Matthew 13:1-23

Matthew 13:1-23 (New International Version)

 ¹That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. ²Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. ³Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.⁸Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. ⁹He who has ears, let him hear."

 ¹⁰The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

 ¹¹He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. ¹²Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹³This is why I speak to them in parables: 
   "Though seeing, they do not see; 
      though hearing, they do not hear or understand. ¹⁴In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 
   " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; 
      you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 
 ¹⁵For 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.' ¹⁶But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. ¹⁷For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

 ¹⁸"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: ¹⁹When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. ²⁰The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. ²¹But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. ²²The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. ²³But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Devotional (by Isaac Pellerin)

"What is the soil of my heart like?" This is a question I have been trying to ask myself often. One of my greatest fears is that my heart would become callouse. That my ability to understand the Good News that Jesus has for my life would fade. I think it's because I realize that I need to be reaquainted with Jesus each day. I mean how often do we come to church on Sunday and feel all fired up and ready to carry out the teachig we just heard, but by Monday morning, we already see things less clearly.

If Jesus came to give us abundant, full life through following his teachings, then I find myself facing a responsibility. That is to cultivate the soil of my heart so that I understand the implications of Jesus' teachings and they take root in my life. If there's anything that excites me, it is to see what happens when the Good News takes root in someone's life. They all of a sudden start growing in ways they couldn't imagine.

Think about yourself. Your heart. What's the soil like? Consider praying that God would cultivate your heart to be more open to receiving what He has for you. Think about what is trying to take root in your life and make room for the most excellent thing.

Prayer

Dear God, I pray that you would cultivate the soil of my heart so that I can hear and understand your teachings because they teach me how to have abundant life. Help me recognize others around me and to be praying for the soil of their hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.