The Harvest of True Joy

Jesus tells a story in Matthew 13 called the parable of the sower. He tells of a man that went out to scatter seed. He gives four examples of what happens to that seed.

• 1) It falls on the path and gets eaten by birds
• 2) It falls on rocky ground where it grows up fast but doesn’t have deep soil so it dies quickly
• 3) It falls among thorns that also grow with the seed and end up killing the harvest
• 4) It falls on good soil, grows up strong and produces a great harvest

Later in verses 18-23, Jesus explains this parables to His disciples. Here’s what He says, “You, therefore, listen to the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is what was sown on the side of the path. And what was sown on the rocky ground—this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. But he does not have a root in himself, but lasts only a little while, and when affliction or persecution happens because of the word, immediately he falls away. And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive. But what was sown on the good soil—this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, this one a hundred times as much, and this one sixty, and this one thirty.”

So, first we have this group of people who have heard the word of the Lord but have not understood it. I don’t think we are talking about people who can’t understand it because it is too complicated. Not like a child who fails a test because they are being tested on a story that is very far above their reading level. Jesus says multiple times in the scriptures that those who have the simplicity of a child will be in the Kingdom. Instead, I think of people who refuse to open their minds, people who think they already know everything, that they have nothing to learn and could have never gotten any thing wrong. In this case, even though they have heard the truth, they refuse to open their minds to it and the devil comes and steals it away.

I think there are two applications for this. First, there are those who have never surrendered their lives to Jesus. They hear the truth of the Gospel but they have hardened their hearts through the years and the devil comes and steals these seeds away. The gospel never sinks in and their lives are never changed.

Second, I think it can also apply to those of us who have been saved. Let me be clear really quick, I am a Christian and I do not believe that anything can change that. The devil cannot come and steal that away from me. However, I am still learning and being sanctified. I think that true joy is found in growing in your knowledge and understanding of the Lord. As you mature in your faith, there are some things the Lord wants to teach you, some things that, if you will let them, they will change the way you do life, and it will produce a harvest full of joy. As we spend more time in the word, the seeds of sanctification are spread over our hearts, and if our hearts are tender to the Lord’s voice, they can produce roots of obedience. However, if we have grown a heart that has been hardened, the devil can still come and steal those seeds away. I pray that I never get to a point where my heart and my head are as hard as a well beaten path where seeds never get the chance to grow.

Next we have the people who hear the word , understand it and receive it with excitement, but the seed never found the deep good soil so it dies just as quickly as it sprouted.

This is one of the most common things we find in the American church today. The good news of the gospel hits people’s ears and sinks into their brains, but it never sends deep roots into their hearts. But the gospel was never meant to just be head knowledge. In Matthew 7, we find the parable about the wiseman and the foolish man. For almost 40 years I have sung about building your house on the rock vs. the sand. I’ve heard many talks about building our lives on the rock that is Jesus. But Jesus starts this parable by saying that a foolish man is one who hears His words and doesn’t put them into practice. He wasn’t really emphasizing building your life on something solid verses shifty, He was talking about being wise by letting His teachings change the way we live our lives. It’s the difference between knowing and believing. The difference between understanding and trusting surrender.

It reminds me of the verse in James 2 that teaches that even the demons know who Jesus is but they don’t trust Him. He is not their Lord, His words haven’t changed them. Paul is saying that knowing Jesus is Lord is not enough, He must be your Lord. If you have heard the gospel and haven’t let it change your life, it’s only something you give lip service too, then your heart is the soil where the seed fell and grew up but never found roots and dies with the pressure of the scorching sun.

Third we have the people who hear the word but they are also listening to teachings of the world around them. They think that the truths found in the scripture have some merit, but they don’t rely on it to be their sole authority. They look for wisdom and guidance from many different sources.

This is not a new problem. The early church struggled with hearing the gospel from Paul and then letting other false teachers and philosophies come in and add or change or twist what Paul had said.

In 1 Timothy 1:4 Paul says,”and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause useless speculations rather than God’s plan that is by faith.” And in his letter to Titus in the first chapter, verse 14, “not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of people who turn away from the truth.” These are just a few examples as there are many more instances where Paul charges his listeners to remain faithful to the original truth of the gospel and not let long held traditions or new cultural waves kill the truth.

There is always something to learn and grow in when it comes to the gospel. To think that you have mastered understanding the mysteries of God is an extreme arrogance. But we must also be careful to stay true to the gospel. We cannot abandon a truth just because it makes the culture around us uncomfortable.

For example, there is so much in the Bible about being a child of God, the blessings that come with that, the security and unconditional love we are given, and the way our Father will provide for all our needs. These truths are discussed often and the concept in general is supported throughout the scriptures. These promises are dependent on one very important phrase “child of God.” The culture wants to say that because we were all created by God, then we are all God’s children and therefore can also depend on those promises. The problem is that in contrast, the Bible says that before our redemption, we were enemies of God. This idea is found throughout but is spelled out specifically in Romans 5:10, “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, by much more, having been reconciled, we will be saved by his life.” See, if we remove the idea that we were once enemies of God, then Jesus died for nothing. If we are all and have always been children of God, and not enemies, then we didn’t need a savior.

But to think that God has enemies is not a popular opinion. If we let the weeds of popular opinion or the pressure from the world around us all grow in our minds, the power of the gospel is lost. The weeds grow up and kill the gospel message that we once received.

Finally, we have the hearts that are humble and seeking the truth. They hear the gospel and completely surrender to the truths found in it. It changes their lives. It produces the fruit of the spirit and leads to finding true freedom, joy and healing.

If you find yourself at a place in your life where you aren’t experiencing true joy, or real freedom, if you keep looking around and wondering where these supposed promises of God are supposed to show up, if you are confused about what meaning your life has or what your purpose might be, if you feel empty, tired, run down and weary, spend some time asking the Lord which one of these soils most clearly represents your heart. Let Him dig down deep into your most secret places and be honest with what’s going on. If you find you aren’t currently represented by the last one, confess, repent! Offer Him your undivided devotion and complete surrender. Trust His words above all else and find the best treasure!