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•1耶稣又在海边教训人。有许多人到他那里聚集，他只得上船坐下。船在海里，众人都靠近海站在岸上。2耶稣就用比喻教训他们许多道理。在教训之间，对他们说：3“你们听啊，有一个撒种的出去撒种。4撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了；5有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，发苗最快，6日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了；7有落在荆棘里的，荆棘长起来，把它挤住了，就不结实；8又有落在好土里的，就发生长大，结实有三十倍的，有六十倍的，有一百倍的。”9又说：“有耳可听的，就应当听。”
在今后几天的灵修里，我们会继续学习对这个比喻的解释。今天的这段经文，让我更多的思考耶稣是如何教导的，特别是当他想要向人们解释什么是 “神的国”，他如何用比喻来教导。神的国是神通过他的话语在信徒心中的统治。这不是指有形的教会，而是指无形的教会。耶稣这个比喻剥去我们在外表所看到的东西，让我们看到上帝所看到的人的内心。耶稣用比喻揭露了我们的自以为是和假冒为善，并向我们展示了上帝国度里真实的东西。
我们从这个比喻中学到了什么?神的话就像种下的种子。虽然神的话语是大能而有效的，但它并不总是被人们接受。有的人根本就不想听。有的人可能会听一会儿，然后转身离去。有些人会相信，他们的生命将会永远改变。我从这个比喻中学到的教训是，我不必担心神的话语是否会在某个人的心中工作，或者是否会在某些人群中工作。我作为耶稣的门徒之一，我的工作就是走出去播下神话语的种子，因为即使它并不总是受到欢迎，但总会有人相信。
当我还是个孩子的时候，我记得我父亲曾说，他在每英亩土地上撒下大约18000颗玉米种子，然后每英亩收获大约2500公斤玉米。如今，农民们每英亩土地播种多达35000颗种子，大概翻了一倍，每英亩收获大约5000公斤玉米，也翻了一倍。关于上帝的国度，也是如此，我唯一能控制的就是撒下种子的数量。我可以种下更多的种子，相信神的话语会按照他的旨意工作。
祷告:主耶稣啊，你的话语是大有能力的。有些人相信，有些人不相信。我祈求你使用我，在尽可能多的人心中播下你话语的种子，并且相信你会按照你的旨意，使这些种子成长。阿们。
Mark 4:1-8; Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.” (NIV)
We’ll study the explanation of this parable in a couple of days. Today I am reminded of how Jesus taught, especially when he wanted to explain to people what the “kingdom of God” is like. God’s kingdom is his rule in the hearts of believers through his Word. It is not the visible church, but the invisible Church. He peels back the layers of what we see and allows us to see what God sees. He unmasks our pretentiousness and our hypocrisy and shows us what is real in the kingdom of God.
What do we learn from this parable? The Word of God is like seed that is planted. While God’s Word is powerful and effective, it isn’t always well received. Some people just won’t listen. Others may listen for a moment and then turn aside. And some will believe and their lives will be forever changed. The lesson that I learn from this parable is that I should not worry about whether or not God’s Word will work in a certain person’s heart, or in a certain neighborhood. My job as one of Jesus’ disciples is just to go out and plant the seed, because even if it isn’t always well received, some will believe.
I don’t know why I remember this statistic. As a child, I remember my father saying that he planted about 18,000 seeds of corn per acre. We usually harvested about a hundred bushel per acre. Today farmers will plant up to 35,000 seeds per acre, and harvest more than two hundred bushels per acre. The only control that I have in regard to God’s kingdom is this. I can plant more seeds and trust God’s Word to work as he wills.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, your Word is powerful. Some will believe it and some will not. I pray that you will use me to plant the seeds of your Word in as many hearts as I can, and to trust in you to make it grow as you will. Amen.