THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013
Deuteronomy 9:1–10:22
Luke 8:4–21
Psalm 69:19–36
Proverbs 12:2,3
[Jesus speaking]: “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:11–15)
In this passage, we recognize that each person must individually respond to the call of God’s Word. Aided and directed by the Holy Spirit, the “seed on good soil” represents “those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”
As I read today, I focused in on those four characteristics of the “good soil”:
1. “Hear the word.” This idea echoes Romans 10:17: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Prior to following after the Lord Jesus, we must first receive His self-revelation, either through His Word or another means, including audible sounds or music, dreams, and visions. Because of the human heart’s hardness, however, we do not naturally seek to honor God with our lives (Romans 3:9–20) Graciously, however, we read that God responds to those who are seeking after Him: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
2. “Retain it.” This concept tracks the imperative to “abide” in Christ, on which Jesus Himself taught in John 15:1–17. In John 15:4,5, we learn: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” In a very real sense, then, we receive the Word of God into our lives, and, by His presence, we become grafted into His Kingdom-vine. This commissioning for His service comes of His accord, not ours.
3. “By persevering.” Faithfulness in challenging moments demonstrates the depth of our commitment. For a team with its backs against the wall, the team’s captain should rise up and encourage his or her cohorts to take more repetitions and to give everything for more thorough preparation. The outcome may be uncertain, but true winners will certainly prepare. Likewise, in the Christian life, we make ourselves available for God’s Kingdom purposes, but we cannot carry the burden of persevering on our own. In fact, in our weakness, we will consistently fail, and we lie to ourselves when we believe otherwise. All perseverance or righteousness on our parts comes through the grace of the Lord Jesus, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8,9).
4. “Produce a crop.” The “good soil” produces fruit. Returning to John 15:7,8,16,17, Jesus explains that God prepares us for this blossoming: “If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples…. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.”
Here, Jesus ties together the three basic activities of His church: loving God, loving others, and making disciples. Without love for God and, more importantly, His love poured into our lives, we will not have lasting, deep love for others. And, without that love, our disciplemaking efforts will fall short of God’s best intentions.
While we might think of this expectation to bear fruit as an obligation, it is rather a privilege: an invitation to join in the eternal, sovereign plan of our loving, living God and to bring glory to Him through blessing others. Each person’s “crop” will take a shape unique to his or her character, but each fruit holds great value.
How may you bear fruit in your home? School? Place of work? May we join with Isaiah in offering ourselves for His purposes: “Here am I. Send me!” (Isaiah 6:6–8)
“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”
“To the Lord your God belong the heavens, even the highest heavens, the earth and everything in it. Yet the Lord set his affection on your forefathers and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations, as it is today. Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. And you are to love those who are aliens, for you yourselves were aliens in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him. Hold fast to him and take your oaths in his name. He is your praise; he is your God, who performed for you those great and awesome wonders you saw with your own eyes. Your forefathers who went down into Egypt were seventy in all, and now the Lord your God has made you as numerous as the stars in the sky.” (Deuteronomy 10:12–22)
Two questions to ponder:
1. How may we become more certain that His commands are indeed “for our own good?”
2. What does the Lord’s concern for the fatherless and widow suggest about His heart? And, by extension, our commitments?
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