I read the parable of the sower in Mark 4 earlier this
week during my Bible study time. It is
one of my favorites because Jesus tells the parable and then explains the
meaning of the parable a few verses later.
I don’t have to speculate on what this parable means or read human
commentary on the subject because the Creator Himself explains it to me.
As I was reading the story this time, I was particularly
struck by the seed sown among the thorns.
Mark 4:7 says, “Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked
the plants, so that they did not bear grain.”
Then in Mark 4:18 – 19, Jesus explains the meaning of this sentence by
saying, “Still others (people), like seed sown among thorns, hear the word, 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.”
It struck me how easy it is for me to be a seed sown
among thorns. I could become so obsessed
with power, recognition and the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Or I could become consumed with doing things
like the kid’s school work or unpacking boxes or getting rid of clutter. I could be completely controlled by the plans
we have for the future, or the total lack thereof which is currently the case. Or I could become distracted by pain, hurt,
fear, worry – all of these things could take my attention.
But do you notice that these plants that grow among the
thorns bear no fruit? They have strong
roots and good growth, but they become so strangled by the thorns that they don’t
yield a harvest. I don’t want to be
consumed by the “worries of this world” so that “the word is choked” and I don’t
bear a harvest for God’s kingdom.
My only purpose in life as a Christ follower is to show Jesus
through my life so that others become Christ followers as well. I can’t fulfill this purpose in my own
strength. Only through the power of the
Holy Spirit in me can I ignore the distractions around me and be filled with
God’s grace. May my focus ever be on the
life giving, harvest providing rays of the Son.
