“By their fruit you will know them!”
Whose fruit though? Do we ever consider the fowls and the tares that choke out the Word sown? Do we ever consider who it is that comes to steal the seed sown before it has time to take root, before it has time to grow up in strength and maturity, before it has time increase or multiply? Could it be the false ministers, ministers of satan, claiming to be Light, men speaking falsehood, men stealing and consuming and devouring up the words (seed)sown and distributed abroad? Which does the parable speak against as not bearing fruit? The heart or those against the heart? Is it those who do not sow sparingly “as a matter of bounty and not covetousness” “God is able to make abound, having all sufficiency in Him” “as it is written he dispersed abroad” “now to Him who misters the bread, for your food, and multiply your seed sown, increase the fruits of your righteousness” “FOR your liberal distribution to them, and unto all men” “Thanks to God for this unspeakable gift.”
We focus on the types of heart. But neglect the ones not bearing fruit are the ones coming to devour Life sown “bountifully”
that one may go from infancy in Christ to mature in the body, and able to bear. We neglect those who steal and catch the words of Life away from another, tares sprouting up alongside with the wheat that the cares of this Life, pleasing those men choke the seed sown out. Putting where the seed has been sown “bountifully”
under men’s heavy burden instead of helping those choking and drowning by the cares of this world and pleasing men. the ministry of the saints is to work with God on the cultivation of the ground (heart) which he is able, and help to nurture and prepare and build up good things able to hear and receive the words of Life distributed by many upon all hearts. Not against it. Tearing it down, which is the fowls and the devil coming to devour it. What works against it is not the ground but those who do not want it to be tended to, not want it to be broken apart, the ground cultivated, the heart prepared, men who do not want infants in Christ to be weaned from the milk which brings them to Christ having their own teeth to chew and digest the Words sown. The ministering of bearing fruit is sown upon all the grounds(no seed wasted) …to me the condemnation is Jesus was warning that building up the body in Christ…that there would be those who took away the seed and neglected the heart. Look at what consumes, steals away seed? Eating up the words of Life, stealing away the words of Christ, tares coming up alongside In doing so…it (this taking away the seed which is Christ) is what bears no fruit. Jesus Christ asked His Disciples. Mark 8:17-21 And when Jesus knew it, he said unto them, Why reason you, because you have no bread? perceive you not yet, neither understand? have you your heart yet hardened? [18] Having eyes, see you not? and having ears, hear you not? and do you not remember? [19] When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. [20] And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took you up? And they said, Seven. [21] And he said unto them, How is it that you do not understand?
Christ didn’t judge them by “have you your heart yet hardened?” To me He stayed with them and bountifully sowed the seed of the Word of God regardless that their heart was yet hardened. Growing them. Enduring with patience the hardness of heart. It was all the rest in the parable I think Jesus Christ knew would come to try to consume and eat up the words that it bear no fruit…but He told them it was the Fathers will that they bear fruit. Those not wanting the ground yet hardened to receive seed are the ones that bear no fruit. Christ did bear fruit regardless of those who worked against that fruit.
Paraphrasing what it means to me.
Much people were gathered out of every city.
Jesus Christ sowed the seed, giving and distributing liberally to the poor; that all may come to hear the Words He spoke. The words Christ speaks to the many gathered to hear, the words He speaks they are Spirit, they are Life.
Much people gathered.
Some of the Words of Christ, the Words of Life, the Spirit …fell by the wayside …and the truth was trodden down by men. Fowls come and consume away the words of Life …speaking falsehood that the Words spoken are death and not Life. The way unto Life prevented, standing in the way. As the man left by the roadside stripped of his clothing and left half-dead…they pass by and leave that man by the roadside half-dead. A man overcome
by thieves (to consume Life)he is…stripped of the words of Life. Who does the will of God upon the man
fallen among thieves who came to steal and leave this man half-dead? Who Tends to him, pouring oil into his wounds, puts him on his own beast and
carry’s him back to the inn for keep sake?
Some of the words of Christ, Life,
Strength to endure “given liberally that they may endure, being made strong in Him” falls upon hardened ground …they hear the words of Life but as quickly as the seed
gives sprout of tender growth… a tender shoot not having root, that they may endure …men come and steal what was planted, no one waters it, so that it withers and dies. (Like a Pharisee no concern for it to ever flourish from a small sprout to endurance.) no care that the root goes deep that there be no increase or multiply of seed.
Some words of Christ, the Spirit, Life. Falls onto thorns …and tares pop up alongside them, along side the good seeds sown; men who come alongside the truth sown and then choke them, seed, (their brothers to death) under the weight of heavy burdens (binding the word and putting it into chains) of pleasing men (whispering falsehoods another form of seed planted in the ear) and not God. Tares they are, hating the words of Life sown instead wanting men to be subjected to them and their rule.
Revelation 3:2-3 Be watchful,
and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. [3]
Remember therefore how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore you will not watch,
I will come on you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Peter..Peter, Peter…
Yes Lord?
Do you love Me?
Yes Lord?
Feed My Lambs. Strengthen your brothers.