# Communication In The Last Days

# Communication In The Last Days

“Thus, the function of discourse is, in a way, to guide the soul. He who seeks to be an orator must know how many types of souls there are.” ~ Socrates,

Who would know more souls than anyone one here on earth?  Of course, it was Jesus Christ. This is really apparent when you look at the parable of the sower. 

What is a parable? The word Parable comes, in fact, from the Greek word paraballein, meaning “to throw out before others.” We are all parables: existences lie before others in the desire to be gathered up and listened to. In today’s parable, what is Jesus trying to teach, to who is he teaching it, and why is teaching it?

Matthew 13:1-23 The Parable of the Sower

On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd stood along the shore.  And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:

“A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”The disciples approached him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He said to them in reply, “Because knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been granted to you, but to them, it has not been granted. To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables because they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says: You shall indeed hear but not understand, you shall indeed look but never see. Gross is the heart of this people, they will hardly hear with their ears, they have closed their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and be converted, and I heal them.”But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears, because they hear. Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

“Hear then the parable of the sower. The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart. The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away. The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit. But the seed sown on a rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.”

What Is Jesus Trying to Teach Here?

We speak, or better yet, we give ourselves over, we lay our lives out before others in different ways. Some people speak in clichés, using labels and slogans, innumerable words; they don’t really give themselves over, rather they impose themselves; these are people who are in love with their words. They do not speak the truth, they just speak. They do not solve anything; they just spew hate and displeasure.  

There are also those who choose their words carefully, trying to keep everyone around them happy in a manipulative game of using and being used. These are like politicians.  They speak for votes. Then there are those who speak but never listen, living in a river of words without banks that envelopes those around them. Then there are those that keep silent, and they never give themselves over to others. However, in Jesus' case, he spoke in truths to help us understand what is truly important in life.  Jesus was not speaking mere words here, He was speaking spirit. He was speaking to our spirit and our sense of being to apply what He said in our everyday lives.  For what good would it be if we listened to the words and could not apply those words to correct actions?  Would it not be just like the parable itself- a seed falling on rocky ground- we actively participate for just a matter of mere moments before giving up entirely.  G. K Chesterton explained it this way, “Jesus promised his disciples three things—that they would be completely fearless, absurdly happy, and in constant trouble.”  Should we expect any less today?

To Whom Was Jesus Speaking?

It may be a shocking surprise to many people that Jesus was speaking to the crowd of people then and to the people of the earth now.  He is timeless, he knows all things, and he realized that what he was saying was just as true then as it is now.  It was true yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  Human nature has not changed.  People’s names change but their actions rarely do.   G. K. Chesterton pointed this out when he said, “Do not be so open-minded that your brains fall out.”  This quote is so important here because, in the world of today, we pride ourselves on thinking that open-mindedness is a virtue.  However, can a person be so open-minded that he believes in nothing?  He holds nothing to be absolutely true and therefore, he can not worship God.  This is the case that encompasses many today who embrace the popular belief that God is dead or does not care about us anymore.  God's not dead, but disbelief in Him is!  Jesus is not dead, but disbelief in Him will make you unhappy in this world and the next one. 

Why Is Jesus Teaching This?

Jesus taught this parable because in the words of G.K. Chesterton, “ The problem of disbelieving in God is not that a man ends up believing nothing. Alas, it is much worse. He ends up believing anything.”  Jesus truly loves us and wants what is best for all of us. However, in the end, it is up to us to take his word and put it into action.  This is our job, this is our responsibility here on earth.  

This relationship between Jesus and us reminded me of the relationship many of us in the Baby Boom generation had with Gerber’s. On Thursday, October 11, 1956, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for BABIES ARE OUR BUSINESS ..... OUR ONLY BUSINESS by Gerber Foods of Fremont, Michigan.  Gerber was the leading manufacturer of baby food in the United States.  Gerber’s made the food, but the baby had to eat and digest it.  Is this not also true with what Jesus was telling us?  Is it not true that we have to take action on the words and actively do something.  Just because Jesus made it easy for us by preparing all of what He did for us, doesn’t mean we do not have to do anything on our part now, does it?  Of course not!

Jesus gave us the seed for our future. What are you going to do about it?  Jesus gave us the seed for eternal life. What are you going to do about it?  Finally, brothers and sisters, I ask you, “What type of soil are you?”