153: Scattered Seeds

Mark 4:1-20; 2 Samuel 9-10; Daniel 5

The story of the sower is one we have heard a lot. Each of these can be seen in our American culture and while Jesus goes on to explain it, here are some of the things that come to mind when I read this:
The seed on the road is people who do the worldy thing and decide they don't need God. They don't grow, have no opportunity to grow, are picked off by sin, and do not make a meaningful impact in the world. The seed that is scattered on the rocky soil is fairly common in churches. The seed that fell among rocks are people who come to church but refuse to let go of their past, their baggage, their sins, their attitudes. These people try to grow spiritually, but they can't because there is no room for God to work. Their lives are so filled with junk (the rocks) that they refuse to surrender and so when they are tested, they don't last. Often, these are the people that show up to church a few times a year, they say they are Christians but don't really help or serve people, and there is no spiritual growth in their life because they don't spend time in the word. Then you have those seeds that are among the thorns. These are the people who may want to follow Jesus, they may want salvation and a relationship with him, but because they don't remove themselves from their toxic friends, environments, attitudes, they can't grow.

Then you get to the good part of the story. The reason this last bit of seed grew is that the soil was clear of debris, there was space to grow, and the roots were deep so that they could reach water and support the crop. People who surrender their life to Jesus (not just "Christians") and follow him, have given up the things of this world. Money, fame, success, popularity, possessions, are not important; all that matters is their relationship with The Lord and growing in that. Because of that, they are not hindered in their growth and they have freedom in Christ to be everything that they were created to be. By doing this, they impact many around them and leave a lasting, meaningful impression on this world. Which one are we?

"These people will look and look but never see, listen and listen but never hear." It is so sad to me that there are people out there wasting their lives on worthless things. Don't people realize that they are going to die one day? What is the point of chasing after money, possessions, junk? Others think they have found the secret to life, or they are "Christians" and so they are saved from hell, but the sad part is, these people are missing the point too. This verse that Jesus brings up is all about those people who search for something but never really have their eyes opened to what is important.

David didn't have to be kind and generous to Mephibosheth. No one was around that knew he made a promise to Jonathan (except God). But that's the kicker: God sees us, he knows our hearts, he watches our lives. David gave Mep what may or may not have rightfully been his, but the important thing was the David was generous with what God had given him, he fulfilled a promise he had made, and he was a blessing to someone else.

The story in Daniel of the mysterious hand on the wall is sort of cool and sort of creepy. What I find interesting is the timing of the message. The people are living it up: drinking, partying, worshipping idols. That's the life, right? It is in the midst of this cavorting that God reveals himself and gives him message. Unfortunately they cannot understand it. Why not? Because they were too much in the ways of this world to understand God's message. What is sad is that this partying king was the son of the king whose life had been radically changed by God. People make their own decisions. You can tell a child to live a certain way, but ultimately, people have free choice.