The Life of Jesus Christ - Chapter 4 - Jesus, the great teacher - Part 12
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An online Bible Study course by Barrie Wetherill about the life of Jesus. This book is in EasyEnglish Level B. Use the links below for other online Bible Study books and commentaries that will help you. Or go to the Word List, which explains words with a *star.
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Jesus often told stories when he was teaching people. This is a
very good way to teach, because people remember stories. We call his stories
parables. (A parable is a story that teaches us a truth about God. Or, the story
shows us behaviour that pleases God.) The stories of Jesus are very easy to
remember. They are very important. They help us to know what God wants.
A favourite story is the parable of the farmer and his field.
This is often called 'the parable of the sower'. [A sower is a farmer who is
sowing his seed.]
The story is simple. A farmer sows seed in a field:
·
Some seed falls on the paths, and the birds quickly eat it.
·
Some seed falls where there are rocks, and not much soil. Plants
grow quickly, but soon the sun dries them. There is not enough soil, and the
plants die.
·
Some seed begins to grow in a place where there are too many
weeds. The weeds stop the growth of the plants, and the plants die.
·
But other seed falls on good ground. So, the plants grow well. The
farmer has a harvest from these plants.
The explanation of the story is also simple. Jesus himself
explained it to the *disciples. The farmer is like Jesus. The seed that he sows
is the seed of the good news about Jesus. The farmer sows the seed in many
different places, just as Christians tell God's good news in many different
places. What happens to the seed is different in different places. It is the
same with the good news about Jesus. It has a good result in the lives of some
people, and it has a poor result in other lives.
The first seed fell on the path, where there was no soil. Some
people hear the good news but give no attention to it at all. This is like the
seed on the path. These people do not change their behaviour. These people do
not think about other people. They are selfish. They quickly forget about the
good news.
Some seed falls where there are rocks. It grows quickly, but
then it dies. This teaches us that some people listen to the good news. They
seem to like what they hear about Jesus. But this does not last. They have a
difficult time, or other people laugh at them. Then they have no more interest
in Jesus. They never really trusted him.
Some seed began to grow among weeds, and the weeds killed it.
This teaches us that some people have no time for Jesus. They are selfish, and
they want things for themselves. Perhaps they want to be rich, or to be
powerful. They worry all the time. They are anxious about their possessions.
Finally we hear in the story about seed on good ground. The good
ground is like people who love the Lord. They believe in Jesus and they trust
him. God will *bless these people. His *Holy Spirit will help them to love other
people. They will be able to forgive other people, and to live in peace with
them. They will be joyful. This is because God can change them. He changes the
inside of these people, and this changes their behaviour.
This parable can teach us about ourselves. God will *bless those
people who trust him. We learn from this parable the same truths as we learn
from the *beatitudes. When we know that we need Jesus, we should trust him. When
we really trust him, he will teach to us. We will change, because Jesus will
change us.
But ask yourself this question: what kind of soil are you like?
Some more parables [stories with a meaning] that Jesus told:
Parables of the Treasure in a field; and The wonderful pearl
Parables of the Lost sheep; Lost coin; and Lost son [Prodigal son]
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2002-2005, Wycliffe Associates (UK)