The sower and the seed

Pastor Pat O'Rourke

The story of the sower and the seed Jesus told was recorded by three of the gospel writers: Matthew, Mark and Luke. The three-fold appearance in scripture indicates the importance, somewhat, of the parable. In Mark 4:13 Jesus made an interesting comment about this parable. He questioned, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?” In other words the parable of the sower and the seed is the key that unlocks all of the stories and teachings of Jesus. If you believe as I do that Jesus was God, then this parable He told of the seed and the sower takes on a whole new dimension. It literally is the key that opens the door into understanding the heart of God. All of us human beings share one common trait. We lean toward those who listen to us. Those who listen to us the most intently are the ones we favour most and shower our attention and blessing upon. So it is with our Heavenly Father. There is not one person in the High Prairie area who God would not love to bless and favour but there is something we need to do first. We need to give attention to what God has said. The reason we call the Bible the Word of God is because that’s exactly what it is. Therefore, the Bible is totally relevant to our community and to each person here. The story of the sower and the seed condenses God’s message down to a few verses. I challenge you in the next few days to get your Bible out. If you don’t have one, phone me and I’ll give you one. Get your Bible out and read slowly and prayerfully Matthew 13, Mark 4 and Luke 8. You will be amazed at the change in your life that will take place as you meditate on these ancient yet totally up to date words. One more verse, Mark 4:24 from the Amplified Bible. He said to them, “Be careful of what you are hearing. The measure (of thought and study) you give (to the truth you hear) will be the measure (of virtue and knowledge) that comes back to you, and more (besides) will be given to you who hear.”