06-26-2010, 09:35 PM
Today's reading is a favorite of many: :rose:
''The Parable of the Sower :heartbeat: :rose:
''Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered
around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out
on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. Matt. 4:1 :rose:
''He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
''Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. (2-3) :rose:
''As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and
the birds came and ate it up. (4) :rose:
''Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It
sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. (5) :rose:
''But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (6) :rose:
''Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and chocked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. (7) :rose:
''Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. (8) :rose:
Then Jesus said, ''He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'' (9) :rose:
''When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. (10) :rose:
''He told them, ''The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
..............''they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, :rose:
.............. and ever hearing but never understanding;
................otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'' ............
''Then Jesus said to them, ''Don't you understand this parable?
How then will you understand any parable? (13) :rose:
''The farmer sows the word.''(14) :rose:
''Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that
was sown in them. (15) :rose:
''Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once
receive it with joy. (16) :rose:
''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: (17) :rose:
''Still others, like seed sown among thorns, heare the word; (18) :rose:
''but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the
desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful, (19) :rose:
''Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.'' (20) :rose:
So interesting to me were these verses taken from Isaiah
as a part of his commission :heartbeat: quite fascinating :heartbeat:
it sound a bit familiar ...
''He said, 'Go and tell this people: :rose:
............Be ever hearing, but never understanding; :rose:
............ be ever seeing, but never perceiving.
............ Make the heart of this people calloused; :rose:
.............make their ears dull
.............and close their eyes.
.............Otherwise they might see with their eyes, :rose:
.............hear with their ears,
..............understand with their hearts,
..............and turn and be healed.'' Isaiah 6:9-10 :rose:
what I glean from this parable in mark personally is the utmost importance of being 'good soil' and paying attention to the conditions of our heart... :rose: all comments and observations very welcome :heartbeat:
''I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardner. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can bear fruit unless you remain in me.''
John 15: 1-4 :heartbeat: :rose:
Have a wonderful evening friends --:rose:
love you all....
''The Parable of the Sower :heartbeat: :rose:
''Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered
around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out
on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. Matt. 4:1 :rose:
''He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:
''Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. (2-3) :rose:
''As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and
the birds came and ate it up. (4) :rose:
''Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It
sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. (5) :rose:
''But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. (6) :rose:
''Other seed fell among the thorns, which grew up and chocked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. (7) :rose:
''Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times. (8) :rose:
Then Jesus said, ''He who has ears to hear, let him hear.'' (9) :rose:
''When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. (10) :rose:
''He told them, ''The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
..............''they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, :rose:
.............. and ever hearing but never understanding;
................otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'' ............
''Then Jesus said to them, ''Don't you understand this parable?
How then will you understand any parable? (13) :rose:
''The farmer sows the word.''(14) :rose:
''Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown.
As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that
was sown in them. (15) :rose:
''Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once
receive it with joy. (16) :rose:
''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: (17) :rose:
''Still others, like seed sown among thorns, heare the word; (18) :rose:
''but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the
desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful, (19) :rose:
''Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.'' (20) :rose:
So interesting to me were these verses taken from Isaiah
as a part of his commission :heartbeat: quite fascinating :heartbeat:
it sound a bit familiar ...
''He said, 'Go and tell this people: :rose:
............Be ever hearing, but never understanding; :rose:
............ be ever seeing, but never perceiving.
............ Make the heart of this people calloused; :rose:
.............make their ears dull
.............and close their eyes.
.............Otherwise they might see with their eyes, :rose:
.............hear with their ears,
..............understand with their hearts,
..............and turn and be healed.'' Isaiah 6:9-10 :rose:
what I glean from this parable in mark personally is the utmost importance of being 'good soil' and paying attention to the conditions of our heart... :rose: all comments and observations very welcome :heartbeat:
''I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardner. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can bear fruit unless you remain in me.''
John 15: 1-4 :heartbeat: :rose:
Have a wonderful evening friends --:rose:
love you all....