#130 Parables for Everyday Living (23/05/04)

Message by: Robert A. Schuller

This morning my father and I are starting a new series of messages entitled, Parables for Everyday Living. These parables are stories that Jesus shared with His followers over two thousand years ago and these parables remain as relevant and as wise today. They are lessons for everyday living. Yes, these lessons are timeless and applicable to how we live today and our prayer is that these messages will impact each of us. Today I’m beginning with the very first parable that Jesus told. It is called "The Parable of the Sower," and it is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew:

The Parable of the Sower
"On that same day Jesus went out of the house
and sat by the sea. And great multitudes were
gathered together to Him, so that He got into a boat
and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
Then He spoke many things to them in parables,
saying: 'Behold, a sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside;
and the birds came and devoured them.
Some fell on stony places, where they did not have
much earth; and they immediately sprang up
because they had no depth of earth.
But when the sun was up they were scorched, and
because they had no root they withered away.
And some fell among thorns, and the thorns
sprang up and choked them. But others fell on
good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'"
(Matthew 13:1-9)

This parable is one of the few parables where Jesus explained its meaning, which you can read in Matthew 13:19-23. And I want to share in my own words some thoughts this morning about this parable and my understanding of our Lord's words.

The Parable of the Sower:

(1) Jesus Christ can create hope again in the hardened paths of life.

Note that the parable begins with the idea of a farmer scattering seed and some seed falls on a hardened path. I find that extremely interesting. You have often heard the phrase, "the path of life." Yes, life is made up of paths that are formed for us ... some through traditions, others through family and environment. Seldom do people walk in new places that haven't already been discovered. The paths Jesus spoke of are packed down, hard, where people's feet have walked for centuries, and people naturally follow the hardened paths, oftentimes not knowing where they lead.

I love to hike and when my family has had the wonderful experience to vacation in Hawaii we do hike. We tried to find different hiking trails in Hawaii where we could hike up into the mountains where there are the most abundant gardens, tropical vines, and greenery in the world. But we follow the hardened paths where no vegetation of any kind grows, even though the seeds fall from the towering vines above. And even though the grass tries to encroach upon these paths, they remain hardened dirt paths as people continue to walk on them and no seed has a chance to grow.

Jesus knew His audience, and He saw many people who had been walked on, who felt abused, put down and belittled. In the process of being stepped on they had become hardened to a life of faith and trust. Jesus knew and understood how difficult it was for these people who stood before Him to be able to open up to believe in a God of love and goodness. They simply could not believe it to be true, nor did they understand the message of Jesus Christ.

Today, two thousand years later, there are also people who are being abused and have become hardened in their attitude of life. But the good news is that if you feel like your life represents a hardened path in a hardened world, and your heart has become hardened, the Holy Spirit is alive, cultivating and softening hearts to create healing, hope and wholeness. Yes, Jesus Christ can create hope again in the hardened paths of life.

My uncle, Henry Schuller, has always been a farmer, farming the farm that my father was raised on. The first time he ever left the farm was to become a stretcher bearer in World War II. When he returned from the war, he didn't leave the farm again until he retired in a nearby town. He lived on that farm and raised crops on that farm and was a wonderful farmer.

He is a very special uncle, and I went to visit him recently. He took me out to the farm, but the farm wasn't the same anymore. Many of the buildings had been bulldozed down and the pathways had been plowed and seed had been planted. Instead of buildings and paths, there was a large field of corn. Food was being produced on the hardened places and that's what the Holy Spirit of God does in lives that have been hardened. Jesus Christ comes and plants hope, joy and love within each of us who understand and receive His message.

The Parable of the Sower:

(2) When trouble comes, don't turn away from God

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus describes what happens when the seed falls in the shallow soil among the rocks. The soil looks healthy and ready for the seed and the seed prospers for a little while. But as soon as the hot sun comes out, it withers and dies. How true this is with us when there is any negativity whatsoever, or if the prosperity goes away. Then we quickly react, "I knew that's the way it would be," and we end up blaming or even cursing God and we run away from Him.

I was invited to go golfing with a friend of mine, who happens to be a member of a beautiful country club. I had golfed with him before at this golf course with such beautiful greens. He said, "You won’t believe what happened, all of our greens died." I said, "What!" He said, "Yes, all of our greens died. But in some areas we now have temporary greens which work quite well, so you're welcome to come and play anyway."

So I accepted his invitation. When I arrived, I saw that in a large area of the golf course, instead of greens, about three feet of soil had been removed. They had excavated all the dirt. I asked, "What are they doing?" He replied, "In order to get healthy and strong greens that will not die again, they had to remove all the soil, then mix new soil that will receive the greens.
About six months later I was invited again to that golf course, I saw the new greens and they were beautiful. I asked, "Wow, do we get to play the new greens today?" My friend replied, "No, we don't. They are too fragile. Every week the roots are measured and no one is allowed to walk on those greens until the roots are eighteen inches deep. When those roots reach that depth, the greens will be good and healthy and ready to play."

Jesus Christ understands that life has its trouble, obstacles and sin. He calls us not to run away from God, but instead to open up to the message of God’s love. and say, "Yes, Lord, I accept Your love, especially now in my troubles."

I have often heard my father say, "Every problem is pregnant with possibilities," and when he has an impossible problem, God gives him more faith to believe that God is bigger than any problem, and that, "all things are possible with God."

The Parable of the Sower:

(3) Life's worries and distractions quickly choke our tender faith.

In the Parable of the Sower, the third lesson Jesus illustrates is that there is the seed that falls in good soil, but the plants are weak so when the weeds grow they choke out the tender plants and they die. In the same way there are people who hear, understand and accept the message of faith, but simply don’t have the strength to persevere against the pressures of society.
As a young boy I was given the responsibility in our home to take care of the lawn. That was my job. My parents had decided that the lawn to plant was a dichondra lawn that grows only in Southern California. When we first planted that lawn, it was a disaster. With every shoot of grass that came up, there was a weed that sprouted beside it. So we started pulling those weeds by hand, one at a time. As soon as we finished ... guess what ... the weeds came up again. Then a gardener told us there was a fertilizer specifically made for dichondra lawns that would strengthen the dichondra. Then the dichondra would overtake the weeds and the problem with weeds would be solved. And that's what happened.

How strong is your faith today? When the "weeds" of insecurity come, do you respond, "I couldn't possibly do that, Lord, what if this would happen?" Or there are other distractions such as the desire for riches. "Well, Lord, I really want to be rich. And if I did what You want me to do, I might not be as rich as I want to be." And so we start focusing too much on what is going to make the most money, instead of focusing on what God has called us to do. I don’t think God created us to simply have the biggest checking account in our bank Life has more value than that.
How many of you have seen the bumper sticker, "He who dies with the most toys wins"? That is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. He who dies with the most toys is dead ... and the promise of Jesus Christ is that we will live and live forever. That is what the message of Jesus Christ is all about ... Life forever more!

The Parable of the Sower

(4) Respond to the promises of Christ and be blessed forevermore

Finally, Jesus tells about the seed that is planted where it takes root and finds the nutrients it needs, and it begins to germinate. It grows and prospers. Even though it feels the hot sun, it weathers the heat and overcomes the troubles and the challenges ... and it produces one hundred fold!

How many here would be happy with God’s blessings poured out on you one hundred fold? We work and negotiate for an investment that probably will earn us 20%. But has there ever been a material investment that gave you 100% return? In this parable, Jesus says that the seed produced a hundred fold, not a hundred percent. Do you know that one hundred fold equals a 10,000% return? No one in their wildest imagination would even begin to offer you an investment return of 10,000% ... but God does. This is the promise of God when we believe and understand God’s word and accept His guidance in our lives, when we say, "Yes, Lord! I'm following You at all costs and I'm doing what You are calling me to do. Yes, Lord!" There is no greater investment on planet earth ... nothing with a greater return than that.

So today I ask you to respond to the promises and the wonder of knowing God through Jesus Christ. He comes to soften hearts, to bring healing, hope and wholeness. Jesus Christ comes to you to lift you up ... to help you understand the incredible sacrifice that He gave, so that you can live through Him.

What’s holding you back? What’s keeping you from making a decision? Is it a hardened heart? Is it trouble? Is it the weeds of distraction and worry? Make the decision today to trust in Jesus Christ and you will be producing joy, love and peace, not only in your own life, but in the lives of people around you!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are a God of new beginnings. There are incredible things taking place in the lives and hearts of people around the world and I want to be included. Touch my heart and my soul with Your presence and Your reality. I want to have the faith to trust You ... to move forward in the direction that You have for me. With Your Holy Spirit leading me, I cannot fail. I thank You, Lord, for everything and I praise Your name in all things. Amen.