Who Is Jesus? Part 2Sample

Keys to the Kingdom In this chapter, we find a collection of parables about the Kingdom of heaven told by the most influential storyteller in history. Even if you’re not fully convinced that Jesus is who He said He is, no one can deny the impact He’s had on history and western civilization. And so much of that impact is the result of the stories He told. Jesus’ stories captured the truth of the human condition and the very nature of reality. And 2,000 years later, His stories are still transforming hearts and shattering assumptions. One of Jesus’ most famous parables is found at the beginning of this chapter. It’s called the Parable of the Sower. Jesus describes a farmer who goes out to plant seeds. Some of those seeds fall in rocky places, some in thorny places, some on the path along the way, and some on good soil. Where the seeds fell determined the kind of growth they produced. The seeds on the path produced nothing except a snack for the birds. The seeds that fell among the rocks sprang up quickly, but had no room to grow roots in the shallow soil, so they were just as quickly scorched and gone. The thorny place allowed the seeds to grow for a little while, but eventually they were overrun by weeds. Lastly, the rich, good soil produced a massive crop, up to 100 times the original amount that was planted. Why is Jesus talking about agriculture? What does this story have to do with you and me? Jesus has been introducing us to the kingdom of heaven. He’s inviting us to be part of bringing that kingdom to earth. And what He’s showing us in this story is that our effectiveness in that mission depends on the condition of our hearts. Jesus explains the above parable to His disciples saying that each of the four conditions represents a different kind of person. The one represented by the seeds that fell on the path is someone who hears the message of the kingdom and does not receive it. That seed is fair game for the enemy to steal quickly. The seed that fell among the rocks represents a person who receives the message quickly, but on a solely emotional basis. When the feelings fade, there’s no roots to support continued faith. Shallow interactions produce superficial relationships. We’ve got to get to know Jesus, really know Him. Seeds that fell alongside thorns represent someone who hears about, receives, and even has a pretty good relationship with Jesus, but when something difficult happens in their life or they’re distracted by other desires, their faith is no longer a priority and it becomes unfruitful. Finally, that good soil shows us someone who hears, understands, and accepts Jesus’ invitation to partner with Him in restoring creation. And this dedication to the mission we were created for leads to an incredibly fruitful life. Jesus’ story begs the question: Which one are you? Let’s be people who tend to the soil that is our own hearts. Let’s take our faith seriously and invest in a deep, vibrant relationship with Jesus, the God who invites us into a meaningful, fruitful life that impacts the world around us.