An Email from a Friend

I recieved the following thoughts from a fellow blogger via email. I thought they were very interesting - especially the tie-in between the unjust steward and the lost sheep, coin, and son. Also - his thoughts on verse 31, "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours..." really intrigued me because my mind is always drawn to that verse when I hear this passage preached on - I have seen this parable labeled "two lost sons" in a study Bible and at least one commentary. What do you think?

Luke 15 and 16

In that passage, Jesus gave a series of parables that were connected. He had been criticized by the Pharisees for reaching out to sinners (Luke 15:1-2), so in response He offered the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. The basic message of all three parables was similar: that if we backslide, He desires to draw us back to Himself and to restore the relationship.

Now, Jesus had also spoken this in the presence of His disciples, and this couldn’t have sent a healthy signal to them. So I think an evil thought had risen in their hearts: "You mean I could backslide for awhile, and still make it back again? I think I’ll tuck that little nugget away! That might be useful to know one day!" In other words, it might have seemed like a license to sin, or to backslide in one last prodigal fling.

This is why Jesus turns in Luke 16:1, to address the disciples now, with the parable of the unjust steward. This parable is very hard for most Christians to understand, but essentially He is addressing the evil thought that I have just mentioned. His intention is to show them ‘the other side of the same coin’ and to speak of the consequence.

To demonstrate this connection and the contrast, let’s return to the parable of the lost son. In the beginning he had said to his father, "Give me the portion of goods that falls to me." So the father had divided his wealth between his two sons (Luke 15:12).

But this had always left a question in my mind. Wouldn’t this mean that all of the remained inheritance would belong to the older brother now? In fact, the father himself would later tell him as much: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours." (Luke 15:31).

Therefore the prodigal son, on returning under the good graces of his father, was actually being received into his brother’s inheritance; and in receiving the ring on his finger (the symbol of the household’s authority) he would now have to prove himself faithful in that which belonged to another man.

You see, his inheritance truly had been squandered; he was not simply taking up as though nothing had ever happened, as though there was no consequence (Luke 16:1-2). True repentance and the good fruit of it, including faithfulness, was needed for him to regain eternal riches of his own (as in Luke 16:11-12).

So here’s the shocker. Essentially, the unjust steward from Luke 16 is the prodigal son from Luke 15. He must now prove himself a good steward of his brother’s goods. If he does, the fruit of his repentance in his latter self (the good steward) will confirm the true departure from his earlier self (the shameful son) and allow him to share in his brother’s inheritance (see Luke 16:4). This is according to the same principle that we find in Proverbs 17:2:

"A wise servant will rule over a son who causes shame, and will share an inheritance among the brothers."

Allow me to focus on the parable of the unjust steward now, to complete this thought. Most Christians are astonished that this man gave away his master’s goods, yet he was commended for so doing. This is because they are not understanding the true ‘currency’ involved. Jesus came, not to raise money, but to save men’s souls. Through his actions, the unjust steward is doing everything within his ability to make other men able to stand before the Lord on the Day of Judgment. This is the true currency, the master’s true riches, and the fruit that is worthy of repentance in restoring such a person. As Jesus had said to Peter in foretelling his denial: "and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren." (Luke 22:32).

Again, the preceding were not my own thoughts, but an email I received from a fellow blogger.

Luke 15 - The Parable of the Lost Son

I apologize for the length of this post. I had thought of doing it in two parts, but I wanted to get it all out before any commenters got ahead of me. ;~)

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired
servants.”’
20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.
25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

I think with this parable, as with any, there is a message to the immediate audience and that it is vital to understand what Jesus was saying to the people that he was said to be speaking to. What was his purpose? If one looks at the beginning of the chapter, one can see that he was speaking to the Pharisees and addressing their objections to his receiving tax collectors and sinners. This is the narrow focus of the immediate communication. However, there is always a greater application to these things that Jesus said. For me, it is easier to get to the application without making a lot of wild assumptions and reading into things, if I focus on the specific message to the immediate audience. I will enter my thoughts on the immediate message to the Pharisees in BLUE and I will enter my thoughts on the application for today in GREEN.

11 Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. 13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

Obviously, the sinners he was sitting with were represented by those who had discarded the law and the seeking for God through Himself revealed to the nation of Israel. These were just living to please self. They are the lost son. As J. Vernon McGee (and others) points out, eating the food of swine with swine was the lowest thing a law-conscious Jew (Pharisee) could imagine doing.

In the church, we have sons. I am not thinking of nominal Christians, but those who have been born-again – they are true sons, all of them. Sometimes, we sons decide to do things our own way. We take the life we have been given (and are supposed to be stewards over) and we squander our time on ourselves. We can even get down in the pigpen and eat the food that is fit only for the world. Sin can delude us into thinking this is great! Sin is very enticing and lust is not gone from a Christian.

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’

The sinner came to his senses. He thought of the privilege and the blessing in his father’s house. These sinning Israelites Jesus is sitting with are this son. They were part of a nation that had been given the law and the prophets – God’s chosen people. The were Jews and their nation was given the most complete revelation of the one true God to that point. Yet, they had squandered their chance to look for the Messiah and learn of his coming, etc… They were just wasting their lives with riotous living, indifferent to who they were – sons of Israel.

What a beautiful thing it is when a true son of God who has the life of God through Christ comes to his senses!! I am thinking of several people right now – I believe they are born-again, but they are living like pigs. Oh, how I wish these would turn from their sin, come back before the church and repent. Christians are sons.

20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

The sinners were humbled before Christ, sitting at his feet. One sinful woman, we are told in another place, had fallen at his feet and washed those feet with her tears, drying them with her hair. These sinful outcasts are not "demanding their living," but are openly coming to this teacher sent from God. It is a given that they and everyone else realizes they are sinners - this is very humbling.

God will receive these sinners who had been saved by grace right back into His house. They will be restored to full fellowship. Would they need to become sons again? No – that is absurd – they were already sons, but they were not in fellowship, they were not experiencing the relationship with their father as they should and could. Being restored does not mean that no consequences would be present. (On the next psot, I am going to post some thoughts I received in an email about what the consequences of such a wayward son in the parable would be). You and I may lose a limb or have a scarred memory from times spent in the pigpen. (The lost sheep would often have his legs broken so he wouldn't leave the shpeherd again.) This will not be taken away until glory. BUT – we are sons! Praise the Lord.

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Jesus is saying that he will receive these sinners and restore them to a place of fellowship such that was meant for their people, regardless of where they had been.

There is much joy in heaven when a wayward Christian repents.

25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’

These are the Pharisees. They are sons in this parable. Does this mean they are saved? Again, I don’t think the point of this parable is about salvation. This is about the house of Israel. They are the self-righteous members of the house. They have been working for God. They are not happy that God receives sinners and rebels. They are not happy about what God is happy about. They are rather angry at the Father. The Father is pleading with them. Jesus has told all of this to them. I believe Jesus loved the Pharisees too. I believe Jesus was pleased when some of them turned to him and left their angry, self-righteous attitudes behind. This story was meant to show them that they were not right in their attitude. They were not in tune with the Father.

Are they Pharisee-like people in the church? I know of people in my own church, who would be disgusted and not look joyfully on the aforementioned sinners if they repented and stood before the congregation. They would not be able to get the sin of the person out of their mind and they would hold it against the returned prodigal brother. May we not be like that. We should be joyful over what God is joyful over – this is also an important indication of our own fellowship with the Father.

31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.

Does this mean the Pharisees were “saved?” No. It is not the point. They are leaders of Israel. Romans 9:4 tells us “…Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; 5 of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God.”

As Christians, all that God has is ours, every spiritual blessing. We are rich sons ... and when someone repents and is restored, that doesn’t take away from us who weren't in the pigpen as Christians. We need not fret over what we perceive as the shame of it. God is pleased to receive repentant Christians back into fellowship. We should be happy also!!

32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’”

What an awesome verse! He is telling the Pharisees that they should rejoice for these sinners tuning toward God. They were dead to Israel, outcast, now they were coming home, as it were. What could be better?

Dead – separated from God. When we jump in the pigpen, we are separated from God. We can’t hear his voice so well. We can’t feel His presence as readily as when we are in right fellowship. This is not the eternal separation that that is spoken of in Ephesians 2:1-3, (a son is always a son, once born into the family) but sin in our lives is deadly!

Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

NOTES: I discovered that John A. Martin, Th. D. sees this parable the same way as I do in it’s immediate message.

I tried to find John MacArthur’s views in print, but I found a post that seems to describe a recent lecture, Mar 1, 2006, given by JMac on the parable. It seems he equates this with salvation, if these words are a quote from him:

It is God who seeks the sinner and initiates. He finds the sinner before the sinner could ever find Him. It is God’s love for the penitent that is lavish, loving, gracious and apart from any work. God finds His joy in the salvation of one lost sinner. He runs and He embraces and He restores the contrite sinner.

This parable is very beautiful to me. I believe it illustrates the open arms of God and his ever-acceptance of us. It goes along with the first two parables in the chapter, and I would say that the theme is the same: God wants to restore His children who go astray and wander from His guidance. For our application today, unbelievers are not God’s children, so this is not about them. It is just that simple to me.

Luke 15 - The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’ 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

This is a continuation of the idea Jesus was trying to convey in the parable of the lost sheep. As I re-read over this section, I think I really get the point.
Our God is happy when someone turns away from destruction!
He is joyful and all those in His presence are joyful. This should be our joy, as well - when a sinner repents or when a lost person is saved. God loves people and He wants us to live the way He designed. He wants us to have fellowship with Him - He wants us to be fully restored in every way. This is His joy - just like someone who has spent hours and hours trying to find something valuable and then - aha! - there it is! I found it!

I once read a post by someone who said, "Does God want anything?" I don't remember who the person was, but they went on to say that the fact that God is sovereign precludes Him from wanting - He gets what He wants, period. He never wrings His hands or has to work to make something happen - He just wills it and it comes to pass. I think this story depicts a kind of longing and searching that doesn't fit in with that understanding of the omnipotence and sovereignty of God. Jesus did choose the image of a woman looking and looking. Christ chose that image for some reason.

Luke 15 - The Parable of the Lost Sheep

1 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

What exactly is being said here? At face value, it would almost appear that Jesus is telling the Pharisees and scribes that they need no repentance. Could it be?

I think this verse is directly aimed at Israel ... specifically, those self-righteous Israelites. I don't believe it is about being born again and I don't think it addresses the need of every man to be born again or it wouldn't use this phrase, IMO: "ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance." I believe it is about outward behavior. The passage begins by saying that Jews with very blatantly bad behavior (sinners and tax collectors) were drawing near to Jesus. Then, those Jews who were held up as model of good behavior started gasping and pointing. “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.”

In the following paragraph, I will put my thoughts in parentheses.

Jesus asks them:
What man of you, having a hundred sheep, (the house of Israel)
if he loses one of them, (the Jews that were blatantly sinful)
does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, (those that were faithful Jews)
and go after the one which is lost, (the Jews that were blatantly sinful) until he finds it?
And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. (And there Jesus sits in the company of these sinners who were interested in turning toward His teaching. I am sure as a shepherd of Israel, he was rejoicing.)

7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Those who are walking uprightly in God's ways, don't need to repent of sin. I don’t think Jesus is speaking of sin in the same way that he does in other passages. He is not teaching right now on the utter sinfulness of the human heart, but on the outward manifestation of sin – bad behavior, sinful acts, sinful living. However, when a person who has his back turned to God’s ways turns around, this is a very joyous occasion in heaven because that person has been snatched from the allure of sin and the destructive nature of living outside of God’s will and ways.

This is how I interpret this passage. I haven’t had time to look up any teachers’ interpretations, which is what I intended to do for a few of these posts, so I just decided to get my own thoughts out there. Perhaps the next post on the parables will be a little more comprehensive.

A Question about Judas

I have been following some discussion about Judas on two blogs that are both in my sidebar, From the Head of the Moor and Free Grace Theology. I was talking to my husband, John about this today. Was Judas ever a true believer? I do not think he ever believed in Christ for anything personal. I think he was looking for something other than a Savior.

That aside, we started talking about how Judas had remorse after he betrayed Jesus. That got me to thinking:

What was the motivation of Judas in betraying Jesus?

I know the Scripture says that Satan entered into him, but still, we know that when a free moral agent, a human being, turns to do something, there is a motivation within their own person. In other words, God may give someone over to commit an act, but it is not without that person's own sinful personal motivation. We are not puppets.

SO - What do you think was the motivation for Judas? I have always thought it was simply greed, but John threw out some other ideas. Do you have any ideas or Scripture references that would shed any light on that? It is just something I have not thought about a lot and I am thinking that maybe some of you have.

I am by no means finished with the series on parables, but I am a little sidetracked at the moment - a bit busy. Soon I will do the next post.

Matthew 21: The Two Sons and the Wicked Vinedressers

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

I love the simplicity of this parable. I think He was directly aiming this at the Jewish rulers, based on the context. It seems absolutely clear that He is saying that it is always better for a man to be sincere about the intentions toward the Lord. A man who says he is seeking to do God's will - when he really has a mind to be independent and has no interest in God's plans- is not a true worker, but is pretending. He would rather have someone say they do not intend to go the Lord's way and then, change his mind, and become a true worker.

The chief priests and elders were like the lying son in the parable. They said they wished for God’s revelation of His kingdom and His Messiah, but when Jesus presened Himself with irrefutable proof of who He was, they scoffed in rebellion and hatred toward God. This is called "not doing the will of the Father." Yet, many of those who had been living in outwardly wicked ways turned to Christ when they saw who He was and that God was calling for belief in this Messiah. This is the work of God. (John 6:29)

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘ The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

This is so awesome. Jesus takes the point He was making in the previous parable to a new level. Now, not only is He showing that the leaders are not genuine workers for God, but they are going to kill God’s Son because of their contempt for the Father. The vineyard and the winepress is the nation of Israel who God (the owner of the vineyard) had set apart to reveal Himself to mankind. The servants that were sent to receive fruit are the prophets. (O Jerulsalem, thou that killest the prophets and stoneth them that are sent unto thee…)

The owner’s son is, of course, Jesus himself, who is standing in their midst as He tells this parable. “He will lease His vineyard to other vinedressers…” Who else could the other vinedressers be but the church, those of every tribe and tongue who will come by faith to the Son. Jesus is the cornerstone of the church AND the kingdom of God.

I think in verse 44 He segues to His second coming.
The next verse is so telling:

45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

They knew exactly what He meant.

I really like these two parables because of their clarity!

More Parables from Matthew 13

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

31 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, 32 which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."

Jesus talks about the kingdom again in Matthew. He said that it is a small seed but will yield a large tree. I once read where a teacher said that the birds represent evil and that Jesus was saying that evil and illegitimate inhabitants will make their home in his realm. He said that [the birds] of the air refers to Satan, the Prince of the power of the air. This is the kind of thing that causes me to scratch my head. Jesus must have said that about the birds for some reason, but it is unclear to me what it means. I kind of thought maybe that teacher was reading into it a little much. Do any of you know what that would have meant to the hearers of this parable?

The Parable of the Leaven

33 Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened.”

This same teacher said that leaven also represents evil in biblical terms (a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump) so that Christ was teaching that some would add evil to the kingdom preaching until the whole thing was in danger of corruption. Again, I am not sure. I have heard other teachers say that this means that the kingdom message will spread and cover and fill the earth. What do you think?

I know I have seen other figures of speech used in two ways - one meaning something bad and then in another instance, the same concept is used to represent something good.

Is Jesus speaking in these two parables of the greatness of the kingdom or of the polluting of the kingdom? I just don't get it.

A Couple More Thoughts on the Parable of the Sower

I have been thinking some more about this. I am wondering if we must necessarily relate this to the hearing of the Word that brings salvation. In other words, I was thinking that perhaps this "sowing of the seed" is every time we hear the Word of God. Does that particular seed land in a spot on my heart that is rocky or thorny ... or ready to respond? Does it find understanding in my mind ... or am I unfruitful in regards to those Words of God, those seeds that are cast my way? Could this perhaps apply to all of us at any time we hear the precious Words of our Creator?

My thoughts were tempered when I looked at Luke 8, because Jesus says this when explaining the parable:

Luke 8
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

(I find it interesting that he doesn't mention anything right here as a prerequisite to be saved, other than believe.)

So, it is Jesus Himself who says this is a parable about being saved.

This led into some more interesting discovery for me. I looked back at Christ's explanation in Matthew and I see the phrase believe and be saved isn't used in Matthew.

Matthew 13
18 Therefore hear the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside.

Yet, He uses a word here in Matthew that is not used in the Luke passage. It is the word kingdom. At this point I was reminded that these gospels are very different from one another, they have different themes and purposes. I can't remember how many times the word kingdom is used in the book of Matthew, but it is a relatively high number, because the kingdom was his theme and His main audience were those awaiting the kingdom - the Jewish people. Luke doesn't even mention the kingdom in the explanation of the Parable of the Sower. Who was his target audience?

I just thought it was interesting to again have this specificity of purpose in the gospels re-affirmed to my mind.

I'm still not sure about my original thoughts regarding the everyday hearing of the Word and the condition of our heart's soil ... I am not sure if this is what Jesus had in mind when He told this parable ... but I think it is not a hurtful idea, and I am going to pray God wil chuck out some rocks and cut down some thorns.