Scripture: - Mark 4:1-20
The Indiscriminate Sower
Who would have thought that during our Lenten journey we would hear at least two devotionals about arguing with Scripture? In my experience, arguing with Scripture can be a healthy thing to do, as long as you are open to it changing you. Scripture challenged us yesterday as Jesus challenged our view of family. Today, reading Mark 4:10-12, we are worried that if we don’t understand the parable, we are outside of the forgiveness of God.
Everything we know says this can’t be true, yet the Bible says it. Crazier still, these are the words of Jesus. The truth seems to be that Jesus is explaining the parable with a very similar parable He taught, while verses 10-12 give us a warning and encourage compassion.
The first parable tells the story of a farmer who seems unwise because as the parable tells it, he sows the seed willy nilly, anywhere he happens to be. Some of the seed would have been better off dumped in a bird feeder, while increasingly, some of the seed had greater hope to take root and bear fruit.
The second parable explains the parable as being the word of God and how sometimes our eyes are open but we don’t see a thing. Or our ears are open but we don’t hear a thing. Or even still we refuse to hear, see, smell, taste the love of God that is all around us.
The compassion and encouragement is that we don’t always get it, even when we have had our eyes open. We should be encouraging to those who are trying. My heart breaks when I hear people judging others who are trying to be a part of the church. They play the comparison game. They don’t realize that people are going through their own battles, not to mention that they are comparing people who have been in the church for a couple of weeks with seasoned veterans.
But here is the good news: God is calling us all, no matter where we are or how deaf, blind, or oblivious we may be. God is throwing seeds on hard hearts, rocky hearts, thorny hearts, and soft hearts because God desires to be in relationship with those He created.
Questions:
Where do you need to show compassion instead of judgment in your life toward yourself?
Where do you need to show compassion instead of judgment in your life toward others?
Who can you give encouragement to?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for indiscriminately sowing your seed of love and wisdom. I know sometimes the soil of my heart hasn’t been the most conducive to a bountiful harvest. Soften my heart, O God and allow me to be an encourager to others following you. Amen.
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