Typing for Two: December 26 ~ Mark 4

The Parable of the Seed

This is a familiar story to many about the one who sows seed and the seed itself how some of it fell by the way side and was eaten up; some fell on rocky places and sprang up, but it withered away because it had no root; some fell amongst the thorns and was choked out and it bear no fruit and finally what we want to be the "good ground" that brings forth the increase and the fruit.

Why teach in Parables? He tells us in order that it is to keep the truth from those who are "without" or outside of the family of God ~ literally "outside the doors" (4:11) because if they understood they might repent of (turn away from) their sins and be forgiven (4:12).

I like the definition here of forgiveness:

to send away, to bid going away or depart, to put away as like in a divorce, to let go, let alone, let be, to disregard, leave, not [even] to discuss now, to omit, neglect, to let go, give up a debt, forgive, to remit, to give up, keep no longer, to no longer permit, allow, hinder, to give up a thing, go way from, in order to go to another place, to depart from any one, to depart from one and leave him to himself so that all mutual claims are abandoned, to desert (coincidentally that is NOT two desserts), to go away leaving something behind, to leave one by not taking him as a companion, to leave on dying, leave behind one, abandon, leave destitute.

Do you hear the finality in this?? You either separate yourself (make a distinction between as we talked yesterday) between you and the sin or you if you do not then you separate yourself from God and are considered "outside the door".

If you have ever struggled with a sin in your life you know how difficult it can be to let it go so completely that you never even talk about it anymore ~ otherwise the sin is like a companion we take with us everywhere we go.

Our LORD wants us to have root in His WORD so that we can bear fruit, not to wither away or be choked out. His WORD should bring us to repentance to a place where we totally abandon the wrong in our lifes and never pick it up again ... it should be a dead things to us!

But without true understanding (vs. 12) then we will never truly repent. Oh, we may repent for a moment, but the birds (representing the Evil One vs 15 says) will come and steal away the WORD from us or we will for a short time walk rightly (endure for a time), but without root we will wither away because of matters of offence, or finally we will let the thorns (cares of this world or lusts of this world) choke us out. This is the plan of the Enemy to block our every move towards repentance, to keep us "outside the doors".

I have been in this place before where I thought I had won the battle in eating, afterall I had lost 80 lbs and it was through spending daily time in his WORD and through a special Bible Study (Setting Captives Free) that I found deliverance from overeating. I walked in a new way in regards to eating and there was freedom. I write this because in looking at this passage I think the Enemy works in a progressive manner in our lives. First He comes to try and steal the seed from us. I tried Setting Captives Free several times before the seed finally "took" in my life. Once the seed finally took I walked rightly for a good season, but the Enemy brought offence in my life and instead of renoucing that offence I took it into my heart and it was not but a short time before the old nature in me was resurrected and my "old companion" of food became my emotional outlet. I stopped my studies slowly over a period of time and the root in this area of my life began to wither up. Eventually I began to lust after (desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden) the food and the fruit in my life began to fade away and the pounds crept back and my testimony of His Deliverance became only a memory ~ that was over two years ago.

We must fight for understanding and ask Him like the disciples did to help you understand to bring you to a place of repentance and letting go so that we can be fruitful branches attached solidly to The Vine ...

"And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear [it].

He did not speak to them without a parable,

and when they were alone [with Him], he expounded all things to his disciples."

Following these parables another familiar story is conveyed to us about the disciples in the boat with Jesus "asleep behind the proverbial wheel" and the storm is raging ... after rebuking the sea with those famous words "Peace. Be still." (ever said those words to your active children?) He then rebukes the disciples "And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?"

How often we hear the WORD and we "get alone" with Him and He explains them to our hearts and we have an understanding but then we get out in our proverbial boats and the storm comes and we lose our faith and become fearful wondering if He even cares about us, but this same Yeshoshua (Jesus) who created the world in Genesis 1 and who gave us His WORD that is so perfect (Psa. 19) and who came as a baby to be our Savior (Luke 2) and who spoke Peace to the waters that day over 2,000 years ago is the same God who can take the parables of our life and explain them to us and speak Peace to everything around us (yes, even our children) and who cares for us even when we think He is just in the back of the boat sleeping.

Ask Him to expound His WORD to you as you get alone with Him. Ask Him to give you a heart of repentance if you are struggling with any area that is contrary to His WORD and like those first disciples be exceedingly amazed at all He can and will do for you!