Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Matthew 13:1-23
A parable is a story that helps us know God better. This parable is about a farmer who planted seeds in his field. Some seeds fell on a path, but the birds ate them before they could grow. Other seeds fell in rocky soil and sprouted, but the roots were not deep enough, and the hot sun made them wilt. Some seeds fell in thorny dirt that tangled up the plants, so they died. Other seeds fell on good soil, and a big crop grew and made more plants.
When Jesus’ disciples asked why He used parables when He talked to people, He said they help people understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is God’s rule over everything. The secrets are how God wants us to live. Jesus said that those who truly listen will understand, but those who hear but don’t really listen will not.
The farmer in this story is Jesus, and the seeds are the Good News. The types of ground the seeds fall on are the different types of people who hear the Good News.
The seeds the birds ate are people who hear the Good News but don’t understand it. The rocky soil is people who listen and believe God’s Word, but their faith is weak and they give up when following Jesus gets hard. The thorny soil is people who believe and follow Jesus for a little while, but they don’t fully trust God and their worry stops them from growing. The good soil is people who truly listen and hear God’s Word, keep following Jesus, grow to love Him more, and tell others about Him so many more people follow Him too.
Jesus wants us to be like the good soil—to hear the Good News, believe it, and follow Him. When we admit that we’ve sinned against God, believe in His Son, Jesus, and choose to follow Him, Jesus saves us from our sin. Like the plant that grew and made more plants, we can grow in our love for Jesus and help others do the same.
Jesus wants us to listen to Him by reading the Bible and asking Him to help us know Him and understand His words. When we listen to Jesus, He shows us how to live.
What can we do to grow in our love for Jesus?
How can we help others follow Jesus?
Thank You, God, for giving us the Bible to show us how to live. We know that You want us to listen to and understand Your words. We love You, and we want to grow in our love for You and help others do the same. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
Matthew 25:14-30
This parable begins with a man going on a trip. Before he left, he gave one servant five bags of money, another two bags, and another one bag, trusting each servant to make more money with what they were given. When the master came home, the servant who had five bags of money and the servant who had two bags told him that they had used what they had been given to make even more money and had both doubled it. The master was very happy. He told the servants that since they were faithful with a small amount, he would give them more responsibilities. The servant with one bag of money said that he was afraid to lose the master’s money, so he dug a hole and hid it. The master was very unhappy.
The master in this story is Jesus. The servants are the people He invites to follow Him. The bags of money are the gifts, talents, and the Good News that Jesus gives to those He invites to follow Him. Jesus has trusted all His followers with gifts, talents, and the Good News to share with and use to help others. Our gifts and talents are the things that God has made us good at. The Good News God has given us is that His Son, Jesus, made a way to save us from sin.
The first two servants knew their master was good. In the same way, when we follow Jesus, we know that He is good and loves us. The third servant hid the money because he didn’t truly know that his master was good, and he was afraid of him. In the same way, people who do not use what God has given them decide not to follow Him and instead do their own thing because they don’t know how good and loving He is.
The master trusted his servants and rewarded them with even more when they did what he asked them to do. When we trust God by using our gifts to help others and to make more followers of Jesus, He celebrates and trusts us with even more.
What are some gifts and talents God has given you?
How can you use your gifts and talents to help others and make more followers of Jesus?
Thank You, God, for giving us gifts, talents, and the Good News. We know You show us how to live and You give us everything we need to follow You. We love You and want to use our talents to help others and make more followers of Jesus. In Jesus’ name, Amen.