マタイによる福音書13:1-9 Matthew 13:1-9,

The church proclaims God’s word (the word) to the people. Central to the teaching of God’s word is the cross and resurrection of Jesus. The church proclaims God’s word as recorded in the Bible every Sunday so that those who hear and believe in Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection will receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.

In today’s Bible passage, Jesus tells us that proclaiming God’s word is like sowing seeds. Concerning sowing, what do you think of? You probably think of ploughing a field, making the soil soft, and then carefully sowing the seeds in the ploughed field. However, the people in today’s Bible passages sow seeds not only in the field, but also along the path, in rocky ground, and in places where thorns are growing, without worrying too much if the seeds fly. It’s interesting.

What happened to the seeds that fell along the path? Path sides are easy places for birds to find seeds. So the birds flew over and ate the seeds. It could not take root or sprout. What happened to the seed that fell in the rocky ground? Well, the seed took root, but because it was on a hard rock, it was not able to extend its roots into the soil. There, they were killed by the sun’s light and heat. What happened to the seeds that fell among thorns? Thorn is a tall grass that grows in the fields. The seeds that fell among thorns took root and sprouted and grew, but because they were covered by the thorns, they did not receive enough sunlight. So they could not grow above the thorns and could not bear grain. Now, what happens to the seed that fell on good soil? It took root, sprouted, grew and produced a lot of grain. It must have produced a lot of grain that people could eat.

What is Jesus trying to say in this parable? Actually, a little later in verses 18-23, Jesus himself gives us the answer. The seed that fell along the path was eaten by the birds. That is the person that the devil would snatch away the word of God from his/her heart. It is someone who hears about the cross of Jesus, but thinks it has nothing to do with him/her and discards it from his/her heart. The seed that fell in the rocky ground, it couldn’t take root and withered away. It is the person who is willing to believe God’s word when he/she hears it, but stops believing it as soon as he/she has something painful. It is someone who believes in the cross of Jesus, but when he/she suffer, he/she doesn’t care about the cross any more. The seed that fell among the thorns could not grow up and bear grain. It is the person who believes God’s word but is deceived by the temptations of worldly thoughts and money and does not live according to the word. It is someone who wants to live an easy and enjoyable life and does not want to follow Jesus. And the seed that fell on good soil grew and produced a lot of grain, didn’t it? It is the person who believes God’s word and then lives according to God’s word. It is someone who receives salvation through the cross of Jesus and lives following him, even if it is painful. Such a person can create a fellowship of love and peace in this life. And after their earthly life is over, they can bear the fruit of eternal life.