“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.” (Luke 8:11-15 NIV)
I have read the parable of the sower literally hundreds of times in my lifetime, but something stood out to me recently in Jesus’ explanation of the seed choked out by the thorns that I hadn’t grasped before—“they do not mature.” Matthew’s version of the parable says, “unfruitful.” I think it is his version that has been stuck in my brain all these years. They are in many ways the same, but that phrase, “they do not mature” resonated.
It has long been observed that Americans are a distracted people. We so often move our focus from one thing to another, having difficulty remaining fixed on one thing for very long. In American life, so many things compete for our attention. Could this be why the American Church, as a whole is immature and unfruitful? Could this be why you and I are less mature than we should be by this point in our lives because too many things distract us?
Note that Jesus says those whose lives are choked by distractions continue down the path. We tend to think they just stop believing, but a careful reading of the text paints a different picture. They continue to live as believers, just immature and unfruitful ones.
Could this be the reason there are so many churches in America, but so few have any real impact on the lives of unbelievers? Yes, many are active in their churches, but are people really maturing spiritually over the years? Or are they just believers who lives are so choked with distractions, they have no time to devote themselves to the things that produce spiritual maturity, such as studying the Word, meditating, praying, having true fellowship, serving, etc.?
What about you? Are you maturing in your walk with Jesus? Can you look back over the last several years and see increasing maturity or are you stuck in the same place you have been for awhile.
Today, examine the distractions in your life. What gets in the way of you growing in your relationship with Jesus? Take the time to figure that out and then begin to remove them. The Lord’s intent for us is to grow and mature over the course of our lives. If that is not happening, then something needs to change.
© Jim Musser 2017
“One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were crowding around him and listening to the word of God. He saw at the water’s edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’
Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’
When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’ For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners.
Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” (Luke 5:1-11 NIV)
From the very beginning, sin has come between God and us. After they were disobedient to the Lord, Adam and Eve hid from Him (Genesis 3:8). After killing his brother, Cain was banished from the Lord’s presence (Genesis 4:16). So Peter, a Jew, was well acquainted with sin’s effects. So his instinctive reaction to the divine power of Jesus was to separate himself from Him. And it can be ours as well.
On campus, one can sense sin’s impact. For many who party, sleep around, and live for themselves, the underlying motivation is the recognition they are sinful people. They’ve messed up repeatedly and they don’t feel good enough for God, so why try? Many times we have students remain on the fringes of our ministry for this very reason. They’re inclined to come around as means to assuage their guilt, but they won’t truly pursue Jesus because they fear they are not good enough to follow Him. Like Peter, they feel the need to keep Him at a distance.
Yet, the words of our Lord to Peter are powerful: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” Jesus was well aware of Peter’s sin, yet invited him to be part of His mission to reconcile people to God.
What about you? Have you allowed your sinfulness to separate you from the Lord and what He desires for your life? Are you afraid you are not worthy to be a truly committed follower? If so, then find hope and courage in the Lord’s interaction with Peter. Humble yourself before Him and confess your sinfulness. Don’t be afraid. As long as you recognize your shortcomings, He can use you in powerful ways to draw other sinners into a relationship with Himself.
© Jim Musser 2017
“Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’
And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” (Psalm 32:1-5 NIV)
The start of every school year is always a new beginning, something akin to a significant birthday, such as a 25th or a 40th. It offers the opportunity for a fresh start. And oh how we so often need a fresh start!
For students, summers always are brimming with excitement and promise, but often fall short of expectations. They can return to campus wounded and weary from disappointment—in themselves. Temptation, fueled by their own evil desires, as James describes (1:14-15), dragged them into sinful situations where they fell hard. Instead of returning with a lift in their step, there is a limp.
For the rest of us, we may not be starting anything new, but it is quite likely we are limping, even if it is barely noticeable. We, too, are feeling the effects of acts of disobedience, self-inflicted wounds that have accumulated over time.
For all of us, this psalm offers a remedy, a healing balm that will soothe what ails us. David was reluctant to confess his sin and he found himself in misery. What changed everything was his willingness to confess what he had done wrong. So often it is our pride that prevents us from owning up to what we have done, to God and others. We have an image to maintain, so we hide our sin, but, as David discovered, we do so at our peril.
Today, if there is a limp in your step from the self-inflicted wounds of sin, know that confession is the means by which you can be healed. You don’t have to remain in misery. Like David, you can have a fresh start.
© Jim Musser 2017
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’
When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV)
Two weeks ago it was Texas. Now it is Florida. Being in the path of a monstrous storm will quickly get one’s attention. There is an old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes, recognizing the fact that when people are in desperate situations, they cry out to God. They have encountered circumstances beyond their control and they cry out for help. Like when the roar of a hurricane is bearing down, the car is sliding out of control, or the medical test comes back positive. In desperate times, there are few who do not realize their dependence on something greater than themselves.
But what is also true, once the desperate situation passes, is for most nothing really changes. People go back to their lives as before. The lepers were desperate. Shunned and scorned by society, they cried out to Jesus for help. And He graciously responded. Yet, once they were healed, nine of the ten just went on with their lives without acknowledging the Source of their healing.
I remember in the days following the 9/11 attacks people were filling churches, attending prayer services, and reflecting on the meaning and value of life. Desperate people were crying out to God. But within weeks, church attendance returned to normal levels and life resumed with most people looking for answers, not from God, but from politicians.
The desperate situations we encounter are a window into our true reality: we are totally dependent on God. The hurricane, the car wreck, the illness, only serve to amplify the fact we are not in control of our lives. But like the nine lepers for whom the Lord provided, we so often go on our way without acknowledging what He has done for us and how dependent our lives are on Him.
Today, recognize, even if life is going well for you right now, how dependent you are on God, how much He has provided for you. Like the one leper who was healed, take the time to thank Him for all He has done for you.
© Jim Musser, 2017
“As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’
‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: “You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.”’
‘Teacher,’ he declared, ‘all these I have kept since I was a boy.’
Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One thing you lack,’ he said. ‘Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’
At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.” (Mark 10:17-22 NIV)
Last week, I wrote about Jesus’ lack of concern in offending people when it came to telling the truth. But one thing I wanted to emphasize is Jesus told the truth because He loved people. This passage makes that abundantly clear.
Sometimes people want to use truth as a bludgeon, as a way to beat others down. What they say is true, but the motive behind their words is to injure or malign, so as to lift themselves up. We see this often in our society, but this is not what Jesus did. He spoke truth to people because He loved them. He told this wealthy man to give away all he had, not because he held a grudge against rich people, but because he saw the man’s wealth had become his idol. His possessions possessed him. The only remedy was for the man to free himself from them. It was a truth he could not swallow.
And that’s the way it often goes when we tell the truth, even when love is our only motive. People will reject it and sometimes be offended. But if our only motive is love, that we truly want what is in the best interests of the person, then regardless of their reaction, we can walk away with a clear conscience.
Today, remember the motive for Jesus telling the truth was simply that He loved people. When you desire to share the truth of the Word with others, if that is not your motive, it would be better to refrain from saying anything at all.
© Jim Musser 2017
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6 NIV)
With the advent of social media over the past few years, there has been an increase in hubris of those who post their tweets and Facebook statuses, and in the comments on the many blogs. Many people seem to have trouble filtering their thoughts. Perhaps the urge to make their point or to say something memorable is just too great to pause and consider what they are typing. The end result is often a lot of arrogant posts and tweets.
Again, like all areas of life, Jesus followers need to be on their guard. There are many times when I scroll through my Facebook wall, look at Twitter, or read comments on news column posts, I am very tempted to fire off a reply that will set people straight. But I resist because, for one, I know my comment will likely add more fuel to the fire than extinguish it. Second, I am called to pursue unity and peace. And, thirdly, I am called to humility.
It is this last reason that I think is most important because it goes to the heart of the issue. While 10-15 years ago, our opinions were limited to talking with our friends, writing letters to the editor, and posting on message boards with few readers, now we can voice our opinions almost instantaneously to hundreds, thousands, and perhaps even millions if we place the right hashtag at the end of it. And there is a strong lure to that, one that strokes our egos because our opinions can be out there for the world to see.
I sense this temptation even as I write and post this devotion every morning. Thus, I need to check my heart daily as I write. The truth is we all need to check ourselves before we post online. What are our real motives and are they aligned with what Paul lays out in this passage?
Today, before you update your Facebook status or send a tweet, ask yourself this: Are the contents worthy of the calling I have received from the Lord?
© Jim Musser 2017
“Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’
Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’
‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.
Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.’”(Mark 3:20-21, 31-34 NIV)
Many years ago, I sat down with the parents of a student who wished to participate in our ministry’s mission trip to Haiti. Both were fearful for their daughter’s safety and skeptical I had the knowledge and skill to keep her safe. I attempted to reassure them that I had taken groups of students to Haiti and other foreign lands many times and had brought all of them safely back to America. I also assured them the missionaries with whom we were going to work had years of experience of hosting Americans in that volatile country.
It didn’t matter. They were convinced I was ignorant of the real dangers and they would not allow their child to go with us. They thought such a trip was crazy.
That experience came to mind as I recently read this passage about Jesus’ family’s reaction to Him. They thought He was nuts, including His mother, Mary. Because they had lost faith in His judgment, they went on a mission to save Him from Himself. Of course, when told of His family’s arrival, He knew precisely why they were there. And in that moment, He made a declarative statement about family and obedience: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.” In other words, Jesus drew the line between family and obedience to Him.
In my long tenure working with college students, I have often dealt with fearful parents who object to their children’s desire to do what they consider risky or seemingly irrational things in order to follow the calling of the Lord. As with the family of Jesus, they want to swoop in and take charge. You want to do what? Though it is largely unspoken, their thinking is, “You’re out of your mind.”
The reality is this is what you get if you truly want to follow Jesus. He is going to ask you to do things that, on the surface, seem irrational and, sometimes, even crazy. And parents and other people will desperately try to talk you out of it. Countless times I have seen graduates decide to pursue vocational ministry here or abroad after earning a college degree, only to be met with ridicule by those around them for “wasting” their education. Or when telling “poor” students that the Lord wants them to be generous with their money, often getting blank stares in return reflecting the ridiculousness of the suggestion. Or when posing the question, what if the Lord wants you to…? in order to get someone thinking about their perception of the inevitability of their choices (e.g., getting married, choosing a career, forgiving someone who has hurt them, etc.) and receiving back the verbal or non-verbal response of “What?”
Without realizing it, even if we are Christians, we raise children, and have been raised in such a way as to take the safe, rational routes in life. This seems like the logical and smart thing to do. But that is rarely what Jesus did. He said things He was told not to say. He did things people told Him not to do. And the truth is, He wasn’t crazy, but obedient.
Today, consider how you live your life and the basis for the choices you are making. Pleasing those around you with your choices is fine as long as they are in line with what the Lord wants. The rub is when the Lord wants you to do what others believe is irrational or even a bit crazy. What will you do then—give into the desires of others or do the will of the Lord?
© Jim Musser 2017
