So what do you do when you come across any number of passages when reading your Bible that just kind of ‘kick you in the gut’, and you’re not sure what to make of them because clearly that’s ‘not the way you were taught to believe’? Do you simply ignore them, read past them, or maybe go find some commentary to ‘explain them away’ so you don’t have to deal with the discomfort you might be feeling at the time?

Or do you silently pray: “Jesus…how have I never seen that verse before? Can you please explain this to me so I might better understand what I’m reading, because I sure don’t want to be guilty of rejecting what you have shared here!” ?

And suppose someone is reading here this morning and you are admittedly, somewhat skeptical …and have no logical reason to even believe that the Bible is actually God’s ‘word’ for us today. You may admit it is widely read (or at least widely owned) by many, and has lots of good, interesting stories and lessons in it; but God’s actual word to us? Maybe not so much given it was ‘written by man’ over centuries and made up of stories that were passed down orally from previous generations. So why should you or anyone else put so much stock into the ‘good book’? I’ll try and circle back to you later here on that one. In the meantime…let’s talk about those frequent passages that will arise and disrupt our convenient, easy-to-believe-and-understand…’man-made doctrines’ that we derive from scripture. You are not the first one to have your world rocked and forced to have to choose between the ‘word of God’ and the ‘traditions of men’ (Mark 7:5-13).

I hope you looked up those three passages I left you with yesterday, from the ‘Parable of the Sower’. We learn there, from Jesus…that the ‘seed’ is the ‘word of God’, and when anyone hears the word but doesn’t understand it…that ‘the devil comes immediately to snatch that word from your heart….lest you believe and are saved’ (Matt. 13:19; Mark 4:15; and Luke 8:11-12). You might take a moment with that one and consider the implications here.

What is interesting though, is in all three accounts of that parable that Jesus shared with the multitudes, we learn another interesting insight from Jesus, and that is the fact that when Jesus shared such parables with the crowds, there were certain spiritual truths woven into those stories that were ‘hid’ from the majority of the crowds (Luke 10:21). Yes, you read that correctly. Take a look at what Jesus shared with His disciples when He was alone with them, after they had come to Him privately asking what that parable had even meant:

“It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” (Matt. 13:11-13).

In other words, unless you are a true ‘disciple of Jesus’…most of this ‘book’ will remain a closed mystery to you. I don’t say that to offend you, but I’m simply sharing what Jesus had to say on the matter. Take a look at John 5:39-40 and see if that doesn’t shed some more light; and speaking of ‘disciples’…take a look at Luke 24:32 & 45 and tell me what Jesus did for those ‘disciples’?

Now if you are like me, you might be curious as to why God would ‘hide truth’ from the masses? Why not just put it out there for everyone to see clearly so they could make the appropriate changes in their lives? Sorry…but I don’t have a good answer for you on that, other than to remind us all that ‘God’s ways are not like our ways, nor are His thoughts our thoughts…’ (Isa. 55:8-9). God is also known to ‘use the foolish things of the world to shame the wise…’ (1 Cor. 1:27). You might skip down and read through 1 Cor. 2:9-16 for added context. Basically…it always goes back to the heart of man, a heart we are told is ‘deceptively wicked’…and only known by God (Jer. 17:9-10).

This is what makes the parable of the sower so compelling and important to understand. In fact, Jesus pointed out that if we failed to understand this parable, it was unlikely that we’d understand much of anything else He might share (Mark 4:13). And once again, what did this ‘seed’ that the ‘sower’ was sowing as he walked about represent? We are told the ‘seed is the word of God’ (Luk 8:11). The four different types of ‘soil’ represented the conditions of the human heart which the seed fell into, as Jesus explains in all three accounts. But it was only in the ‘good soil’ that the seed was able to take deep, lasting root that would thrive and produce fruit…and even more importantly….fruit that would ’last’ (John15:16,8). And as you have heard me say on more than one occasion…’fruit matters’!

One might ask how you would describe what makes for a ‘good heart’, or ‘soil’ in order for this seed to mature and ‘bear much fruit’. I believe the case could be made that it takes a ‘repentant’ heart, pliable and humble and not lifted up with pride and self-righteousness. A heart that willingly admits it does not have ‘all the answers’ and recognizes that there has to be a ‘higher power’ of sorts out there who can explain this existence we were all born in to.

I love that passage in Ps. 107:20…where we are told that “God sent His word to heal them and to deliver them from their destructions”. This would be the same ‘word’ that Paul mentions in his first letter to the Thessalonians, where he rejoiced in the fact that they “received the word of God which they heard from them…welcoming it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth…the word of God…which also effectively works in those who believe.” (2:13).

Did you catch that part about how this word…”works effectively IN those…who believe’?

Ah…but you are one of those admitted skeptics I mentioned early on that has a hard time wanting to accept or ‘believe’ that the Bible is truly God’s word/message to the world today? No judging from me on that one… as I think most of us who were not ‘raised to believe’…have had questions of our own at one point or another. So allow me to ask you in closing here today…What would it take to convince you that the Bible is indeed God’s ‘infallible word’ to be trusted and believed? I’m not saying I can ‘prove’ anything to you, but I can share some thoughts you might consider…if you are in a place in your life where you would admit that you don’t ‘have all the light/truth’…and are tired of the darkness. (John 3:17-21). Meet me back here tomorrow?