THE WISE AND THE FOOL— HE WHO DOES OR DOES NOT UNDERSTAND
THE WISE AND THE FOOL— HE WHO DOES OR DOES NOT UNDERSTAND
Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears, let him hear.” —Matthew 13:8-9
The seed sown along the path is like “anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart” (Matthew 13:18).
- The seed sown on rocky soil is like “the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy,yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away” (Matthew 13:20-21).
- The seed sown among thorns is like “the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22).
- The seed sown on good soil is like “the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty” (Matthew 13:23).
Let’s be clear here— it is only the seed that falls on good soil that bears fruit. All hear the Word, but it is only the good soil— the one who hears the Word and understands it that will bear fruit. It is not only hearing the Word… it is understanding the Word and applying the Word.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” —Matthew 7:24-27
Again, it is not only hearing the Word, but understanding the Word which leads to applying the Word. It is the foolish man that hears the Word just like the wise man, but he does not put it into practice. Putting God’s Word into practice, applying His Word to life, obeying Him is what sets the good soil’s fruitfulness and the wise man’s security apart from the fruitless soils and the fool. Oh that you and I are good soil— those hearing and applying to life what our Lord God Almighty says to us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4
Yes Dear Father may this be so— may I be lovingly obedient to what You tell me. Help to understand how to apply to life what You say and then may I do so. Yes, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus. May it be so.