Luke 8:4 “And when a great multitude had gathered, and they had come to Him from every city, He spoke by a parable:”
Can you imagine going to hear Jesus? Of course many who went to hear Him didn’t understand Who He was. But some did. Can you just think of how you would feel? Here you are about to have a front row seat to GOD speaking. Wow! A large and diverse crowd from all over the region had come. Surely He would have something very important, very significant, to say. And, indeed He did.
He didn’t say what anyone would have expected though. He had a story to tell, about seed. Jesus often used very simple illustrations that had to do with the day to day life of His hearers. But, His messages, the point of His words, were anything but ordinary.
And, He didn’t let His hearers off without some thought. He told parables so that only those who already were seeking the truth would understand. Don’t misunderstand the Lord. He had every intention for people to learn the truth. But, He understood what we so often fail to grasp. The message isn’t accepted all at once. The truth is something that sinks into us over time. Lies will tickle our fancy and grab our attention easily, but they don’t stand the test. They don’t endure. Truth will not fade, and it will not fail.
Hearers of Christ that already tend to be suspicious of Him will find they cannot accept His teaching, and will only find confirmation of their opinion. Those who are confrontational, and come to hear only to find errors will indeed think they have found what they seek. But, those who are seeking the truth with an open heart, will also not be disappointed.
Heavenly Father, the enemy is sly, but sick. He is slick, but sloppy. His lies are shiny, but they tarnish fast. In You I find what will never fade, never fail, and never disappoint. All my life I have wanted to be what You want me to be, and thought myself a failure at it. But I realize it is far better to attempt to be something in Christ and not do as well as you’d like than to do nothing for Him. I can see so much in my life that would never been there had I not tried to value You and Your will and word. I have not been or done what I would have thought, but I can look back and see all I have been or done was better by the attempt. You are the best goal for any life! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.