The sower sows the word.

Mark 3:31-4:25 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. ³² A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” ³³ Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” ³⁴ Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! ³⁵ For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”

4 He began to teach again by the sea. And such a very large crowd gathered to Him that He got into a boat in the sea and sat down; and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. ² And He was teaching them many things in parables, and was saying to them in His teaching, ³ “Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow; ⁴ as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. ⁶ And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. ⁸ Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” ⁹ And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

¹⁰ As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. ¹¹ And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, ¹² so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.”

¹³ And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How will you understand all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them. ¹⁶ In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. ¹⁸ And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, ¹⁹ but the worries of the ^]world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

²¹ And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand? ²² For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” ²⁴ And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given you besides. ²⁵ For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

Today’s text begins saying:  Then His mother and His brothers arrived, and standing outside they sent word to Him and called Him. A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.” Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?” Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”     Can we infer then that Jesus would say that those who do not do the Father’s will are not His brothers and sisters? Jesus teaches that we are to love everyone, our brothers, our neighbors and even our enemies, but throughout the gospels, the accounts of Jesus teachings and the letters to the churches in the New Testament, there are many references and instructions on how we are to interact with a brother, referring to someone who does believe, one who does do the will of the Father. In today’s text Jesus says:  “By your standard of measure it will be measured to you.”  In Matthew 7:1-5 it is recorded that Jesus said:  “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.”  This principle applies to the relationship between brothers, not relatives, but those who are like minded. While we are to love everyone, helping them to see clearly is something we do for other believers. It is an act of restoration, not of salvation. Galatians 6:1 says:  Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.   In Matthew 7:6, Jesus continues His teaching on not judging a brother, but seeing clearly to restore by saying:   “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”    So this extra measure of grace is toward those who believe. We cannot restore one who has not believed.

Judgment is not ours to give, either to believers or to the world. We are encouraged to help brothers and sisters see clearly, showing them the truth, once we have fully applied it to ourselves. To help the world see more clearly, Jesus has a different method. In Matthew 5:13-19 Jesus says:   “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”    First and foremost, the way we live and act should be what shines light to unbelievers, helping them to see. As salt we should be a preservative of what is good. Our lives though should not be bland as if obedience to God is bondage. Rather we should live abundantly as Jesus says in John 10:10. Our lives should reveal the abundance and the flavor of the kingdom of heaven. People should see the good in our lives and glorify God. Still by both what we do and what we say, we should teach others to do the Fathers will.

In today’s text, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. In explaining it to the disciples He says:   “The sower sows the word. These are the ones who are beside the road where the word is sown; and when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word which has been sown in them.  In a similar way these are the ones on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy;  and they have no firm root in themselves, but are only temporary; then, when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately they fall away. And others are the ones on whom seed was sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word, but the worries of the ^]world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. And those are the ones on whom seed was sown on the good soil; and they hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”    If we would be sowers, if we would be ones who join Jesus in His work, we should realize this about the word; The word, like God and Like Jesus, who is Himself the word made flesh, is unchanging. The word is also, like God, infinite and eternal. In the parable the sower sowed wherever he went, without regard for the soil. We should have that same mentality and diligence. The word of God will never run out,  it is an endless supply. Its life giving and life changing ability is infinite and eternal. If we, like the sower, will be faithful to sow the truth of God’s word everywhere we go, we will see it bear fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for Your love. Holy Spirit help me to examine myself that I may help others to see clearly. May I live as salt and light and may Your infinite, eternal word produce fruit everywhere it is sown. May brothers and sisters be restored and may others see and glorify You, that they too would become part of the family of God, in Jesus name.   Amen.