Category: Daily Prayer

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:24-30.

Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?” “An enemy did this”, he replied. The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”

Are there weeds in your yard? The answer for most of us is “yes” and each summer it is a constant battle to keep them from overrunning the lawn. It seems these unintended plants grow better and faster than the ones we wish to grow. It can be a frustrating season, but every fall things go dormant and we don’t have to worry about them…until next summer!

If we are honest with ourselves there are weeds in our lives as well. We may have a carefully crafted front “lawn” we share with others but none of us are perfect, we all have something that needs to be uprooted and thrown away, and these weeds don’t die off over the winter. It is often hard for us to think about these because we want to concentrate on the good things.

Jesus doesn’t want us to dwell on our sins, but to give them to Him. If we let the Master Gardener in, He will help us cultivate a life that is free from the weeds we would fail to remove. While there will always be sin in the world, Jesus can help us deal with it and keep us growing in the right direction.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the guidance You offer us. Help us to accept the lessons You teach and make them part of our daily life. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:24-30.

Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?” “An enemy did this”, he replied. The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”

Jesus tells us in verse 25 how evil comes in the world – “But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away”. He warns that while we are not paying attention, while we ignore the things for which God gave us responsibility, evil has its chance. We hear that once it has been sown, it cannot be torn out easily.

Jesus knows that we are susceptible to many earthly temptations and He teaches us to be aware of the danger. We are told plainly “if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matthew 5:30). This is hard to hear, but Jesus wants us to understand how profound the threat of sin is in our world and our lives.

We are all tempted, and Jesus knows our human weakness. We must admit when we have done wrong, ask forgiveness and earnestly work to do better every day. When we repent and turn from sin, Jesus is there to give us strength and put our feet back on the path.

Loving Lord, help us to give up the things of earth and accept the grace You offer. Make us the disciples You want us to be. Amen.

Our scripture this week is Matthew 13:24-30.

Jesus told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared. The owner’s servants came to him and said, “Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?”  “An enemy did this”, he replied. The servants asked him, “Do you want us to go and pull them up?” “No,” he answered, “because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.”

Jesus begins another parable to explain the kingdom of God to those who are gathered. In this lesson He speaks of wheat and weeds to explain the difference between those who follow Him and those who have been led astray. As the weeds are among the wheat, so the influence of evil is among us in the world.

We might ask, as do the servants in the story, why doesn’t God just pluck out the evil, leaving the good? It would certainly make things easier for us! We must remember that we were never promised “easy”, in fact just the opposite – Jesus told us we would face difficulties and opposition because we follow Him.

Because of our sin, there will always be evil in the world. However, through the strength Jesus gives, we can stand against it. In Romans 12:21 Paul tells us “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. By doing good in the world as Jesus taught, we can reduce the effect of evil and show everyone the love of God living in us.

Gracious God, we see suffering and loss around us every day. Help us to be Your light in the world, showing our brothers and sister Your way. Amen.

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.

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.”

Have you ever wished that you could have been with Jesus as He told the parables to those gathered around Him? What it must have been like to hear the Master teach! Jesus tells the disciples “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.”

While those of us born after Christ’s return to heaven don’t have that face-to-face opportunity the disciples had, we are blessed by those who continued His ministry, ensuring the Good News was shared to all the generations that came after them. Once we have heard and accepted the truth of Christ’s word, we too become responsible for passing it to those around us. In this way, the world may see and hear just as the disciples did.

We need to take our charge from Jesus seriously and share His love by the things we say and do. Would the Lord be proud of what we say to each other and the way we treat our brothers and sisters? We must ensure that what they see and hear from those of us who call ourselves Christians is a reflection of the forgiveness and love Jesus brought to us.

Loving Lord, we should be ashamed of the poor witness we often bear for You in the world. Help us to be strong in the face of conflict and disagreement, to express Your care for all people regardless of the situation. Amen.

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 tells the disciples how blessed they are – they chose to follow Him and learn the lessons He brings. They have taken the first step in their spiritual journey with Christ and will be taught even more yet. He tells them that not everyone will be able to join them, as everyone must choose for themselves to accept the invitation Jesus offers.

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear” (v. 17). Jesus says they will receive the gift of understanding by listening to His lessons and watching how He interacts with people. Then they will be able to share His message with others and invite them to make the decision to follow Him.

Jesus wants all of us to have this blessing, to be able to know the joy of His kingdom and the satisfaction of working with Him to make a better world for everyone. Are you ready to follow Jesus as brothers and sisters? He has a place and a task waiting for you!

Gracious God, keep us aware of the call You place on our lives. Make us strong to do the work, steadfast in our faith, and reaching out with Your love to all. Amen.

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 came to fulfill prophecies God had sent long ago, that the people might hear His words and see His work and believe. It wasn’t for lack of communication or lack of knowledge that we failed, but a failure of heart and spirit that keep us from coming to Jesus fully. We hear and see, but we don’t ask and accept.

The words of the prophet Isaiah from many years before are prominent in this lesson – “For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes” (v .15). How it must hurt God that we have calloused hearts, toughened spirits no longer feeling the pain of others, deaf ears and blind eyes that are closed to the needs of the world. We are so often focused only on ourselves that we fail to understand the blessings we have been given and the responsibilities they entail.

Jesus continues with the rest of the quote from Isaiah: “Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them” (v.15). Even in our unseeing, unhearing and unfeeling, God loves us and wants us to come to Him. May we all turn to Him today that the world might be healed.

Gracious God, we are burdened by sin and sick with the guilt of ignoring each other. Help us to live as Your people, aware of our constant need for Your love and forgiveness, and ready to answer Your call on our lives. Amen.

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.”

Later in this scripture (Matthew 13:18-23) Jesus explains to His disciples what the parable means. He tells them that the people of Israel have often fallen away in the past, which is why the prophet Isaiah warned that they were “ever hearing but not understanding, ever seeing but not perceiving” (Isaiah 6:9). The people had forgotten the meaning of the word of the Lord even though they heard it daily and saw the needs of others.

Jesus teaches in parables to make us think. God gave us the gift of intellect and reason and uses this teaching method to encourage us to engage the scriptures, to ask the hard questions and better understand their meaning for our lives. In order to fully appreciate God’s call, we must learn about His plans, not just for us but for all people everywhere.

If we truly and honestly seek the answers in scripture and pray about how to apply them, God will give us the guidance we need. If we ignore our spiritual lives we can wind up like many in Israel from times past – seeing but not perceiving, hearing but not understanding. Be involved with God’s word, pray about what you read and discuss it with those you trust to help. Through these practices, we are taught and saved.

Loving Lord, we are grateful for the gift of intelligence You have given us. Help us to use it to be Your people, aware of our relationship to You and our responsibilities in Your world. Amen.

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.”

As we have discussed, Jesus used parables to reach those who truly wanted to hear about the kingdom of God. To those who listened with their hearts and minds, His lessons brought examples of God’s love and how we are to share it. Jesus wants us to think about our relationship with God and how best to use His gifts.

Those who came to “see the show” or with the intent of discrediting Him heard only a story they didn’t fully understand. Jesus wants all to come to Him, but we must want and accept the blessing He brings us. A connection to God is a two-way street – He has much to give us but we have a responsibility to learn and grow spiritually, being made ready for the task to which He calls us.

Those who come with their arms crossed, saying “prove it to me” are not going to get the message. Jesus wants us to hear and understand the parable, but we must be ready to accept its full meaning and the challenge it presents. Those who earnestly seek the kingdom and are willing to do the work He has for us will see and hear clearly.

Gracious God, we are grateful for the lessons Jesus brought us. Help us to live out the things He taught, sharing Your love everywhere. Amen.