Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:1-17.
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
Jesus wants us to know all we need to be able to His work here on earth. Everything He taught was to make us more aware of our relationship with God and the responsibility that lays on us. However, more than anything, He wanted us to know how much God loves us and wants us to share that love here on earth.
The parables Jesus used were to get our attention, to make us focus on something familiar and then to teach us something new. Our minds aren’t able to comprehend heavenly things, but Jesus wanted us to be able to understand as much as we could and be ready to go into the world to teach others as well. However, before any of this could happen, we had to accept the offer He brought – to love God, love neighbor and then go make disciples.
Jesus wants us to be connected to God and each other so much that He was willing to come to earth as a human being to show us. His words and actions are the very blueprint of a life in God, and the example for us to follow. Let the lessons He gives us in scripture speak to you and show you the plan He has for your life.
Gracious God, we know that You have made us each for a purpose. Help us to understand the call You place on our lives and give us strength to fulfill it. Amen.