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Matthew 13:20-21
The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. 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.
Today, farmers sow seed with great precision and very little is wasted, but in Jesus’ time it was a much more haphazard process. Skilled as the farmer might have been, when he scattered his seed with his hand it was bound to land in a variety of places. It landed on the path, in rocky soil or among thorns so only a proportion would find good soil. Jesus used this parable to describe the very different ways that people responded to his message, and we can easily recognise the truth of his words today.
The seed that landed on the rocky soil struggled from the outset because it couldn’t put down adequate roots. It grew fast for a while but soon keeled over and died. Jesus said that this was like people who heard the message of the kingdom and got really excited about it. But because they hadn’t put down deep roots, they soon became distracted by problems and persecution. Their initial burst of enthusiasm was soon a distant memory.
This parable teaches us many lessons, but it particularly emphasises the importance of putting down deep roots. It is always encouraging when people respond enthusiastically and joyfully to the Christian message. But it isn’t enough. The sudden rush of enthusiasm needs to be followed by the growth of long, tapering roots that ensure the steady flow of nourishment for the years to come. The roots grow as we get to know God better and that happens through prayer, fellowship, the reading of the Bible and by deliberately turning our attention towards God. Roots are, by their very nature, hidden but without them there can be no life.
Question
How are you intentionally developing your roots in God?
Prayer
Lord God our Father, help me to grow in you today and to find ways of developing deep roots that will sustain me for the years to come. Amen
Released on 24 Oct 2024
Matthew 13:23 [Jesus said,] “The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” The parable of the sower mixes r...
Matthew 13:30 “Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.” In order to understand this parable fully, it is helpful to...
Matthew 13:31-32 Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make...
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