one of his brothers sat with us in the dining room. We were having another father/mother/son conversation. He was being belligerent. His brother was leaving with friends, and miracle of miracles! as he left he turned and said, “Listen to that man.” Pointing to his brother and then to me, he made it clear that I had good things to say.

The tough love seems an oxymoron. How can love be tough? It’s the kind of love that causes parents to ground their teenagers. The kind of love that disciplines rather than coddling the wayward child. Tough: Yes. But also love.

Sometimes you have to be both tough and loving. I believe that’s what Jesus was doing with the Jewish leaders of his day. Tough: Go on hearing without hearing. Go on seeing but refuse to look. He’s quoting from the prophet Isaiah. And it was an indictment of their willfulness. They refused to listen to God or his prophet. They thought they knew better. They thought they knew all the answers.

They thought they had heard it all before. Wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah…. Nothing new here. Let’s look for better answers. Let’s try to find better advice. Surely we don’t need to reconsider our lives. Surely we don’t need to adjust our attitudes. 

Or so they thought. Look more closely at the severe results of their failure to heed God’s voice. They would not experience God’s forgiveness or healing. They will be stuck in the muck of their own stubbornness.

Surely we’re not like that, right? We don’t think we know it all. We don’t think we’ve heard it all before. We don’t need to adjust our hearts, ears, minds, or attitudes, do we? 

There is a fine line between standing strong for the truth and being just plain stubborn. It’s a frightening thing to consider our position in that regard. But a careful reading of Scripture is key. But we don’t do that just to discover the proof texts for our theological or religious hobby horse.

We look to Scripture in order to be shaped by God’s word. We do that with a humble heart. We do that realizing that while we hold tightly to the truth of God’s word, we never stop growing in our understanding of it. We learn new ways in which it is to be applied. We seek God’s work in our hearts through those encounters.  And we’re less likely to stand in need of God’s tough love, for he loves repentant sinners and does not despise broken and contrite hearts. 

Once again Jesus began teaching by the lakeshore. A very large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat in the boat while all the people remained on the shore. ² He taught them by telling many stories in the form of parables, such as this one:

³ “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed. ⁴ As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it. ⁵ Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain. ⁸ 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!” ⁹ Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

¹⁰ Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant.

¹¹ He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables for everything I say to outsiders, ¹² so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

When our sons played soccer, we went to every game. When they made a goal, or good tackle, we cheered them on! A good part of that was parental pride. We so wanted them to succeed, and when they did, we felt good. Part of that was the other side of parental pride. When others noticed we could say, “Yes, that’s our son!” With proper humility of course!

Have you ever thought that God has that same desire for our good and his glory? Never prideful. Not in need of ego strokes. But worthy. And pure. Good. Jesus says it elsewhere: Let your light shine so that…they may glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16). 

We often think of honoring God, or bringing glory to him as an intentional act of praise and worship like singing in church, or praising him in prayer. These are most proper and good. God is worthy of our praise. But that’s not to be the end of it. We must not relegate our praise of God to an hour on Sunday morning. Even if we add to that listening to Christian music or praying throughout the week, we’re not doing all we should.

We are to present our bodies a living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). Everything we do is to be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Nothing we do in the Lord’s name is in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). We are to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 6:25). Whatever we do, we are to do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father – whether speaking or acting (Colossians 3:17).

A missionary to south Asia shared with me an insight about her work. She talked about the 10-40 Window. That’s an area of the northern hemisphere world between the 10th and the 40th parallel where Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and atheism predominate. Her words, “Jesus is not receiving the  honor there that he deserves.” 

How about your life’s window? Is Jesus receiving the honor he deserves from your everyday life? Does it adorn your public worship life? That makes for the most beautiful paeon of praise in his honor.

Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. ⁸ And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” ⁹And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, ¹² so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” – Mark 4:1-12

When I was in 5th grade, our family moved to the country. We lived there for about 9 months, and during that time had some wonderful experiences. Fresh milk from the dairy farm across the road. A 3 acre pond with plenty of bluegill and bass to catch. Many places to explore and discoveries to make. 

One of those discoveries was the difference between pole beans and bush beans. I don’t recall whether there was a different taste between the two, but I do recall the difference in how they were picked. Pole beans grew on a vertical lattice that made picking easy – well within reach! Bush beans not so much. But they, and the other produce in our garden plot, provided a bounty of fresh vegetables. Thirty, sixty, or 100 fold? Not sure. But there were plenty. And we planted the seeds in anticipation of such a harvest.

Jesus uses this imagery to teach us about the Kingdom of God. Sowers sow so they can harvest. Sometimes there is a bountiful harvest. Sometimes not. The most significant reason that Jesus cites here is the condition of the soil onto which the seed is scattered. No talk about tilling, fertilizing, watering, or disease prevention. Just the soil matters. 

When we planted our garden, we had first had a local farmer come and plow up the garden spot. The ground was ready for our sowing. We didn’t use a broadcast method of sowing that Jesus seems to allude to here. So it’s not likely that many seeds – if any at all – fell among the thorns or hardened path. But had they, the result would be just as Jesus described it. 

So how is the “soil” of your heart? Are you open to the grace and truth of God’s word? Are you consumed by the weeds of bitterness, fear, anger, and worry? Have the cares of this world choked out God’s calling to repent and believe the Good News of Jesus? Are you hardened to the extent that you don’t even want to listen to God’s word? 

By the power of the Holy Spirit we can open our hearts to hear God’s word. We can make ourselves available to God’s work through a humble heart and a teachable spirit. This is God’s will for us. He sows the seed of his word into our hearts so that it takes root and and produces a harvest of righteousness to God’s glory and our neighbor’s good.

Here is the outline of my message on August 30, 2020. This is the first of my “Legacy” messages that I hope will give witness to God’s work through me at St. John. All glory to him!

The St. John Prayer Garden is An Invitation to Pray

We Enter in Praise

Ps 100:4
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise!
Give thanks to him; bless his name!

Confessing our Sins

1 John 1:8-9
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Calling upon God for Help

Psalm 50:15
Call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”

Trading Anxiety for Prayerfulness

 Philippians 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Believing Jesus’ Promises

Matthew 7:7-8
Jesus says “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Refreshed by Jesus’ Living Water

 John 4:13-14
Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Remembering our Baptism

Marked by Grace, Faith, and Good Works

Ephesians 2:8-10
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Blessed by God

Numbers 6:24-26
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

May your coming in and your going out be blessed forevermore!

Again Jesus began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. ² And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: ³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. ⁸ And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” ⁹And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. ¹¹ And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, ¹² so that

“‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
    and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’” – Mark 4:1-12

Tom knows he should not take a left down the hall past her desk, but he does anyway. Sarah knows she shouldn’t go into that favorite store when there’s a sale on, but she decides to check it out “just for the fun of it.” Jaime realizes she should avoid the temptation of Starbucks, but she’s in a rut and hits it every day, ordering her favorite: Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino.

Tom lingers a bit too long at Joan’s desk, and soon they’re down a path neither said they wanted. Sarah ends up maxing out her credit cards, and Jaime’s diabetes spirals out of control. They know. They even hear the advice. But they don’t heed it. They don’t see the advice as a friend or a path to life. It’s just a killjoy to their particular innocent pleasure.

We may think that we have little in common with the people Jesus speaks of in this text. After all we’re not refusing to listen to Jesus’ words. We’re not closing our eyes to his call to repentance. We’re not the hard ground from which the seed of the gospel is too easily carried away. 

So how do we get to a better place with all these things? How do we avoid becoming our own worst enemies? That’s what those are who “see but do not perceive, who hear but do not understand.” 

There are times when each of us must struggle with hardness of heart. There are times when the cares of this world loom large over us. There are times when the gospel message lays all too shallow in our hearts and lives. But there are also times when that gospel message reached deep into our souls and brings life and joy, peace and hope. 

If the gospel message of Jesus is to have any kind of significant impact in our lives, and we bear fruit – thirty, sixty, or one hundred fold. It all starts when we hear and act on Jesus’ first word here, “Listen!”

Psalm 30:4-5

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 60:11-12

Oh, grant us help against the foe,
    for vain is the salvation of man!
With God we shall do valiantly;
    it is he who will tread down our foes.

Psalm 90:1-4

Then Jesus went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. ²¹ And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

²² And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” ²³ And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴ If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵ And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. ²⁶ And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. ²⁷ But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

²⁸ “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, ²⁹ but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— ³⁰ for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”

³¹ And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. ³² And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” ³³ And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” ³⁴ And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” – Mark 3:20-35

Presumptuous. Do you know anyone whose picture belongs next to that word in the dictionary? They presume upon your kindness. They presume upon their tenure. They presume upon others’ willingness to give way in traffic or in line. They presume upon their long-standing heritage. They presume upon their name, title, or history. Ugh. Those are definitely EGR’s (Extra Grace Required). 

Sometimes such people are obvious and easily hated. Other times, their presumption is so imposing we dare not even say a word in challenge to their claim. It might be a long-time church member, a higher-up in the company, a self-appointed neighborhood block captain, or a self-acclaimed religious leader. 

Or it may be someone everyone assumes to be authoritative and legitimately deferred to. Some people, we think, deserve preferential treatment. Some people claim it for themselves, but there are those who deserve the honor of obedience and deference. 

Is it difficult to imagine your own family taking a dim view of you? Your future father-in-law, maybe. Your younger brother, possibly. Your older sister, to be sure. But your mother? Your family?!? 

Jesus mother, brothers and sisters came to get Jesus. Mark even tells us that they thought Jesus was out of his mind. He needed to be grounded, calmed, brought back to earth and to his senses. So they thought. So they presumed. 

Jesus was decidedly not out of his mind. He was clearly doing what he came to do. He was committed to his mission. He was above reproach or doubt. 

May we never presume to tell Jesus what to do (it is a real danger in spite of ourselves). Rather, as believers, we must do the will of God. This shows us truly to be children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.