18˝Listen then to what the pa...

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means:

19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path.

- P74

22The 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.

23But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

- P74

24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.

25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away.
- P75

28"‘An enemy did this,’ he replied. "The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’

29"‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them.

30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’"

- P75

Jesus explains the parable of the sower: The seed is the message about thekingdom, and the soils represent different responses to it. Jesus tells anotherparable about weeds sown in a wheat field by an enemy. The field‘stells his servants to let both grow until the harvest, then to separate twnerwheat is to be gathered and the weeds are to be burned.
- P75

Jesus explains the meaning behind the parable of the sower. The seed represents God’s Word, and the different soils represent the conditions of the human heart. Though the same message is preached, the response varies. Some hearts are hardened, unable to receive the truth; others are shallow, responding with enthusiasm but lacking depth. They quickly fall away when they face persecution and trouble. Still others are choked by worries and the pursuit of wealth. - P76

However, those who hear, understand, and obey God will flourish, yielding many blessings with the seed of His Word that they have received in their hearts. - P76

May God’s Word transform us so that our lives may be a blessing to others and bring glory to Him. - P76

In this parable, Jesus paints a picture of the ongoing conflict between Godand the enemy of His kingdom. As the good seed of the gospel is sown,
the enemy sows weeds of wickedness. God allows both to grow togetheruntil the time of harvest because uprooting the weeds would also disturbthe wheat. This shows the reality of our world in which good and evil areallowed to coexist.  - P76

We are reminded of God‘s wisdom and grace as Hewaits to execute judgment at the proper time. When Christ returns, thetruth will be revealed, evil will be uprooted, and the righteous will share inHis eternal kingdom. Until then, we are called to live faithfully, bearing thefruit of righteousness and trusting that God‘s justice will ultimately prevail. - P76

Lord, prepare my heart to be fertile soil for Your Word. Remove every distraction and fear, and help me to hear, understand, and obey Your truth so that my life may yield fruit that brings glory to You. In Your name I pray, amen. - P77

The beauty of this choice is that we see God‘s persistent and deliberate pur-suit of those that He created to know Him, receive His salvation, andin a committed covenant relationship with Him. Both parables show usthat, even with God‘s grace andmercy present, there will be those who hearGod‘s Word and receive it, but allow the chaos and troubles of this worldto keep them from having their hearts firmly rooted in the Lord. Yet, therewill also be those who, despite the persecution, opposition, and trouble inthe world, choose to persevere, becoming firmly rooted and steadfast inHim. Such people recognize the glorious gift they have in Jesus and knowthat following Him is worth every struggle they may face. That is the GoodNews that is found in Christ. - P77

10The disciples came to him a...

10The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

- P70

11He replied, "Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

12Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

13This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.

14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.

- P71

15For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

17For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

- P71

Jesus, the master teacher, uses a simple yet profound parable about a sower, seed, and soil to illustrate deep spiritual truths. His listeners, familiar with farming, can easily picture the scene, but not everyone will grasp its full meaning. The disciples themselves ask why Jesus speaks in parables. - P72

Jesus does this to reveal the mysteries of God’s kingdom to those whose hearts are open while concealing them from those whose hearts are hardened. God’s Word is like the seed, and our hearts are like the soil. - P72

The way we respond to His Word reveals the condition of our hearts. When we receive the Word with humility and obedience, it takes root, grows, and bears fruit in our lives. - P72

In this passage, Jesus explains why He teaches in parables. To those whosehearts are responsive to God, His parables reveal the secrets of the kingdomof heaven. This knowledge is hidden from those whose hearts are hardened.
Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah, describing people whose hearts are cal-loused, whose ears are deafened, and whose eyes are blinded to the realitiesof God. The problem is not intellectual but spiritual-a refusal to turn andbe healed.  - P72

Understanding the things of God requires more than curiosity;It requires surrender. With the help of the Holy Spirit, our eyes willears will hear, and our hearts will understand Him. Those who humbly seekGod will find that He graciously reveals Himself to them. - P72

"To ignore, neglect, minimize, or avoid the word of God is to ignore, neglect, minimize,
or avoid God himself." - Marshall Segal - P72

 I sometimes fail to see what God has saved me from because I have not hadan outwardly radical change like that of the apostle Paul, who shifted froma life of visible opposition to God to a life of visible surrender to Him.
I sometimes forget that I have been radically changed from the inside eventhough it might not have been as outwardly apparent as a Paul-like conversion. Spiritually, my life, like theirs, shifted from being shrouded indarkness to being transformed by the light ofChrist.  - P73

All who have chosento follow Jesus, whether from childhood or adulthood, with a radical out-ward change or a radical inward one, must remember that we are blessedto believe in the Lord because we have been granted the ability to see God‘struth with our eyes and hear it with our ears. Praise God for this - P73

Dear God, thank You for Your living Word. - P73

Help me to receive it with an open and humble heart. Remove anything that hardens my heart or distracts me from hearing Your voice. May Your Word take root in me and bear fruit that glorifies You. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P73

38Then some of the Pharisees ...

38Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you."

39He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

40For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

- P66

43"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it.

44Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order.

45Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

- P67

The religious leaders demand a sign to validate Jesus’ authority even though they have already witnessed many miracles from Him. Because their hearts are hardened, no display of power will move them to genuine faith. Jesus points them to the ultimate sign: His death and resurrection. This will be the definitive proof of His identity as the Son of God. - P68

True faith is not built on spectacular experiences but on the Person and work of Christ. When our hearts are open, the simple truth of the gospel is transformative. When our hearts are hardened, however, we cannot see the value of any of Jesus’ miracles. We must pray for ourselves and others to have hearts that are receptive to God’s truth. - P68

While Jesus is still speaking to the crowds, He receives word that His moth-er and brothers want to speak with Him. Instead of going out to meetthem, He uses this moment to teach a lesson about true belonging. Jesus isnot rejecting His earthly family; rather, He is expanding the understandingof what it means to be part of God‘s family. Obedience to the will of theFather is the true mark of kinship with Jesus.  - P68

Our relationship with Christtakes precedence over all human ties. Through faith in Jesus and obedienceto God‘s Word, we become His brothers and sisters-members of Hiseternal family. God desires that our relationship with Him takes precedenceover all others. - P68

Sometimes our prayers sound more like demands. In these situations, wemay have something that we really desire, and so we pray persistently with-out any sense of surrendering our wants to God. This does not mean thatwe should never be persistent in prayer. God does want us to seek Him inall things, and 1 Thessalonians mentions that it is good to "pray continually... for this is God‘s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thess. 5:17-18). How-ever, we should always be aware of our heart posture when we are seekingthe Lord in prayer. Would we be content if His answer to our continuousprayer was "no," "wait," or "not yet"? Or is our way of praying reminiscentof the heart behind the Pharisees‘ words in today‘s passage as they demand-ed of Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from you" (Matt. 12:38)?
- P69

We should reflect on whether the heart behind our persistence is a desire tocontrol the outcome of what God does in our lives or whether we trust Godto answer our prayers in a way that will be for our good and for His glory.
If you find, upon further introspection, that the heart behind your prayerlife is more reflective of the former, ask God to mold your heart to becomeone of persistent surrender to the goodness of His will. - P69

Father, thank You for adopting me into Your family through Jesus Christ. Help me to live each day in obedience to Your will. - P69

May my relationship with You take first place in all I do, and may I love others as members of Your household of faith. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen. - P69

31And so I tell you, every ki...

31And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.

32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

- P63

Jesus heals a demon-possessed man who could neither see nor speak. The crowd begins to question whether Jesus could be the Messiah while the Pharisees accuse Jesus of driving out demons by the power of the devil. Jesus refutes their accusation and proclaims that the kingdom of God has now come. - P64

Jesus’ act of healing the blind and mute man showed not only compassion but a confrontation: Jesus came to restore what sin had corrupted since humanity’s fall and evil had to flee before His kingdom; the Pharisees’ rejection of Jesus could not stop the advance of His reign. And today, the kingdom of God continues to advance as Jesus gives freedom from sin’s reign to all who trust Him. - P64

In response to the Pharisees‘ words, Jesus teaches that just as the quality ofa tree is known by its fruit, the contents of a person‘s heart are known bywhat their mouth speaks. A good person speaks good things out of the goodstored in them and an evil person speaks evil things out of the evil stored inthem.  - P64

Jesus warns that everyone will have to give account before God forthe words they have spoken. Our speech exposes what our hearts are fullof Careless words reflect sin while gracious words reflect a heart shaped byGod‘s Spirit. When Christ is on the throne of our hearts, our speech reflectsHis life-giving, truthful, and full of grace. - P64

Father, may my speech bear witness before others that my heart and life have been changed. Help me to show the difference that being indwelt by Your Holy Spirit has in my life. Thank You for the forgiveness of sins that only You can give. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P65

6I tell you that something gr...

6I tell you that something greater than the temple is here.

7If you had known what these words mean, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

8For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

9Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue,

10and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Looking for a reason to bring charges against Jesus, they asked him, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?"

11He said to them, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

- P57

12How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath."

13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other.

14But the Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus.

- P58

As Jesus walks through grainfields one Sabbath day, His hungry disciples pick some grains and eat them. The Pharisees condemn the disciples because according to them, picking grains on the Sabbath is work, and working on the Sabbath is unlawful. Using examples from Scripture, Jesus shows the Pharisees that their rules for what can or cannot be done on the Sabbath are missing the point; He reveals that showing mercy is more valuable to God than rituals. - P60

However, this does not mean we should stop "rituals" like our Sunday gatherings. But as we do them, let us remember that God expects more from us than a worship service: He wants us to show His mercy by loving others and attending to their needs. - P60

In 1 Samuel 15, God ordered King Saul to destroy the Amalekites com-pletely. But Saul disobeyed God and spared the Amalekite king and the bestof their animals. Saul tried to excuse his behavior by saying he just wantedto offer the animals to God as a sacrifice, but eventually confessed it wasbecause he was afraid of dipleasing his men. The prophet Samuel informedSaul that God does not need anything and that He desires obedience aboveeverything else. - P61

Dear God, Your Word and Your works reflect Your merciful character. Help me to honor Your desire for me to reflect such character. Forgive me for the times I neglect to understand and do what is important to You. In Jesus’ name, amen. - P61