IF YOU HAVE EARS, LISTEN

MUSINGS - October 02 2018

. IF YOU HAVE EARS, LISTEN

Mark 4:1-20
Jesus began to teach again by the Sea of Galilee. A very large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and sat in it. The boat was in the water while the entire crowd lined the shore. He used stories as illustrations to teach them many things. While he was teaching them, he said, "Listen! A farmer went to plant seed. Some seeds were planted along the road, and birds came and devoured them. Other seeds were planted on rocky ground, where there wasn't much soil. The plants sprouted quickly because the soil wasn't deep. When the sun came up, they were scorched. They didn't have any roots, so they withered. Other seeds were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up and choked them, and they didn't produce anything. But other seeds were planted on good ground, sprouted, and produced thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted." He added, "Let the person who has ears listen!" When he was alone with his followers and the twelve apostles, they asked him about the stories. Jesus replied to them, "The mystery about the kingdom of God has been given directly to you. To those on the outside, it is given in stories: 'They see clearly but don't perceive. They hear clearly but don't understand. They never return to me and are never forgiven.'" Jesus asked them, "Don't you understand this story? How, then, will you understand any of the stories I use as illustrations? "The farmer plants the word. Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. Whenever they hear the word, Satan comes at once and takes away the word that was planted in them. Other people are like seeds that were planted on rocky ground. Whenever they hear the word, they accept it at once with joy. But they don't develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall from faith. Other people are like seeds planted among thornbushes. They hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of riches, and the desires for other things take over. They choke the word so that it can't produce anything. Others are like seeds planted on good ground. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops--thirty, sixty, or one hundred times as much as was planted."

Teacher, tell us about the kingdom of God! There was a great crowd following Jesus. He told them a story about themselves and said. "Let the person who has ears listen!"

There were many who came to the seashore and each had their own reason for being there. Some came for the show, seeking nothing more than to be entertained. Some came as though to a doctor, looking to be cured. Some came out of curiosity, they saw a crowd and wondered what was going on, There were those who came to see the celebraty of the day. Some came for the teaching, seeking understanding.

Jesus looked into the hearts and minds of these people and cast his words as a farmer spreads seeds. He knew the odds of getting a return on his investment just as a farmer calculates the expenses versus the potential profit. He was looking for those who hear the word, accept it, and produce crops

Many things have changed in the thousands of years since God walked the world in the body of a man. Printig presses, radio, telivision, world wide internet, cell phones, and other advances have given us the ability to spread the seed into far flung fields. But now as then Jesus is not so much seeking a harvest as he is training Farmers.

Pick up your Bible. Read it. Study it. Be filled with it. Let the words of life grow and mature in you. Then gather your harvest and spread those seeds.

If you have ears, listen. If you have eyes, see. If you have a mouth, speak.

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