Chapter 24 - No Ordinary Man

Matthew 5-7; 9; 14

Mark 4-6

Luke 10; 15

John 6

Introduction to the Reading: Last week I left you with the question, "How would you respond if someone asked, 'Who is Jesus?'  Today I have a similar question: How do people respond to Jesus?  It's amazing to me how differently people respond when they meet Jesus in the Word. Today we are going to read about people who met Jesus in person.

Before You Read:  
Jesus himself address this question in a number of parables. In fact, in the first parable we read today, Jesus used an illustration from farming to teach us about how people respond to the Word. Jesus often spoke about things from everyday life to help us understand spiritual truths in simple terms. Pay attention as you read this first section - in how many of these parables is Jesus explaining how faith grows? What is the main point of each illustration?

Time to Slow it Down - Top of Page 339:
Although the Word can produce a faith as large as a mustard tree, some reject the Good News about Jesus. Many Pharisees and teachers of God's word actually didn't believe that Jesus was their Savior. They thought that they were better than everyone else because they were very religious. They realized that what they needed to do to earn eternal life is to keep God's law perfectly. How does the parable that Jesus is about to tell point out how impossible this is? How is it that they can't earn eternal life, but only inherit it through faith in Jesus?

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God's kingdom is often defined as Christ’s rule over our hearts. In the Lord's prayer we ask that God would send his kingdom - that he would rule over our hearts - that the faith would spread! Luther explains the Second Petition of the Lord's Prayer this way: What does this mean? The kingdom of God certainly comes without our prayer; but we pray in this petition that it may come to us as well. How is this done? When our heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that by his grace we believe His holy Word and lead a godly life here and in eternity.

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Although many of the Pharisees and teachers of the law didn't confess that Jesus was God, it's interesting that the demons had to admit plainly that they recognized him as such. When the demon-possessed man was spared from his bondage, what did he do? Why do we naturally tell others when we are freed from our slavery to Satan?

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Although the crowds flocked to hear Jesus, even his own disciples often struggled in their faith. It is a comfort for me to hear this since I at times myself often have doubts. Like Peter, I get distracted by the world around me, take my eyes off Jesus, and begin to sink. However, when we learn to trust Jesus, we too are led to proclaim, "Truly you are the Son of God!"

When You're Done Reading - Thoughts to Ponder:
Peter's words have been etched in my memory. As I've met Jesus through his word, I too can't help but repeat with Peter, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God."

As we have seen throughout our reading, however, not everyone will come to that conclusion. Even on the very heals of Peter's confession, we hear how Judas would betray Jesus.

How do people respond when they meet Jesus? Well, Jesus told us himself in the very first parable we read today, didn't he? Some people will hear the Word, but for various reasons will fall from the faith. Others, however, will come to faith and produce a harvest of good works pleasing to God. Who will that be?

So what do I learn from Jesus' parable of the Sower? This is what I personally take away: Sow the seed! I don't know who will come to faith. But I can be a lamp on a stand - a city on a hill - the salt of the earth, whatever illustration you want to use. I can be like the demon possessed man, or John the Baptist, or the blind men who received sight, or the disciples who witnessed to what they had seen and heard. How will people respond when they meet Jesus? I honestly don't know - but it really shouldn't impact what I do. How will people respond when they meet Jesus? I don't know - but that doesn't stop me from introducing him to them!

Prayer/Hymn:
by John S.B. Monsell

Lord of the living harvest
That whitens o’er the plain,
Where angels soon will gather
Their sheaves of golden grain,
Accept these hands to labor,
These hearts to trust and love,
And deign with them to hasten
Thy kingdom from above.

As laborers in your vineyard,
Lord, send them out to be
Content to bear the burden
Of weary days for Thee.
To ask no other wages
When you will call them home
But to have shared the travail
Which makes your kingdom come.

Be with them, God the Father;
Be with them, God the Son;
And God the Holy Spirit,
Most blessed Three in One.
Make them your faithful servants
You rightly to adore
And fill them with your fullness
Both now and evermore.