Planted, not Snatched

 

    

Matt 13:3-4

 

3 Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: "Behold, a sower went out to sow.  4 And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them.

NKJV    

 

Having grown up in church, I became familiar with the awesome and miraculous  teachings of the Bible at a very young age. My  faith reached the place to receive Christ as Savior when I was five. In truth, I have never really known a life apart from Jesus. For that, I am exceedingly grateful.  But I am also aware that not one everyone was blessed to have such opportunities early in life. 

 

Many studies have shown that childhood is the prime time to win people to Jesus.  If  they do not choose Him in their early years, the likelihood that they will do so late,r goes down significantly.  Why is that?  One  of the things  that I believe contributes  to this  phenomenon is that a child's ability to believe is so much higher than that of an adult.  Children do not have to understand every facet of a situation to just believe. Child-like faith is a beautiful thing, and one that we should endeavor to cultivate throughout our lives.

 

Today's passage talks about a sower, or farmer, planting seed.  In this portion of Scripture, some of the seed fell on the wayside.  It was not planted in holes or trenches, rather it was sown on top the ground.  Because of that, the seed was easy prey for birds to come along and snatch it up and eat it.   In this parable, the seeds mentioned is the truth about the Kingdom of God, or more specifically, that Jesus is Savior.

 

Further explanation is given in verse 18:

 

18 "Therefore hear the parable of the sower:  19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

 

It is so vital that everyone have the opportunity to hear the gospel message.  Without that, how can they ever hear, know, or understand that Jesus loves them and died to give them life eternal?  I have always been puzzled about the various responses of people  when they hear truth.  Some readily receive it and are transformed immediately, others it takes a process, while still others never choose to believe at all.  The parable of the sower explains  so  much  about this process.

 

In light of today's verses, what is our duty as a Christian? Foremost, our duty is to share the gospel.  We have to let people know what the Lord has done for us, within the context of His  Word.  After that, I feel it is important that we pray for those we are witnessing to, that God will prepare their hearts to receive the seed of Truth.   We must pray that the Lord will plow up the soil of their hearts, that it will be softened and prepared to receive it.  Then we must pray that it settles deeply within them.  Finally, we must pray against the  enemy  stealing the truth from them.  Becoming a Christian is such a supernatural phenomenon, that we can never leave out the importance of God's divine involvement.

 

Another important thing to note is that we must share the truth in a way that people can understand.  To tell a person who has never been in church a day  in their life that that they are a wretched  sinner, bound for hell unless  they receive Christ's  atonement for their sin and be redeemed, is like speaking a foreign language to them.  "Christianese" is not a universal language!  What people can understand is that they do not do everything right, that Jesus died to cancel the penalty of that sin and offers  them a relationship with Him instead of an eternity apart from Him.

 

As you witness, pray that the Lord will give you wisdom in your words to speak in the language of your hearer.  If it is an educated person, your approach will be different than with a simple  or illiterate person.  Both are equally valuable, but the soil must be prepared  differently!

 

Dear Lord, help me to have an effective witness.  Show me who to share with, and grant me wisdom and favor to sow seeds that they can understand and receive.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.