“The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.”
Matthew 13:22
Many of us are probably familiar with the parable preceding this verse about the seeds that were sewn on various types of terrain. The parable goes that some seeds were scattered on shallow soil and they were unable to take root and were scorched. Some others were sewn among thorns and though they were able to take root and grow, the ended up being choked out by the thorns and couldn’t thrive. Others were thrown on the path and never grew at all, eaten up by birds and trampled. Finally, some seeds were scattered on fertile ground and they grew and bore fruit.
The metaphor is meant to display the different ways that people receive the gospel. Some hear it and accept it, but only on a shallow level and it doesn’t last long. Some never listen at all. Some hear it and believe it and even have true intentions to live it, but are distracted and choked out by the world. Finally, some hear it, believe it, and live it out, bearing fruit for the kingdom of God.
The verse today is talking about the seeds in the thorns. I think this is the most relevant of the options in our society. There are still huge amounts of people who claim to be Christians – they say they believe in God and they may even go to church now and then, maybe even every week, but they don’t bear fruit. It’s far easier to find this kind of Christian than it is to find a “fertile soil” Christian.
Why?
Because the world is constantly trying to distract us, pull us away, drown out the truth with money, sex, power, pride, and any number of other sinful things. Satan tempts us with attractive sin, promising us pleasure and comfort. What we don’t realize is that by tolerating sin in our lives, even welcoming it, we are surrounding ourselves with thorns. We’re making it so much harder to grow and bear fruit, because all around us are things that are choking out our life source – God.
We cannot bear fruit and grow when we’re planted in a thorn patch. If we do not bear fruit, then we are not living out the gospel. If we are not living out the gospel, then we have not truly believed it – instead we’ve believed the world and the temptations of Satan.
Tend to your garden. Tear out the thorns. Whatever is distracting you from God, remove it from your life. Grow and bear fruit.
Prayer:
Father,
I pray that you would tear away the thorns that are trying to choke the gospel out of our lives. Help us to be fertile soil for your word to grow and bear fruit in.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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