Who stole my fruit?
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Mark 4: 1-20 contains a parable of a seed sower. Seed is thrown out by the farmer and it falls on 4 different types of soil:
- The sidewalk
- Rocky ground with little soil
- Good soil (about to become bad because of thorns)
- Fertile soil
Let me zero in on something fascinating me right now. Pastor TC and I discussed this at length yesterday in our one on one meeting. The seed that ended up GROWING and then being choked out, fell on GOOD SOIL. It took root and started growing, but THORNS choked it out and ruined it.
To the crowd, Jesus simply said:
Mark 4:7- "Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain."
When he got the disciples alone, Jesus expounded on what he meant and said:
Mark 4:18-19- The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear and accept the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.
Interesting that Jesus did not reveal the totality of what he meant to the "whole church", but rather a trusted few.
Let me get to my main point...
First of all, let me say that I have a bias. I believe that most Christians are unfortunately the 3rd soil type! They hear the message....and it gets choked out.
What stopped fruit from being produced in the 3rd type of soil (and essentially believers now)?
- Worries of this life
- Lure of wealth
- Desire for other things
This is a PROFOUND list! Take a moment. Think about each of these fruit robbers? Usually we want to know who stole something from us. In this case, it's what stole something from us? Worry? Wealth? Desire for more?
Does one of these apply to you? Or 2? Or 3?
Is it possible that if we were delivered from these 3 thorns that we begin reaping a "...huge harvest, thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times what had been planted?" Mark 4:20