That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. Matthew 13:12 (MSG)
A Secret – Truth and Seeds Series – Part 2
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells one of the only parables he somewhat (almost) interprets. The Parable of the Sower:
“What do you make of this? A farmer planted some seeds. 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. “Are you listening to this? Really listening?” (Matt 13:3-9 MSG.)
I love the idea that Jesus invited his audience to consider the story:
“What do YOU think of this?” He had asked before he told the parable.
What DO you think of this story?
If you’re like me, you’ve heard this parable in sermons a thousand times and more. It may have been read to you as an encouragement or a warning. A rebuke, or a promise. What does this parable mean to you? What feelings and thoughts does it bring up in your heart and mind? Engage the scripture, wrestle with it, let it dig deep into your life, bringing up questions and thoughts and feelings…
For me, this parable has always been about the soil. Bad soil equals bad person, and you want to be good soil. You want seeds to be able to grow in your life. I’ve thought, am I good soil? Or am I a concrete path, a rocky way, or filled with weeds? I fall into self-deprecation and negative self-criticism. Then, I move on to questioning the condition of other peoples “soil,” assigning them judgment and labels – rocky, concrete, weedy.
I’m not sure that this is what Jesus was trying to communicate through this parable. There’s got to be more going on here. Sometimes it takes the shaking off of old understandings and shallow wisdom to dig deep into stories. There’s only so much you can get from the surface… go in search of context, characters, and language…
After he had told this parable, his disciples asked, “What? Who? Why?” (paraphrased). Jesus answered, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.” Matt 13:11.
It's a secret?
The Kingdom of Heaven is a secret?
The “city on a hill” the “light in the dark” the “salt of the earth?”
Secrets?
It’s not a secret purposefully withheld. Given to some and kept from others (although, with our dualistic mindsets, that is one way we can read the verse…). It’s a secret in as much as buried treasure is. It’s there for us to find, but if we don’t search for it, it stays hidden.
“You’ve been given insight into God’s kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn’t been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they’re blue in the face and not get it.” Matt 13:11-12 (MSG).
The secret is yours for the finding, the insight is there for you to discover. I’m not sure the Divine is all that concerned with keeping his secrets…
The key to unlocking the mystery lies with you.
Listen to the story. Open your heart, your ears, and your eyes, and allow yourself to be nudged toward receptive insight…
And let's start here: The main character of this story isn’t seeds, the soil or weeds. This is a story about a farmer.
How have you previously viewed this parable? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below
Go to Part 3 – Seeds to Plant »
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