Tuesday: Agricultural Analogies
Read Matthew 13:1-30. What was Jesus teaching His audience about discipleship? What lessons can modern Christians derive from these metaphors?
Image © Providence Collection from GoodSalt.com
Christ’s parable of the sower is familiar to many readers. The setting for the story was commonplace for an agrarian society, something to which Jesus’ listeners could easily relate. The connection with discipleship is obvious. Essentially Jesus is challenging His listeners to evaluate their standing as disciples. Rather than confronting each individual specifically, He speaks through parables, inviting disciples to confront themselves. Looking into their soul’s mirror, they can evaluate their materialistic tendencies, review their capacity for perseverance, analyze their worldly entanglements, and choose the lifestyle of uncompromising discipleship.
At the same time, true discipleship places judgment (condemnation) in the hands of the Master, not those of the disciple. Human discernment is incomplete, human knowledge partial. God alone possesses faultless understanding. Jesus warns, too, that satanic infiltration does happen. Disciples cannot surrender their judgment (discernment) to other professed believers because these believers may be weeds not wheat. Both grow together until harvest time.
In Christ’s parable teaching the same principle is seen as in His own mission to the world. That we might become acquainted with His divine character and life, Christ took our nature and dwelt among us. Divinity was revealed in humanity; the invisible glory in the visible human form. Men could learn of the unknown through the known; heavenly things were revealed through the earthly.
-Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 17.
In the parable of the sower, Jesus talked about the deceitfulness of riches.
What was He talking about? How can riches deceive even those who don’t have them?
(11)
we, christians mostly make big mistakes when we leave all the judgement to our pastors, long serving church elders or members which is very dangerous. It's only God who has the right judgement to human activities
Matthew 13:12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him....Can anyone help me on this line what does Jesus mean here? in respect to evangelical point of view, People who don't have God's word can be treated as poor or teach them to be rich??
[Moderator's Note: Please remember to use full names when commenting. Thank you]
The parable of seed sower teaches on how the churh or faith is like today.
Let them grow togethr simply means giving chance to the christians to grow in faith
Lest you uproot the faithfull ones for the unfaithfull..
All the hearers received the message and responded; they received justification. For some, the Christian experience did not progress to sanctification. The once saved always saved idea falls apart in this parable. The hearers in the parable that were planted in the good soil had fruits. They had the fruit of the spirit and a experience that included prayer, study in God's word, and a love and witness to people. This group grew in their relationship with God.
We believers should not take it upon ourselves to cast judgement on other believers because they seem to be doing things a little different.How can we know if they are weeds ?so instead of casting judgement the wheat and tares should grow till harvest time when Christ himself will separate both.
I think it is an error to say this passage says we are not to judge the activities of humans.
What then do we do with passages like 1Corinthians 6:2-4
3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4 If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
It is the heart that we humans are not to judge. That alone belongs to God but God does expects us, as Christians, to judge the actions of those in the church. This judgement has the purpose to bring those who do sinful actions back into a right relationship with God.
The question is not should we judge but when and how we should judge.
I agree with what you say and I am glad that at the end you say its when and how we should judge.Some of us have a tendency of just looking at someones action or behavior and pass judgement without finding out the meat of the matter.When you go to a court of law questions are asked before judgement is handed down.God Himself even though He knew what happened asked questions of Adam and Eve before He handed down His judgement so we need to be careful.
True - and the older long term members' zeal is expected to cool. Therefore also the younger or newer members need to speak up without reserve, but in modest respect, in an inquiring way, for that will once again re-kindle the zeal in such elders. We are all there to support each others' growth. It is our duty. Re-read the 27 fundamental beliefs of doctrine; I did (one week in the SDA) and I was surprised!
[Moderator's Note: Please use full names when commenting. Comments without full names may not be published. Thank you.]
In this lesson, Jesus points out that even in the church there are many types of people, not everyone in church is a Christian there are hypocrites in church too, it's up to you to allow the Holy Spirit to use you and work with you and then your Fruits will harvest and by your Fruits they shall know you. If you let your seeds fall by the way side then it gives way for temptation, if they fall on rocky grounds then how will it be fertilize? He points out to keep your eyes on the Lord, GOOD GROUND, stay focus. People may judge you, you may see person on the pulpit not living the way you think 'a christian' should live, that should not deter your faith and trust in what YOU BELIEVE, keep your eyes on the PRIZE, HEAVEN and going to live there one day.
I believe this can lead to coveting, rich or not, unless you recognize immediately that your riches are blessings. This can lead to the rich wanting more, looking down on people who have nothing or just living to spend, taking their eyes off the Lord. The ones who have nothing will want to be rich so bad they can turn bitter and judgemental constantly coveting and growing angrier at their situation because they dont have it . Either way, it comes down to needing a relationship with Christ. Then both types of people will be rich in the Lord
[Moderator's note: Please remember to use your full name.]
TUESDAY: AGRICULTURAL ANALOGIES
Matthew 13:1-30; Parable of the Sower
What was Jesus teaching His audience about discipleship?
Jesus is challenging His listeners to evaluate their standing as disciples.
All the hearers received the message and responded; they received justification.
For some, the Christian experience did not progress to sanctification. The hearers in the parable that were planted in the good soil had fruits. They had the fruit of the spirit and a knowledge that included prayer, study in God's word, and a love and witness to people. This group grew in their connection with God.
Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 17. Illustrates, that heavenly things were revealed through the earthly.
What lessons can modern Christians derive from these metaphors?
The Metaphor calls for Evaluation of Christian materialistic tendencies, Christian to review their capacity for perseverance, analyze their worldly embarrassing situation, and choose the lifestyle of uncompromising discipleship.
If we are the following disciples, we are likened to the seeds that dropped on good soil and therefore we should be growing and bearing fruits.
If we are the discipling disciples, we represent the good soil. As good soil we are expected to be providing nourishment for the growth of our co-members. We should not be like the other soils which cause discouragements that leads our brethren to leave the church and eventually die spiritually.
[Moderator's note: Name added from previous comments. Please add your full name in the Name textbox. It saves time and effort for us.]
In recent years I have noticed a growing divie between those in the church who are being sanctified on one hand, and the increasing numbers of secular people in the world, and the more liberal in the church,on the other hand. I believe God even now is in some ways separating the tares from the wheat; the sheep from the goats. The fruits of faith, and the fruits of unbelief, are more manifest than previously, and in the agricultural sense, often it is only by the fruit that one can tell one plant species from another. How often have you weeded the garden and accidentally ripped out a good plant because it looked like everything else? By the time Jesus comes, I don't think it will be too hard for the angels to tell the difference between the two parties.