City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

On the same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?” He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 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. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

Matthew 13:1-23 (NKJV)

Commentary

In this parable, Jesus describes four different responses to the gospel (the “seed”), and He describes them in terms of soil.  The first is the person who doesn’t understand the gospel, so the Word, never understood, never takes root. In the second, there is an initial response that certainly looks like the experience of one who is born-again, but when things don’t go the way he had hoped or expected, he falls away. In the third, the seed appears to take root, but there are other things competing for the nourishment of the soil, and as a result the person does not bear fruit. In the fourth, the gospel is heard and understood and the seed brings forth fruit, in some cases more than others, but always in a greatly multiplying fashion. I want to focus on the third response.

In the third response the seed subsists; it is not carried away (v. 19), and its plant does not wither (v. 6). The seed is still there, in the soil, a plant has even emerged from the ground, but there is no fruit, just thorns. This is a good description of many people. They consider themselves Christians, they go to church, they may even say they love God, but they have borne little or no fruit for the kingdom of God. Fortunately, Jesus tells us why.

Jesus identifies two main culprits for a lack of fruitfulness: (1) the worries of the world; and (2) the “deceitfulness of wealth.” Worries of the world refer to those things non-Christians worry about and spend their lives chasing: things such as careers, honor, nicer cars, and bigger houses. The “deceitfulness of wealth” refers not to wealth per se but its deceitfulness. Wealth is deceitful because it promises so many things it cannot deliver. Wealth promises significance, happiness, and security, but then when people obtain wealth they find they are still insecure, unhappy, and that even money cannot shield them from things like disease and the certainty of death. 

Those who spend their life consumed with the worries of the world and running after the deceitful promises of wealth, end up giving growth to thorns in their lives. Thorns, unlike fruit, repel others rather than nourishing them. Those thorns draw on the individuals’ time, attention and resources, and leaving nothing to bear fruit. This, Jesus teaches, is why Christians do not bear fruit.

Application

The alternative is to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). A life focused on making disciples, advancing the Kingdom, and blessing others, is sure to bear fruit. Likewise, having constantly before one the goal of sanctification and becoming like Jesus (“His righteousness”), is guaranteed to bear fruit. 

Prayer

Lord, please convict me when I am drawn into the worries of the world and am tempted to believe the deceitful promises of wealth. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.