Matthew 13:1-23
Parable of the Sower
1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For 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.’
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people 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: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”
2 Timothy 3:7
Always Learning but Never Finding the Truth
7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.
John 16:7-15
The Holy Spirit Teaches Us Truth
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
When I worked I only lived five or ten minutes from work...I drove there most of the time...Once in a meeting, a facilitator ask if we always drove the same route home, and did we even realize or notice that we had driven there (to home)...I had not given it much thought until that meeting, but as the years progressed, I realized I had driven home, or to the store and was back home (many times) and had not even realized that I had driven...I did it I guess, just out of habit...It was like I had seen the streets and houses passing, but did not really see the streets and houses passing...My mind was preoccupied with something else, when this was happening...I realized that I had gotten to many destinations without ever (so to speak) seeing my surroundings around me...I was driving but really not paying attention to the things around me...
Jesus told His Disciples long ago that men and women can go through their lives and can see without seeing, and they can hear without hearing...Jesus teaches us the eternities...He teaches us about life after death, and the resurrection...His parables give us an earthly lesson, but more importantly, we receive an eternal and heavenly lesson...Some during His time, heard and probably had a difficult time with any of His lessons, some would see and hear the earthly lesson, but He wanted His followers to understand all His parables and lessons...There are some who read and study things for many years, but are never able to come to acknowledge the Truth...Those who follow Jesus know they have the Holy Spirit and it is always seeking the Truth...But unlike those who cannot see or hear the Truth, the Holy Spirit guides us to all Truth...We have to pay attention and importantly pay attention to Him and His Word...
Let us all be His followers...Let us pay attention to Him...Let us both see Him and hear Him...He needs to be a part of our lives...Then we are like the good soil, and produce the good fruit, yielding a crop a hundred times of what was sown...When we follow and believe in Jesus, we accept the Truth, and we come to a knowledge of the Truth...This acceptance is made possible by the Holy Spirit in us...The Holy Spirit subtly and actively works on the condition of our hearts, so that we my hear and see the Word that is True...How we see and hear and what we believe about the Kingdom of God -is made possible by this condition of our heart...