On the Road Again
Opening Prayer
Lord Jesus, I want to sit at Your feet and learn from Your Word today. Teach me now, I pray.
Read LUKE 8:1-15
[1] After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, [2] and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; [3] Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means. [4] While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: [5] “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. [6] Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” [9] His disciples asked him what this parable meant. [10] He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ [11] “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. [12] Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. [13] Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. [14] The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. [15] But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.
Reflect
What kind of soils (or hearts) does Jesus describe here?Perhaps we really envy Jesus’ nomadic lifestyle (1), especially when we feel like we’re in a rut with our daily lives. Bloom where you are planted
Apply
someone once said to me, and I try to live by that advice.
Jesus tells a parable about the potential fate of seeds (5-8). They don’t all get to bloom! He shows how this story means that God’s word won’t always flourish, either (11-15).
What can we do to spread the word? The farmer in the parable sowed his seed in good faith (5), although we might think his method was a bit haphazard. Sometimes haphazard is good! There is a lot to be said for scattering the good news of Jesus wherever we are, but we want to be fruitful in spreading our faith. Sometimes we can get quite upset if we give it our best effort and still don’t see immediate results. We have to keep persevering, and sometimes the best way to do that is just by being ourselves. As long as we are reading our Bible and living its teachings, we will be scattering seed wherever we go. And it may well take root in places we never imagined.
Closing prayer
What seeds are you planting in your daily life? How can you plant a seed in someone’s life this week?
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