Sowing and Reaping

[Mk. 4:3] Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
[4] And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
[The devil is very busy about loose, careless hearers, as the fowls of the air go about the seed that lies above ground; when the heart, like the highway, is unplowed, unhumbled, when the seed lies common, to be trodden on by every passenger, then the devil is like the fowls; he comes swiftly, and carries away the word were we are aware.]
[5] And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:
[6] But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.
[7] And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
[8] And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.[How much of an increase do you want?]
[9] And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.[The words of Y’Shua demand attention, and those who speak from Him may command it, and should stir it up.]
[13] And he said unto them, Know you not this parable? and how then will you know all parables?[If you know not this, which is so plain, how will you understand other parables, which will be more dark and obscure? If you know not this, which is intended for your direction in hearing the Word that you may profit by it; how shall you profit by what you are later to hear? This parable is to teach you to be attentive to the Word, and affected by it, that you may understand it. If you receive not this, you will not know how to use the key by which you must be let into all the rest. If we understand not the rules we are to observe in order for our profiting by the Word, how shall we profit by any other rule?]
[14] The sower soweth the word.
[In the great field of the believers the Word of G-d is dispensed to all; it sows at a venture, beside all waters, upon all sorts of ground (Isa. 32:20), not knowing where it will light or what fruit it will bring forth. He scatters it in order to increase it.
Ministers are sowers; they have need of the skill and discretion of the husbandman (Isa. 28:24–26); they must not observe winds and clouds (Eccl. 11:4, 6), but must look up to G-d, who gives seed to the sower.]
[5] And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.
[The reason why the word doth not leave commanding, abiding impressions upon the minds of the people is because their hearts are not duly disposed and prepared to receive it; the fault is in themselves, not in the Word. Some are careless forgetful hearers, and these get no good at all by the Word; it comes in one ear and goes out the other; others have their convictions overpowered by their corruptions and they lose the good impressions the word has made upon them so that they get no abiding good by it.]
[16] And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;[It is the ruin of hypocrites that they have no root; they do not act from a living fixed principle. Many are hindered from profiting by the word of G-d, by their abundance of the world. Many a good lesson of humility, charity, self-denial and heavenly-mindedness is choked and lost by that prevailing complacency in the world, which they are apt to have.]
[17] And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.[Impressions not kept will not be durable, but will wear off in suffering and trying times, like footsteps on the sand of the seashore, which are gone the next high tide of persecution. When iniquity doth abound, the love of many to the ways of G-d waxes
cold.
[18] And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,[That of the many that hear the word of the gospel and read it and are conversant with it, there are, comparatively, but few that receive it, so as to bring forth the fruits of it. There is but one in four that comes to good. It is sad to think how much of the precious seed of the word of G-d is lost and sown in vain, but there is a day coming when lost sermons must be accounted for.
Many are much affected with the word for the present, whom you receive no abiding benefit by it. The motions of soul they have, answerable to what they hear, are but a mere flash, like the crackling of thorns under a pot.]
[19] And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.[Many that are not openly scandalized so as to throw off their profession, as they on the stony ground did, have the efficacy of it secretly choked and stifled, so that it comes to nothing. They continue in a barren, hypocritical profession, which brings nothing to pass, and so go down as certainly, though more plausibly, to hell.]
[20] And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.[Fruit is the thing that G-d expects and requires from those that enjoy the gospel: fruit according to the seed, temper of mind, and course of life, agreeable to the gospel, with G-dly graces daily exercised and G-dly duties duly performed. This is fruit, and it will abound to our account. Lastly, no good fruit is to be expected but from good seed. If the seed be sown on good ground, if the heart be humble and holy and heavenly, there will be good fruit and it will abound sometimes even to a hundred fold - such a crop as Isaac reaped, Gen. 26:12.]
[22] For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.
[There is no treasure of gifts and graces lodged in any but with design to be communicated; nor was the gospel made a secret to the apostles, to be concealed, but that it should come abroad and be divulged to the entire world.]
[23] If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.[Though the Messiah expounded the parables to His disciples privately, it was with design to make them the more publicly useful; they were taught, that they might teach. It is a general rule that the ministration of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal, not himself only, but others also. It concerns those who hear the word of the gospel to mark what they hear and to make a good use of it because their weal or woe depends upon it; what he had said before he saith again.]
[24] And he said unto them, Take heed what you hear: with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.
[1. As we deal with G-d, G-d will deal with us; if you be faithful servants to Him, He will be a faithful Master to you; with the upright He will show Himself upright.
2. As we improve the talents we are entrusted with, we shall increase them. If we make use of the knowledge we have for the glory of G-d and the benefit of others, it shall sensibly grow.]
[25] For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.[If the disciples deliver that to the church which they have received of the L-rd, they shall be led more into the secret of the L-rd. Gifts and graces multiply by being exercised and G-d has promised to bless the hand of the diligent.
If we do not use, we lose what we have. Burying a talent is the betraying of a trust that warrants to a penalty. Gifts and graces rust for want of use.]
[26] And he said, So is the kingdom of G-d, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;[The good seed of the gospel sown in the world and in the heart doth by degrees produce wonderful effects, but without noise. It will come up; though it seems lost and buried under the clods, it will find or make its way through them. The seed cast into the ground will spring up. Let but the Word of Y’Shua have the place it ought to have in a soul and it will show itself, as the wisdom from above doth in a good conversation.]
[27] And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.[The Sower cannot describe how it comes up; it is one of the mysteries of nature. Without controversy, great is the mystery of G-dliness; how G-d manifested in the flesh came to be believed on in the world(1 Tim. 3:16).
3. Thus the word of grace when it is received in faith is in the heart a work of grace, and the preachers contribute nothing to it. The Spirit of G-d is carrying it on when they sleep, and can do no daily business.]
[28] For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.[According to the ordinary course of nature, and by the concurring power of the G-d of nature, the farmer does not stand in his field and shout for the seed to grow.
What we hear, doth us no good, unless we consider it. Those especially that are to teach others must themselves be very observant of the things of G-d; must take notice of the message they are to deliver, that they may be exact. We must likewise take heed what we hear by proving all things, that we may hold fast that which is good. We must be cautious and stand upon our guard, lest we be imposed upon.]
[29] But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.[The Messiah gathers in a harvest of honour to Himself. When those that receive the gospel aright have finished their course, the harvest comes when they shall be gathered.]
[30] And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of G-d? or with what comparison shall we compare it?[The work of grace is small in its beginnings, but comes to be great and considerable at last.]
Why are you so fearful? how is it that you have no faith?With the signs of the times, and if the WHAT IFS of tomorrow are plaguing you – draw on your faith which comes from hearing the Word of G-d