(Text and Audio)
Title: The Sower (Part Two)
Today we continue with part 2 of a 3 part series dealing with Jesus’ parable on “The Sower”. Last week, as you may recall we laid the foundation by looking at the parable itself, this week we will look at Jesus’ explanation as to why he choose to teach using parables, and next week we will conclude by hearing Jesus’ explain the symbolism of the parable.
As we start this morning, I’d like to offer a quick review of the highlights from last week, so that we can carry that knowledge forward.
Review:
Parable: A scene from everyday life that relates familiar concepts with unfamiliar concepts. (Jesus mainly used nature parables.)
Jesus was mobbed (and therefore, tired) during much of his ministry. People came to him to see miracles, to decide if he was the Messiah, and to see if he posed a threat to their power, whether that power was Jewish or Roman.
In the parable itself, we see that Jesus outlines 3 ways (birds, stony places, thorns) that the seeds DO NOT take root, grow, or do what a seed is designed to do (be fruitful and multiply).
(Read/Pray)
The Question: Why do you speak to them in parables?
This is where we will begin our discourse today, in hopes that we will be able to fully understand Jesus’ answer to his disciples.
The first thing that we see here is that the apostles recognize that Jesus speaks to the multitude differently than he speaks to his closest disciples and followers.
They sense that Jesus sees the masses differently than he sees them.
Let me pause right there. This is profound kick in the teeth to anyone who thinks that God gives the same opportunity for everyone to be saved. And then we choose to accept or choose to deny God, and then it’s our wisdom, or our fault, that causes us to end up in Heaven or Hell.
Jesus’ disciples essentially say, “Why do you teach the masses differently than us? What’s the point of doing that? Why not just say to them what you would say to us?”
It’s a great question, and Jesus’ answer is even more shocking.
TWO REASONS:
- It has been given to you, to them it has not been given. (V.11)
I will say one thing at this point, and then ask if there are any questions: Salvation is a gift, given freely, by God’s choosing, to whom He chooses.
Questions?
- In them, the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled. (V.14)
And HOW is the Isaiah prophecy fulfilled?
Because they hear it, and yet, do not understand it.
(read entire quote from Isaiah 6:9-10)
So Isaiah is talking to an unrepentant Israel, after the split of the kingdoms, and before Assyria overruns Israel in 740 BC, warns them that a day is coming when the Lord will speak to them, they will see the Lord, but they will not perceive He is the Lord.
And Jesus quotes that, just after speaking a parable to a group, made up almost exclusively of Jews. Wow.
Again, I’m not trying to theologically beat anyone up today, but I must ask again: Who thinks they plan their own salvation? Who thinks they choose God? We are less than worms, redeemed ONLY by HIS SOVEREIGN CHOICE AND DESIGN!
There are men that can explain this better than me, but I stand before you befuddled that anyone would buy into the lie that we, on our own, can see God.
Jesus’ Reminder
In verses 16/17 we see Jesus remind his apostles that they are so very blessed. Blessed in a way that even the great patriarchs of Israel, men like Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah, were not:
Those men, as great, and righteous as they were, they desired to see what the apostles were seeing, and did not see it. They desired to sit at the feat of the Lord and consume his teaching, and did not get to.
And in that reminder, there is a HUGE lesson in all of this for us this morning. When we talk of God’s sovereignty, we often talk about who God seemingly has not (or has not yet) chosen for his kingdom, and we are asking the wrong question.
We ask: Why NOT them?
We OUGHT to ask: Why me? (For what PURPOSE was I chosen?)