The soils
2nd Sunday before Lent 2016
" Jesus clearly divides people into two categories: those who have been given by God knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom, and the rest who do not know the mysteries." Cyril of Alexandria
I did not say the above, but am actually pleasantly surprised that the message has not really changed. It is the same. Cyril of Alexandia was in the early centuries of the Church ( 412 AD) We who are human manage by our foolishness to mess up the message. We put barriers in front of it. But God does not. He want all to come to the knowledge of the truth I Timothy 2:4 , and having received Christ as good ground bear much fruit in this world in which we now live.
The soils represent our hearts and our thoughts about Christ. The key verse for me as I meditated on it this time is vs. 18, " Take heed therefore how you hear.." Here the question for each of us is ," Do we hold the Holy Scripture to be the final and ultimate authority in our parish and in our lives or do we put something else on the par with it?"
Certainly our own church articles called the 39 articles affirm the Word of God as its ultimate authority, and another article as I have mentioned in the past says that even the Church councils may err. But the Word of God is unchangeable, no matter what our culture is telling us. 2 Peter 1:21 clearly tells us that men wrote it , but they "were moved by the Holy Ghost." Unfortunately some get dragged along by the society and the Church ceases to call the world to account by Christ and His Word. This is seen in our day.
Today we look briefly at the soils again. Why? Because it the Gospel for today, and I have no issue with hearing it again. We probably need its witness, encouragement and assurance.
1. Not all believe! The soil of the way side or hard trodden path is the worldly ones that hear but not savingly. Look at vs. 12. They do not believe, and are not saved. No root. No fruit.
2. Those receiving on the rock. VS 13. Joyously they are outwardly receiving the Word , and believe for a while . How is this possible? The roots do not go down deeply and there is no true saving faith apparently. They in time of " temptation fall away." It is not true that they lost their salvation because they never had it in the first place.
3. Thorns . Choked out the word by the " cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and BRING NO FRUIT." VS 14. Again no fruit, no root.
4. and last there is a group who are called good ground. " in an honorable and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." vs 15
Again, we see two categories. The first three are not believers. The last is. Two groups. I am encouraged that our Lord is so clear in this parable . It is meant to show us beyond the curtain so to speak. May we live such godly and holy lives that others are drawn to the Savior and find in Him all they need.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
" Jesus clearly divides people into two categories: those who have been given by God knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom, and the rest who do not know the mysteries." Cyril of Alexandria
I did not say the above, but am actually pleasantly surprised that the message has not really changed. It is the same. Cyril of Alexandia was in the early centuries of the Church ( 412 AD) We who are human manage by our foolishness to mess up the message. We put barriers in front of it. But God does not. He want all to come to the knowledge of the truth I Timothy 2:4 , and having received Christ as good ground bear much fruit in this world in which we now live.
The soils represent our hearts and our thoughts about Christ. The key verse for me as I meditated on it this time is vs. 18, " Take heed therefore how you hear.." Here the question for each of us is ," Do we hold the Holy Scripture to be the final and ultimate authority in our parish and in our lives or do we put something else on the par with it?"
Certainly our own church articles called the 39 articles affirm the Word of God as its ultimate authority, and another article as I have mentioned in the past says that even the Church councils may err. But the Word of God is unchangeable, no matter what our culture is telling us. 2 Peter 1:21 clearly tells us that men wrote it , but they "were moved by the Holy Ghost." Unfortunately some get dragged along by the society and the Church ceases to call the world to account by Christ and His Word. This is seen in our day.
Today we look briefly at the soils again. Why? Because it the Gospel for today, and I have no issue with hearing it again. We probably need its witness, encouragement and assurance.
1. Not all believe! The soil of the way side or hard trodden path is the worldly ones that hear but not savingly. Look at vs. 12. They do not believe, and are not saved. No root. No fruit.
2. Those receiving on the rock. VS 13. Joyously they are outwardly receiving the Word , and believe for a while . How is this possible? The roots do not go down deeply and there is no true saving faith apparently. They in time of " temptation fall away." It is not true that they lost their salvation because they never had it in the first place.
3. Thorns . Choked out the word by the " cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and BRING NO FRUIT." VS 14. Again no fruit, no root.
4. and last there is a group who are called good ground. " in an honorable and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience." vs 15
Again, we see two categories. The first three are not believers. The last is. Two groups. I am encouraged that our Lord is so clear in this parable . It is meant to show us beyond the curtain so to speak. May we live such godly and holy lives that others are drawn to the Savior and find in Him all they need.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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