Today’s Podcast
Today’s Scriptures
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Mark 4:1-20
Set – Job 20; Mark 4
Go! – Job 20; Mark 3-4
Mark 4:1-20
1-2 Jesus went out again to teach by the Sea of Galilee. When the crowd became unmanageable, He climbed aboard a boat and sat down to teach the people listening on the shore by telling them parables. One of His teachings went like this:
Jesus: 3 Listen! A farmer went out and sowed his seed. 4 As he scattered it, one seed fell along the hardened path, and a bird flapped down and snapped it up. 5 One seed fell onto rocky places where the soil was thin, so it sprang up quickly. 6 But when the hot sun scorched the fragile stems and leaves, the seedling withered because its roots didn’t go deep in the soil. 7 One of the seeds fell among the weeds and thorns, which crowded the seedling out of producing a crop. 8 And the rest of the seeds fell in good, rich soil. When they sprouted, the plants grew and produced a crop 30, 60, even 100 times larger than expected for every seed that the farmer had sown.
9 All who have ears to hear, let them listen.
10 When they were alone, the twelve and others close to Him asked why He always taught in parables instead of explaining His teachings clearly.
Jesus: 11 God has let you in on the inside story regarding the workings of the Kingdom—the hidden meanings. But the crowds—I teach them in parables 12 as the prophet Isaiah predicted,
So that when they look, they see and yet do not understand.
When they hear, they listen and yet do not comprehend.
Otherwise, they might really turn and be forgiven.
13 Do you mean to say that you didn’t understand My parable of the sower? That was the key parable. If you don’t see what I was trying to teach there, how will you be able to understand any of the others?
14 The seed the farmer is sowing is the good news, God’s word. 15 Some people are the seed thrown onto the path, and the tempter snaps up the word before it can even take root. 16 Others are the seed thrown among the rocks. Those people hear the word and receive it immediately with joy and enthusiasm; 17 but without deep roots, doubt, trouble, or persecution instantly withers their faith. 18 Still others are the seed tossed among weeds and brambles. The word has reached them, 19 but the things of this life—the worries, the drive for more and more, the desire for other things—those things cluster around close and choke the life of God out of them until they cannot produce. 20 But those last seeds—those sown into good soil? Those people hear the word, accept it, meditate on it, act on it, and bear fruit—a crop 30, 60, or 100 times larger than the farmer dropped to earth.
Today’s Devotional
From today’s background scripture God might say:
A lot of people will tell you that if they heard Me face to face they would believe, but they wouldn’t. You have a significant advantage over those who listened to Me on the hillsides of Judea. You have 2000 years of people who have interpreted My parables, lived the life I showed My apostles and disciples, and gave witness to the truth of the things I said.
The people of the land heard My words for the first time. My preaching was radical. I told them things that turned the religious thought of the day upsidedown. Many didn’t like the rules and regulations of the religious leaders of the day. They didn’t care for the mixed authorities of Jerusalem and Rome. Many weren’t sure which was worse, the dictates of the Temple or those of the Emperor. So, when I began to preach a message of love God and your neighbor and everything else would fall into place, it was a message they longed to hear. Yet it confused many and they didn’t understand what it meant.
Others thought I came to overthrow the bonds of the Roman oppression and final bring back the political freedom the nation longed for. Israel hadn’t enjoyed real political freedom since the Assyrians started collecting tribute. That was five centuries earlier. They were ready for freedom and longed to revolt against the tyrannical rule of the Romans.
The priests certainly were confused. They were happy with the arrangements they had with their priestly lineage and didn’t see someone from David’s line taking over their scholarly role of teaching others how they should live under the law of Moses. But there I was sharing with the people what the laws really meant. How hatred was the seed of murder. How lust sparked adultry. How carefully setting aside a tenth to give to the Temple didn’t mean anything to the Father when you let your father and mother starve.
I brought the reality and revelation of the law to the people and they didn’t know how to handle it. You benefit from the many letters my disciples wrote to the early churches, the commentaries and studies available today. You have no excuse for not listening to My instructions and following Me.
So now that your excuses are gone for wanting first-century experiences, how about getting into My word and learning about Me. Really let yourself go and let Me take control of your life. That’s what My word demands. Die to self and be born anew in Me. You won’t be sorry if you do.
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