The crowd numbers were growing, prompting Jesus to board a small boat and push off into the water. From this vantage point, Jesus took the opportunity to teach those who had gathered to hear Him. As Jesus scanned the crowd, He knew the hearts of each person and knew why they had come to listen that day. Some were curious, some eager to learn, some dragged along for the ride and maybe some to heckle and show their opposition. Whatever the reason, He took the opportunity to share a simple story.
1-3 At about that same time Jesus left the house and sat on the beach. In no time at all a crowd gathered along the shoreline, forcing him to get into a boat. Using the boat as a pulpit, he addressed his congregation, telling stories.
3-8 “What do you make of this? A farmer planted seed. As he scattered the seed, some of it fell on the road, and birds ate it. Some fell in the gravel; it sprouted quickly but didn’t put down roots, so when the sun came up it withered just as quickly. Some fell in the weeds; as it came up, it was strangled by the weeds. Some fell on good earth, and produced a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.
9 “Are you listening to this? Really listening?”
Matthew 13:1-9 (MSG)
The words of Jesus scattered among the crowd just as they had done many times before.
Some landed on hearts that refused to listen. They were closed off to anything Jesus had to say and would remain that way.
Some landed on hearts eager to join in with the Jesus phenomenon, to belong to something, to be part of something. Their new-found faith would flounder once the opposition and persecution began to build.
Some landed on hearts that struggled to fully place their trust in the words they were hearing. Their faith would grow, but growing alongside would be a need for the securities of this world, strangling the fledgling plant as it tried to grow.
Some landed on hearts ready to love, to serve, to dedicate, to worship and to adore the one they were listening to and the one who sent Him.
Throughout Storyline, there are parables that we have heard many times before. In session one, Lub Dub challenges us to explore the condition of our own hearts. As we hear what Jesus is saying, not just in the parables, but throughout His word, are we listening? Really listening?
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