Outcomes
Matthew 13:1-16
Not everybody will get it.
Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!” Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: ‘You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn-- and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. - Matthew 13:1-16
I have heard this passage many times, and it occurred to me today, after all this time, that not everyone will get it.
No matter how many people I try to convert or convince, only a few will do the work of getting the message.
It is work on their part, work I tend to forget about.
Look at how many types of soil Jesus talks about. The path, rocky ground, among thorns, or on good soil.
Twenty-five percent of the seeds grew and bore fruit. When you are looking to raise money for a worthy cause, foundations and funders look at outcomes. How many people have you helped?
Well, even Jesus admitted that the outcomes could be poor. The sower wasted a lot of seeds.
Seventy-five percent, three out of every four, seeds failed to produce.
Jesus was letting his disciples know that the majority of the people they talk to about him, will reject them. Those efforts will fail.
The outcome is not your concern. Just tell the story. Tell it to anyone. Tell it to everyone, not just the good prospects.
We shouldn’t filter.
We apply an artificial filter when we set out to talk about Jesus. We only talk to those who come to church. Why is that? Is it because it is convenient for us? Are we too lazy to go out into the world and spread the Gospel?
Shouldn’t we go to all types of soil?
Some might say, “Why?”
Why waste time and effort talking to people who will not listen or absorb what we are saying?
How do we know who they are? We listen to the parable and assume we know where the thorns are, or where the soil is not deep enough, but do we really?
The message spreads because each of us picks up the seeds and scatters them where we are.
This daily reflection has grown since I moved it to Substack. People here share what they read, and others get to hear.
We, writers and other creators, are sowers of seeds. We cast them out to the wind and see where they land.
This is the perfect place for the message of Jesus to reach more people.
There have been plenty of times when I encountered someone who I felt wouldn’t be interested in hearing about Jesus. So, I didn’t share.
If I have faith as small as a mustard seed, I would not be afraid to say something. What is the worst that could happen?
Hey, I write a daily reflection on Scripture. Do you read Scripture?
It can go anywhere from here. Scripture? What Scripture?
Conversation started.
Jesus walked alongside a couple on the road and pretended not to know what they were talking about. He got into the conversation. They invited him to eat with them, and they believed in him.
We don’t need to be Jesus resurrected to do that.
We just need to get into the conversation.
It can be a lot easier than you think. All the fertile soil is not found in church.
More to come...
Bill, I love your reflections! While I read the Upper Room daily and yesterday received "The Bible Recap Study Guide" (Tara Leigh Cobble) that I plan use, your reflections really trigger LOTS of thoughts and reflections of my own. Today you write, "We only talk to those who come to church. Why is that?" As preacher's kid with a solid denominational foundation I was still "unchurched" for around 40 years. Secondary to what I consider "divine intervention" I found and joined a church. But what if some over those 40 years had asked me about church and my spiritual life? My father used to always ask people, including strangers, "where is your church home?" When I was younger I thought that was, well obnoxious. But now I see just asking others, not just those who go to church, about their spiritual "health" might open doors.