The True Jesus: Uncovering the Divinity of Christ in the Gospels (2017) by David Limbaugh, Book Review

 The True Jesus: Uncovering the Divinity of Christ in the Gospels (2017) by David Limbaugh

This is a sequel to Limbaugh's previous book, Finding Jesus In the Old Testament (I've read it but I didn't write a review. Sad). I bought both books from the BookXcess bookstore.* As of writing, our Bible study group is studying the Gospel of Luke, and this week we are going to look at Luke 9:18-20 when Jesus asked His disciples two questions, "Who do the crowds say I am?" (v.18) and most importantly, "Who do you say I am?" (v.20). The first question is an opinion, a survey, or a general inquiry. But the last question is more personal, direct, and life-changing because the answer to the question is not neutral. Everyone must go through C.S. Lewis's famous trilemma: either Jesus is a 'lunatic, liar or Lord' or a 'mad, bad or God' man. No in-between.

Lewis wrote in his classic book Mere Christianity: "You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to... I have to accept the view that He was and is God." Lewis, the most reluctant convert (but intellectually honest), had made the verdict: Jesus is the Son of God. But, for you (yes, you!), who do you say Jesus is? This book can help you on your faith journey to answer this question for yourself. Here Limbaugh combines the four Gospel records (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) into a chronological account of the deeds, words, and life of Jesus Christ. You'll see His humanity and divinity perfectly blended in One Person jump off every page into our hearts.

This book is good for skeptics who want to know the big picture of the Gospel accounts in one volume (although, impatient skeptics might not like it because it's a long book, 353 pages in total). It is also helpful for students of the Word like me to recall and be reminded again about how cool, awesome, and epic our Lord Jesus is (although, this book or any book is pale in comparison to the Gospel accounts themselves). Limbaugh's comments, sound exegesis, and references to other respectable Bible scholars and authors are the best features of this book. "The ultimate goal is not to perfectly reconcile the four accounts," said Limbaugh in his interview with Sean McDowell, "but to inspire people to read the Gospels for themselves, where they will encounter for themselves the living Son of God." Amen.

 *currently out of stock
**btw, there is only one Gospel (not "Gospels") but four accounts

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheTrueJesus #DavidLimbaugh #OneGospelFourAccounts #JesusChrist #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein, Book Review

 Jesus the Messiah: A Survey of the Life of Christ (1996) by Robert H. Stein

I always carry a book or two in my bag. I wouldn’t feel complete without one. A book to read for personal enjoyment and curiosity always had space. That extra weight never is unnecessary. But not too heavy, of course, so that I can still freely move around with ease. There is a problem when I wanted to read more academic or scholarly books because they usually come with huge volumes (such as N.T. Wright’s Jesus and The Victory of God). Jesus the Messiah is just the right book for me! Not too thick nor too thin. Scholarly and yet suitable for the educated layperson. Readable, sound, and sensible. This book is the result of Robert H. Stein’s career of research and writing on Jesus and the Gospels as a scholar-professor of the New Testament. Stein writes with clarity about the Jesus of the Scripture, the reliability of the Gospels, the reality of the supernatural, and at the same time interacts with a variety of contemporary critical and philosophical biblical scholarship.

There are many features that I like about this book. First, as I already hinted earlier, it is not a boring but interesting book to read as opposed to a much dry writing style written by academics (Although, the first part of this book is quite technical). Secondly, there are very helpful bibliographies at the end of each chapter for the reader to explore further on the subject discussed. Thirdly, Stein begins the book by establishing the methodology for studying the life of Jesus and argues clearly about the necessity of the supernatural approach. “A study of the life of Jesus that excludes the miraculous is destined from the start to produce a Jesus who is an aberration… Attempts to strip the supernatural from Jesus’ life can only produce a Jesus so radically different that he is unrecognizable and his impact on history unexplainable.” I agree! Fourthly, although Stein uses the Christian Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as the primary sources for studying the life of the historical Jesus, he also introduces the reader to the extrabiblical (e.g. apocryphal gospels) and non-Christian sources, which sub-divide into pagan (e.g. Pliny the Younger, Tacitus, and Suetonius) and Jewish (e.g. The Talmud and Josephus). These non-Biblical sources - whether they are accurate or not - are important, in my opinion, because they establish beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus was truly a historical person.

Fifthly, Stein often discusses briefly some possible theories (e.g. Jesus’ crucifixion) before he came to the most probable and biblical one. He also doesn’t hide some difficult passages and problems that sometimes arise from the study (e.g. the chronology of Jesus’ final week). Lastly - this is very important - Stein not only responded to issues and teach with broad knowledge on the subject at hand but he regularly drew some theological lessons and spiritual applications for the readers to think about (e.g. on Jesus’ ethical teaching and the meaning of Jesus’ resurrection). In conclusion, I enjoy reading Jesus the Messiah. I refer to it a lot for my expository teachings on the Gospel of Matthew in my podcast. Fully recommended it! ✔

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #TheLifeOfJesus #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Jesus Christ, The Lord of the Sabbath: WHO, WHY & WHAT (Remastered, Luke 6:1-11)

 

Jesus said to the legalistic Pharisees about Himself during an argument about the Sabbath law: "The Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath" (Luke 6:5). Why did He say it? Who does Jesus claim Himself to be here? What was the response of the Pharisees? Watch this video as I explore Luke 6:1-11 in detail  #ServeToLead #PreachTheWord #TheLordOfTheSabbath #GospelofLuke

[Ps: This message is actually an expanded and remastered version of a message that I shared in one of my Christian Fellowship (CF) campuses on the topic of The Lord of the Sabbath based on the Gospel of Luke]

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Angelus' Quote: As Iron Sharpens Iron, So Men Sharpens Another

Evil loves to isolate men, to cut them off from their friends, and beg them to keep secrets. A Christian man must be accountable in order to find strength and grow. When I went into trouble, the first person I tell is my boss and brother, David. After that, I shared with Steven during our men's outing. I love it during Bible studies too when men share their thoughts and stories - and get to pray together (now, added that with sisters in Christ. Awesome!).

Alone, we grow dull - but together - we sharpen our skills, fortify our resolve, and refine our battle skills. Men, if you read this, get into a small group - immediately. Lock arms with warriors, and sharpen one another with victories and accountability 💪😉🔥 #ServeToLead #BiblicalManhood

______________

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4 Lessons I Learned from the Characters in Luke 1:26-38 (Short Bible Study)

Bible Study #3 @ Luke 1:26-38,

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

4 Lessons from the Characters that I Learned:

#1 Gabriel: Be Faithful with The Message

#2 Joseph: Be Responsible for The Message

#3 Mary: Be Obedience to The Message

#4 Jesus Christ: The Essence of The Message

Want to Watch Previous Videos?

Episode #1: https://youtu.be/PVorOCQqOVM

Episode #2: https://youtu.be/F5Kp-JU-c90

Blog: www.richardangelus.me

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We Can Be Successful in Public Life and a Failure in Private (Read 1 Kings 1:1-53)

When David’s life and reign drew to a close, his sons competed for his throne. David appointed Solomon as the heir. But one observation that we all need to know from 2 Samuel to 1 Kings: David served well as a king, but he often failed as a parent. We can be successful in our public life and a failure in private. Our family should be our first ministry priority.

Max Lucado, from his book Facing Your Giants (2006), writes: “Incest. Deceit. One daughter raped. One son dead. Another with blood on his hands. A palace of turmoil. Again it was time for David to step up. Display his Goliath-killing courage, Saul-pardoning mercy, Brook-Besor leadership. David’s family needed to see the best of David. But they saw none of David. He didn’t intervene or respond. He wept. But wept in solitude.

Absalom interpreted the silence as anger and fled Jerusalem to hide in his grandfather’s house. David made no attempt to see his son. For three years they lived in two separate cities. Absalom returned to Jerusalem, but David still refused to see him. Absalom married and had four children. ‘Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, but did not see the king’s face’ (2 Samuel 14:28).

Such shunning could not have been easy. Jerusalem was a small town. Avoiding Absalom demanded daily plotting and spying. But David succeeded in neglecting his son. More accurately, he neglected all his children. A passage from later in his life exposes his parenting philosophy. One of his sons, Adonijah, staged a coup. He assembled chariots and horsemen and personal bodyguards to take the throne. Did David object? Are you kidding? ‘His father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, ‘Why have you done do?’ (1 Kings 1:6)... When it came to his family, David blew it.”

If you are a parent, take time with each child today: listen, talk, and care. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). As a son or daughter, plan to spend time with your parents. Be concerned for their needs. Be eager to pray for family needs.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Learn Manhood from David #2 Handsome With Inner Character > Outer Appearances

The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart"

(1 Samuel 16:7, NLT)

In his book, Wild At Heart, John Eldredge explained the nature of man after Genesis 3:10, "You don't need a course in psychology to understand men… We are hiding, every last one of us. Well aware that we, too, are not what we are meant to be, desperately afraid of exposure, terrified of being seen for what we are and are not, we have run off into the bushes… Most of what you encounter when you meet a man is a façade, an elaborate fig leaf, a brilliant disguise." In short, John called it – the Poser.

King Saul was a poser. When the pressure was on, in the heat of the battle, his true character revealed itself. Confused and fearful, he tried to engineer circumstances by partially obeying God's clear instructions when it served his own purposes. But when confronted with his disobedience, Saul justified, rationalized, and attempted to excuse his actions. For example, when Samuel found out that Saul sacrificed the burnt offering by himself, Samuel was furious and Saul gave this excuse, "You didn't arrive…" Just like when Adam when fall into temptation said to God, "It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit…" (Read the whole event in 1 Samuel 13:8-14). Saul's heart was dominated by self-righteous and arrogance toward the things of God. Tragically, we men are a lot like Saul in some areas of our lives. Oh, correction… Tragically, I'm a lot like Saul in most area of my life!

What a contrast David was! While Saul pursued independence from God, David longed for a deeper intimacy with Him: "I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart" (Psalms 40:8). Although David's life, like any man's, was riddled with inconsistencies, his heart remained consistently pure toward God. In the sight of the Lord, David was transparent and open toward God. He was not a poser.

Like David, we all struggle and fail at times. Yet if we fall because of sin, we know that our standing with God remains just as it was: "If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (1 John 1:8-9). When David sinned, he confessed and repented. Thus, God forgave him and he was "cleanse from all wickedness." But when Saul sinned, he just regretted it and do nothing. He was “fooling” himself and “not living in the truth.” This is the difference between David's and Saul's heart. Our conduct reflects our character, and our character reflects what is ordering our hearts. If we want to change our conduct, then our character must change. And if we want to improve our character, our hearts must be transformed. "Create in me a clean heart, O God" (Psalms 51:10).

Again, like David, we can ride out any storm if our hearts are secure in the Lord and in His love for us. As Thomas a' Kempis, a Christian mystic, once said, "Man weighs your actions. God weighs your intentions." As God weighs the intentions of your heart, which way is the scale tipping?

"Most Christians are still living with an Old Testament view of their heart. Jeremiah 17:9 says, 'My heart is deceitfully wicked.' No, it's not. Not after the work of Christ, because the promise of the new covenant is a new heart" (John Eldredge)
THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Peter preached Jesus of Nazareth: 3,000 Died, 3,000 Saved (Acts 2:12-41)

“Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, ‘What does this mean?’ Some, however, made fun of them and said, ‘They have had too much wine.’ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: ‘Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. Those people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel…”
(Acts 2:12-16, NIV)

When some of the people insult the disciples by saying they must be drunk, Peter doesn’t become angry, but quietly replies this is not the case at all. In the Middle East, people drink at night not early in the morning (But in Iban culture, it’s a different story). What Peter tried to say is that the disciples are not full of wine but are full of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he told them of a promise God gave long ago to Israel through the prophet Joel that God would pour out His Spirit on all the people (read Joel 2:28-32). On the day of Pentecost, only some of the people received the Holy Spirit, but the time is coming when more from all nations will received Him prior to Jesus’ second coming.

As I read the Scripture, Church history and my own experiences (limited of course), this event in Pentecost was one time event not to be repeated again. Nowhere in the Scripture tells another event such as this. It was like a grand opening, the birth of the movement of the Holy Spirit with a sole message: Jesus is alive and the Holy Spirit is here! However, the last part of Joel’s promise was true for us today as in Peter’s day: “[Everyone] who calls on the names of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). From here Peter went on to preach about “Jesus of Nazareth” (v.22). Although God had approved the work and Sonship of Jesus Christ, wicked men took Him and nailed Him to the cross. God knew in advance – “God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge” (v.23) – that this would happen and soon raised His Son back to life again. Why? Because “it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him” (v.24). Oh yeah!

Peter went on to prove that even God had told David His servant that Messiah would rise from the dead (read Acts 2:25-28). David could not have been speaking about himself, as his grave was right there in Jerusalem. But he was prophesying about Jesus. David went on to prophesied, “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’” (Acts 2:34-35; Psalm 110:1). “The Lord” here is God the Father, and “my Lord” cannot be David himself but the Messiah, the Promised One, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In short, Peter was showing to them about their terrible sin in opposing God’s Messiah. They had killed the very One whom God had approved before and now had glorified. If we reject Jesus, we are rejecting God too, and we will be in the same position as the Jews who crucified Him.

For those who want to believe and come to God, Peter said: “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39)

What was their response? What was the outcome of Peter’s boldness? Were there anyone believe? The Scripture tells us: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day” (v.41). This number remind me of our Bible Study on the Book of Exodus. When some of the Israelites were not repented of their idolatrous sin of worshiping the Golden Calf in Mount Sinai, Moses told us about “three thousand of the people died” (Exodus 32:28). What is your respond to this article? Would you consider this Jesus of Nazareth? Who do you say Jesus is? Peter had reminded us, he even warned us: “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation” (v.40). Do something…

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Jesus' Game Plan of Redemption is still Continue, Are You In? (Mark 11:1-10)

“As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’’ They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, some people standing there asked, ‘What are you doing, untying that colt?’ They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go”

(Mark 11:1-6, NIV).

God the Father and the Son planned the Saviour’s visit to planet earth before the world was created. The Plan is foretold and recorded in the Old Testament centuries before the Saviour was born. Over 300 specific prophesies about the Saviour-Messiah are found in the prophetic writings of the Old Testament – prophecies concerning the place of His birth (Micah 5:2), the virginity of His mother (Isaiah 7:14), the place of His ministry (Isaiah 9:1-2), His rejection (Isaiah 53:3), death (Isaiah 53:12) and resurrection (Psalm 16:10). This is God’s game plan (God’s will).

Mark 11:1-11 describes the beginning of the most agonizing week of Jesus’ game plan. As you read on until Mark 15, it was the week of rejection, suffering and death (that Jesus had told His disciples about so openly). Ironically, the week began with an event that looked anything like the beginning of a week of suffering: Jesus’ triumphant ride to Jerusalem! Jesus’ entrance on a donkey was another event in the game plan that God previewed in the Old Testament Scriptures. The prophet Zechariah wrote: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah (9:9). The fact that Jesus called for a colt on “which no one has ever ridden” was very significant to God’s plan as in Jewish tradition, an unbroken animal was often associated with sacred use.

The people, however, misunderstood Him as a political saviour who would cast out the Roman government from their holy city. They cried out, “Hosanna!” (Mark 11:9) which mean “Save us now, we pray!” It was a plea for political liberation. The people also shouted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” (v.9-10). The people imagined that Jesus would use His miracle-working power to fulfil their prayer for political salvation. They wanted a liberator, a freedom fighter but God’s game plan called for a King on a lowly donkey. They were deaf to prophesies of the Old Testament and blind to Jesus’ game plan. The suffering and the death of Saviour was not on their lists of God’s plan. When it became obvious that Jesus was not going to fulfil their hopes and expectations, many turn against Him.

Dear readers, the focus of God’s game plan is redemption. Total redemption, yes; but first – the most important of all – our spiritual redemption. Jesus the Saviour paid the death penalty for our sin in order to redeem us back to God.

Now, even though God’s game plan was completed with the death and resurrection of Jesus (see John 17:4, 19:30), the play continues. For the redemption that Jesus secured for all people must be offered individually by each person. The Lord is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).  So as long as there are those who have not heard the redemption of Christ, God’s plan continues. Just as Jesus used two disciples (and a donkey!) to carry out His game plan, so He uses people today to carry out the game plan of redemption. He still looks for willing followers who will obey His Word trustfully like the two disciples. Most people like to follow their own expectations of how God’s plan work, but as for us, we must follow His plan as written in the Scriptures and through the leading of the Holy Spirit in us. As Christians, we are already in the Game. The question is: Are you actively participating in God’s game plan or just sitting being an audience only?

All the Scripture will be fulfilled.

God’s game plan will continue with or without you.

Are you participating in the Game?

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Jesus, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful (Mark 10:46-52)

“Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stopped and said, ‘Call him’”
(Mark 10:46-49, NIV).

What caused our Lord Jesus to turn His attention away from the large crowd to Bartimaeus, the rudely persistent, blind and outcast beggar? I think, when Jesus heard the magic word: Mercy. “Jesus… have mercy on me!” Mercy is compassion or pity that leads a person to provide relief for someone in misery (not simple say “God bless you…” then walk away). A merciful person is one who feels deeply the hurts of others and acts to comfort and relieve those hurts. You see, mercy is a primary nature of God. God said of Himself, “The LORD God, merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6); and Moses said, “The LORD your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4:31). For Jesus, the Son of God, mercy was one of the essential characteristics of His earthly ministry.

Let’s turn to Bartimaeus now. This physically blind beggar actually could spiritually “see” much more than most people. First, he had heard enough about Jesus to correctly identify Him as “Son of David” a title that designated Jesus as the promised Messiah – God come to earth (notice, Jesus doesn’t deny him). Second, he knew enough about the God of his ancestors to know that He is merciful (heart knowledge, not merely head knowledge). And third, he had faith to believe that Jesus was personally interested in him and would heal him.

When Jesus heard Bartimaeus cry for mercy, He asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” (Mark 10:51). He was merciful and willing to act compassionately to the faithful Bartimaeus. The same quality of mercy that God evidenced in the Old Testament and Jesus demonstrated in the New Testament is available to anyone who sees Jesus through the eyes of faith as Bartimaeus did. Jesus knows where we’re hurting and when we turn to Him with our hurts, He is ready to say, “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus’ mercy turned into miracle because of faith. “Rabbi, I want to see,” Bartimaeus replied. “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road (Mark 10:51-52).

There is no pain, disappointment, confusion, fear or loneliness that Jesus cannot understand. When you come to Him with faith crying, “Jesus, have mercy on me!” He will responds either with a supernatural healing or through the caring of a concerned friend or simply by His presence with you or however – He will respond. Like Bartimaeus, you may feel that you are not very important in God’s sight. But when you come to Jesus with faith and brokenness, you’ll discover that you are of the supreme important to God. You may feel that your hurts are not important to God. You may feel that you don’t have a special place in God’s heart. You may believe that God doesn’t have time to bother with you. But if God’s mercy can reach poor Bartimaeus, think what He has waiting for you when you call on Him!

Jesus asked, “What do you want me to do for you?” twice (10:36, 51)

James and John answered: We want authority and power (10:37); they were ask to serve first.

But when Bartimaeus answered: I want to see (10:52); he received his sight immediately!

Jesus is indeed, the most gracious, the most merciful Saviour. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus wants People to Think (Listen, Understand and Obey)

So Jesus told a parable.. to make people think. 

Jesus had made unmistakable claims about his true identity, and the division was growing between those who accepted and those who rejected them. The religious leaders had already decided Jesus was not the Messiah. The crowds who followed him, listening to his teaching and observing his miracles, wondered if Jesus could be the “Son of David” (Matthew 12:23), but their leaders told them he was not.

Jesus began using stories to get his listeners to think. These “parables” in all of the Gospel stories, hid the truth from those who had already made up their minds to reject Jesus. Those who truly wanted to know Jesus, however, would understand his words (and at least want, desire to understand it). This first parable features a farmer, seeds, and soils. In ancient Israel, farmers sowed the seeds by hand. Walking across the field, the farmer would plant the seeds by scattering handfuls of seed from a large bag slung across the shoulders.

Here is the first parable. Jesus said, “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and chocked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand” (Matthew 13:3-9, NLT).

What does this parable mean? Jesus explained it all in Matthew 13:18-23. Jesus told the disciples that the types of soil in his parable represent the ways that people respond to the Gospel message. Some have hearts so hard, like the “footpath” that the Word of God makes no impression on them. They hear but don’t understand, and Satan, like the birds in the story, snatches the seeds. “Rocky soil,” however, are people who seem to accept God’s Good News but their faith is shallow, not deep or real, and it doesn’t take hold. These people abandon their faith at the first sign of problems or persecution. Then, the seeds that fall among “thorns” sprout and take hold but produce no fruit because they are soon crowded out by weeds – the “worries of this life and the lure of wealth” (Matthew 13:22). These seem to be true believers, but they don’t grow in their faith. At last, other people are like the “fertile” or “good soil” (Matthew 13:23) – they hear the Word and accept it. The seeds penetrate, take root, flourish, and produce fruit. These are the true disciples – those who accept Jesus, believe his Word, and allow him to make a difference in their lives.

Think about this: Satan deceiving acts, worldly worries, the false sense of security brought on by prosperity, and the desire for material things plagued first-century disciples just as they do us today (I’m thinking of my students who will be graduated soon and will enter the workplace-world). Daily routines overcrowd and materialistic pursuits distract believers, choking out God’s Word so that it produces no fruit. God wants us to weed out those thorns, to be fertile ground for his seeds planted in us. “You [that means, us] are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven”, said Jesus, “but others are not. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them” (Matthew 13:11-12, bracket mine). What type of soil [your heart] are you?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.