4 Minute Read
Prepare Your Heart
To the best of your ability, get rid of all distractions. Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and quiet yourself in the Lord’s presence. Then, ask the Lord to speak to you in this time. Let Him know that you will listen and make whatever adjustments He will reveal to you.
Read God’s Word
A Verse for Today
Slowly and reflectively read the following verse(s) and listen to what God will say to you through His written Word. Consider writing down any insights He reveals to you.
Luke 8:9-10 (CSB): “Then his disciples asked him, ‘What does this parable mean?’ So he said, ‘The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that “Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”‘”
Reflecting on God’s Word
The Parable of the Sower is familiar to just about everyone who calls themselves a Christian. Casting seeds on the ground is an easy concept to grasp. Many sermons and lessons have been taught from this parable.
But imagine you had never heard it before. Imagine that you were one of the first-century disciples, and Jesus told it for the very first time. I suspect that we would have joined the disciples when they asked, “What does this parable mean?”
A parable was an opportunity to talk about a very simple, familiar concept that had a surface meaning AND a deeper spiritual meaning. The two stories were side-by-side, one that could be understood as easily as picking up shells on the seashore, and the other that required some serious meditation and reflection to understand its meaning like digging deep beneath the earth’s surface for oil.
When the disciples asked what the parable of the sower meant, they were asking about what it meant to cast seeds upon the ground. They understood that. They were asking about the deeper, spiritual meaning of the parable.
In response to their question, Jesus gave the verses I have chosen for today.
Luke 8:9-10 (CSB): “Then his disciples asked him, ‘What does this parable mean?’ So he said, ‘The secrets of the kingdom of God have been given for you to know, but to the rest it is in parables, so that “Looking they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.”‘”
Jesus said that parables were intended to do two opposite things simultaneously. They were intended to reveal truth to Jesus-followers while simultaneously concealing truth from unbelievers.
How can this be? Is there something mystical or magical about parables that reveal truth to believers while also concealing truth from unbelievers?
Nope. Nothing magical. Nothing mystical.
So, how does this work?
Honestly, it’s a fairly simple answer. Genuine followers of Jesus would love Him and His words so much that they would reflect on them for quite some time. And when this was done, it was essentially Christian meditation. Then, God’s Holy Spirit would sooner or later give insight into the deeper meaning of the parable’s meaning.
Unbelievers who didn’t love the Lord or His word would not reflect on what He has said. They wouldn’t ruminate on His story. So, they would only get the surface meaning and nothing else.
Parables gave listeners an opportunity to work to understand what Jesus said. Believers wanted to discover its truths, and unbelievers had things they deemed more important.
This doesn’t merely work for parables. It goes for the rest of Scripture as well. Do you love God’s Word so much that you think about it and dwell on it until the Holy Spirit reveals the truth to you? Or do you merely skim over your Bible reading and then move on to other things?
It could be that you are missing a HUGE blessing by not loving God’s Word so much that you spend much time thinking about it and meditating on it.
Psalm 119:97 (CSB): “How I love your instruction! It is my meditation all day long.”
Spend Time in Prayer
- Ask God to help you continue to discover how wonderful His Word is.
- Ask God to help you cultivate the rewarding habit of meditating on His Word.
- Ask God to help you discover the joy of discovering the meaning of His Word on your own.
Going Deeper
If you want to dig a little deeper into biblical meditation, consider reading the following GotQuestions article:
“What are some biblical examples of meditation?”
Sharing
If this post has been helpful to you or if you think it could help others, please consider tapping one of the social media buttons below to share it on your favorite platform.
____________________
Matt Ellis is the pastor of First Baptist Church in Polk City, Florida (fbcpolkcity.com)
Matt’s Musings 