Selection
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
We don’t often think about this but Jesus was selective about who he called to follow him. Jesus welcomed anyone but he knew that not everyone was ready to receive his message. Let’s be honest, the words of Jesus, if we take them seriously, are wonderfully life giving but they are not easy. Not everyone is ready to receive the good news that Jesus has to offer. That is the teaching that Jesus was trying to convey when he taught the crowds and his disciples the parable of the sower. Most of the seed did not fall on fertile ground.
The truth that not everyone is ready to hear the good news of Jesus can help each of us as we attempt to make disciples for Jesus Christ. We need to be careful in the process of selection of who we invest our life in for the purpose of sharing the gospel. We need to choose those who at least seem to be the most receptive to the salvation and life transforming love that Jesus has to offer.
Also, as we think about the readiness of one’s heart to receive the message of Jesus we should also take a look at our own hearts from time to time. How receptive are we to the message of Jesus. Even those of us who have made the decision to follow Jesus can allow our hearts to be hardened to the word of Jesus. We must always work to keep our hearts a fertile place for the seeds of the gospel to be sown.
This week we are going to consider two main things:
1. What makes a heart a fertile place to sow the gospel? 2. How do we keep our hearts fertile for Jesus’ continued work in us?
