THU
11 JAN 01
I wonder when you last had your ears syringed. Perhaps you never have. Perhaps, like me, you just favour a cotton
bud every now and again. I don’t
know. But whatever you do, I’m sure you
do something to make sure your hearing isn’t worse than it needs to be. Just think what would happen if you never
did clean them out – life would be even more full of “what?”, “pardon?”, and
“sorry?” than it already is. Worse, the
misunderstandings would get more and more serious until eventually you stopped
listening to what was being said. You’d
just pretend to listen, nodding your head at regular intervals the way you used
to during double maths when you were actually thinking about what was on TV
that night. Outwardly listening, inwardly
switched off.
Well perhaps that’s the way we can get with the
Bible. Perhaps our hearing isn’t as
good as it could be. Perhaps we’re
getting deaf. Let’s have a look at the
passage.
It’s a parable.
So far, so familiar. But it’s
more than a parable. If it just stopped
at the end of verse 9, it would be, well, a parable. But it goes on. In fact,
the parts of this passage are so distinct that some translations break it down
into three parts – verses 1-9 being the parable, verses 13-20 being its explanation
and verses 10-12 being a separate chunk.
I think both ways of splitting it have their merits. Because that part at the centre of
the passage (verses 9-13) really is the heart of the passage and helps
us to understand not just the parable, but its explanation and indeed other
parables too.
In verse12, Jesus quotes
from Isaiah 6. Isaiah’s being
commissioned by God to tell the people that they won’t understand what they
hear or see. That they won’t understand
what’s going to be said. And he’s to
tell them that this is because if they did hear, then they would be healed, which is a
word the Bible uses for being forgiven, made right before God. So Isaiah’s basically being told to say to
the people that they’re not going to understand and that they’re not going to
be forgiven. The one glimmer of hope is
that there will be a few who will understand and who will be saved.
And these ideas are what Jesus picks up on when he’s explaining the
purpose of the parables.
In verses 9-12 He’s saying
that those who hear and understand the parables will be in with a chance of
turning and being forgiven. So what
both Isaiah and Jesus are saying is.
That it is difficult to understand what is being said (in the parables
and elsewhere) but that the prize is well worth the struggle. Because if you do understand what’s being
said you’ll be that much closer to God.
Now, we need to take a slight detour here and look at
the word “understand”. In the Bible,
this means more than we usually mean in everyday language. In Biblical terms, understanding something
doesn’t stop at mere intellectual knowledge of how something works. No, because what we read in the Bible is of
ultimate importance, understanding something of it will surely change our
attitudes and actions too. If we really
understand what we read and really believe that the Bible is speaking the Truth
to us, we’ll do something about it.
It’s the difference between understanding that gas is flammable and
understanding that gas is flammable when you’re in a room with a gas leak and
you’re about to strike a match.
Suddenly it’s not just intellectual knowledge and it radically changes
your actions. Or else!
So how well do we understand the Bible? Well, that’s a fairly big subject, so let’s
cut it down to a manageable chunk. This
morning’s passage for instance. How
well do we understand this parable?
Well, you say, better than any other.
Let’s face it Jesus has made the meaning pretty clear in verses
14-20. How can we not understand
it? Well, that’s just the point we’ve
been making about understanding. We’re
so used to thinking that the tricky part is in deciphering parables – turning
them from images into their real meaning – that we think we’ve finished when
we’ve done that.
Isn’t that the case? That we work out what a parable
means in English and then sink back into our seats exhausted without taking it
further? Well, let’s have a look at the
parable of the sower. In verse 13,
Jesus says that if we don’t understand this one then we’ve got no hope of understanding
the others. Is this because this one’s
particularly easy? No, I don’t think
so. I think it’s because if we haven’t
grasped what Jesus is saying in this parable then we haven’t got the key
to unlocking this or indeed any other parable.
In this parable, Jesus takes us through what it is to hear but
not understand. He takes us through the
various responses to the Word, starting with no real understanding and ending
up with total understanding, measured not by what people have heard but by how
it affects their lives. Hearing and
understanding this passage gives us tools that will be vital in
understanding other passages.
Rather than covering the same ground umpteen times, I
think it will be helpful to apply the passage as we go along, because it is a
very practical passage. So we’ll look
now at verses 14-20.
Firstly, there is the seed that falls on the path and
is snatched away by birds before it takes root. This, says Jesus, is like those who hear the Word and forget it
just as quickly. Now what does this
mean in real life? Well, it means that
when you approach the Bible in your Quiet Time or during a sermon that you’re bored
with the Bible or aren’t paying attention or you’ve got your mind on other
things. Is that where you are now?
OK, so how do you deal with that? Well, I can think of two very
straightforward ways and I’m sure you can think of more. Many people take notes during sermons just
to keep them focused on what’s being said, and some even find those notes
useful to refer back to later on.
Another way is to discuss it with others after the service, which works
doubly. Firstly you’ll be encouraged to
listen during the sermon so that you can contribute to the discussion. Secondly, if you have indeed ended up using
the sermon to catch up on some sleep, your friends will be able to fill you in
on the plot.
Maybe you’re already doing that. Great, let’s move on to the second group
Jesus talks about. The seed is sown on
rocky ground. Then (verses 16-17)
people receive the Word with joy but the slightest thing stops it taking a firm
hold. Well, have you been there? I have.
I’ve heard some really “great” and “challenging” sermons. I’ve agreed with the concept. And I’ve gone off and done absolutely
nothing about it.
Well, when you hear a sermon like that, don’t just
enthuse to people afterwards. Actively
discuss it with your spouse or your prayer triplet or some close friends. Discuss what you’re going to do about
it. If that actually turns out to be
nothing, then that’s what Jesus is talking about here! If, on the other hand, you’ve made a
decision to do something or stop doing something, keep each other
accountable on progress. By the way,
application can be of attitude as well as practical, but it’s got to be at least
one of those.
When you’ve got as far as that, there comes the third
hurdle, which Jesus identifies in verses 18 and 19. You’ve listened carefully, drawn up a plan of action,
everything’s been going well but gradually things have started to get tricky and
the weeds and thorns are becoming a little more evident. Suddenly there’s an uncompromisable clash
between taking that promotion at work (which you so richly deserve) and
spending more time helping your children read the Bible.
Well, you can’t get rid of the difficult choices, but
you can stop them being sudden. Think
early on what the weeds will be. You
probably do that anyway but file it under “h” for “hope it’ll just go
away”. For instance, you’ve just been
challenged to serve the church family.
You’ve discussed it with your friends.
And you’ve decided with that uncomfortable cocktail of joy and
apprehension to babysit every Wednesday to allow your friends to go to a Bible
study group. Good for you! But think now whether that’s going to
conflict with a critical Premiership match in three months’ time when you’d
rather be in a house that has Sky.
Decide now, carefully, and above all, openly, which is more
important. And, in that particular
case, I don’t know. It may be that
football is for you the key way you relax.
Then be aware of the issue.
Don’t commit to something that you won’t be able to do. Do commit to things that will be
tricky but which you will be able to do.
Think carefully about what the cost will be. And decide now to accept the cost. And if you find that you’re always having
trouble prioritising Jesus’ work, then you’re in the situation described in
verses 18-19.
Finally, if you get through all that, when you
get through all that, you’re going to be several steps closer to verse 20 and
will be producing fruit!
Well, all that seems to have been of particular
relevance to Christians. But it applies
equally to those who aren’t Christians.
Let’s go through the steps again.
It’s pretty much the same message so Christians have no excuse for
switching off now!
If you’re a non-Christian, why aren’t you
bearing fruit? It’s brilliant to see
you here and wonderful that you’re listening to what God has to say to you… or
are you?
Are you – like the people in verse 15 – turning up
because you like the singing or the company, but you’re switching off to what
God has to say to you or dismissing it out of hand? If so, start listening and discussing it. Bring an open and questioning mind. Take in what you hear. Wrestle with it with Christians and
non-Christians alike.
Or maybe you’ve been coming a while and like what
you’re hearing and get a real buzz from hearing the Bible explained. And yet… - like the people in verses 16 and
17 – when you leave church today full of positive thoughts and the occasional
good intention, you go back home or back to work and the sink needs unblocking
or you’re having to cover for a colleague who’s off sick and Sunday morning
suddenly seems very far away. Well,
don’t let it! Easier said than done, I
know. But keep bringing to mind what
you know of God and what you hear on Sundays especially at those
times and try to understand life’s ups and downs in the context of God. Let’s face it, God is the ultimate context.
Well perhaps you’ve been coming for a while. You like the sound of it. You’ve resolved to give it a go for real and now you’re coming up against all sorts of problems. You’ve been able to do your job and be a Christian so far. But now your company wants you to lie to boost sales. Or you decided to give some money regularly to church but now your friends are booking that holiday you’ve always taken together and you can’t afford to do both. Difficult decisions. And it’s not just big decisions, there’s all sorts of little ones. You’re enjoying a bit of banter in the pub but the conversation gradually turns to a mutual acquaintance and they’re slagging him or her off. Do you join in? Issues like this are the weeds and thorns of the Christian life which are hard to resist and – let’s get real – which we’re always going to struggle with this side of glory. It’s important to be up front about these when you’re starting out as a Christian.
But start sorting these out and you’ll start to bear
fruit.
Now maybe you’re there right now. You’ve heard the word, discussed it,
understood it, started to count the cost.
You’ve worked out some of the more obvious things that will have to
change in your life. That’s great. Or maybe you’re not in that position. You’re either a Christian or a non-Christian
and you’re struggling to put the weedkiller down in your spiritual garden. Or perhaps the ground’s rocky and you’re
forgetting the sermon fifty yards down the road from church. Or you’ve even got to the stage where you
switch off during the sermon and just smile and nod when it seems
appropriate. We’ve all been there.
Well to all of us in all of those situations, who
want to be like the people in verse twenty, Jesus has two things to say. One.
“It isn’t easy (take parables for example)”. Two. “I’m here to
help.” And of course Jesus has
helped. In the most extravagant way on
the Cross for starters. But He will
also help us this morning if we simply ask Him. So if you’d like to commit or recommit yourself to Jesus then
please do this morning either in the quiet of your own hearts or by
having a word with Christian friends or the minister or me.
Just before we finish, I should make it clear that
this is not the only application of this passage. Of course it has huge implications for the response we
should expect from people when we tell them about Jesus. Of course it encourages us not to get
downheartened when we’ve gone blue in the face telling a friend the gospel and
they’re just as bored as ever. And of course
when one of our friends becomes a Christian, it encourages us to be humble!
But we will understand the applications to our
friends that much better if we first understand the applications to ourselves. If we put it into practice ourselves.
It is a hallmark of Jesus’ parables, that He
says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. We’ve seen in this morning’s passage just how involved and
important hearing really is. Only if we
listen, understand, count the cost, and act on what we hear will we be closer
to bearing fruit. And we’ll need Jesus
help and each other’s help to do that.
Start this morning, after the service. Discuss what you’ve heard.
And do something about it.