644 Paramus Road, Paramus, NJ 07652

How to Hear God Through the Parable of the Sower

January 19, 2020
in The Word
No Comments
1074

Unlike the winter snow, that is cold, we warm our heart with the blessing, full of love. The 15th of January according to our Syriac Orthodox Church calendar, is called the feast of the Virgin Mary of the Sowing.

In our church, we have many feasts for the Virgin Mary, which is also the name of our church, so we feel closer to her during these feasts. Usually we have only one feast for each saint, and for their departure from life. But only Virgin Mary and John the Baptist have more than one feast – because John opened the way for Jesus and Mary gave Jesus His body.

For today’s feast, we read from Matthew 13 in one of Jesus’s parables, the parable of the sowing. He proposes the choice for all of us to choose which way to go in the life. He compares us to the work of the sower, as he worked the land to harvest the wheat. Some of his wheat fell on stony land, other fell among the thorns, and others fell on the wayside. But the majority fell on very good ground.

So Jesus is asking us to choose – am I from the first three kinds of fallen wheat, or am I wheat on the good ground?

Many news channels for instance, have their own agendas, so the people who watch it get to believe what they hear. And then they get addicted to these channels. Jesus says be careful about the things that you hear, and instead listen to God’s channel. The wheat that falls is the word of god, and we are the ground, and the sower is Jesus or the Bible. The way you determine to receive the word, through God’s channel or not, determines your life.

We have many examples in the Bible. When Jesus called on four disciples to follow Him, they followed Him. Another example is Saul who was also called to follow Jesus.

And when the Angel came to Mary and gave her the good news, Mary said, “I am the maid servant of God” and she followed Him right away.

Likewise, how you hear is going to determine if you are a son or daughter of God or are you of this world.

Adam and Eve did not listen to the one commandment from God. When we remember them, we say “how come they did not listen to God?” – Instead, look to your life, how many times did you close your eyes, your ears and your heart from listening to God.

Instead of judging Adam and Eve, look to yourself and answer.

How you hear is going to determine your personality. He who has an ear to hear, let him hear – Jesus says.

Hebrews 3:15, Paul says to all of you “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your heart”

Open your heart. Do not be stony or full of thorns.

Don’t give yourself excuses. Don’t be stubborn. Don’t say “one more day” because you don’t know what will happen to you, even in the next second.

I pray that God will open all our hearts. If you don’t know what kind of heart you have today, let God come to your heart to make it soft and good. So, when he says “follow me” you will say “yes, Lord” and have a good result. You only need to open your heart to say yes Lord, I want to be the good ground and give good food.

If you are willing, God will open his “sky channel” to talk to you and tell you, “I love you. I want you. Follow me, and I will make your life fruitful.

Learn more in Father Andrew’s sermon video here.

share

Recommended Posts