Crowds

 

“While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable:

“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up.

Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture.

Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants.

Still other seed fell on good soil.

It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

Luke 8:4-8

 

A large crowd was gathering.

What did Jesus do?

He told them a parable.

A little later, in the intimate circle of His disciples, Jesus explained the parable.

Why?

Why was the crowd not given the explanation?

Was Jesus playing favorites?

No, we know better than that.

What He was doing was making the crowd choose.

“Choose what”, you ask?

How hungry they were for truth.

You see, when we are hungry enough we look for food.

There is no more nourishing food for our soul and spirit than the Truth.

Some hung with the crowd in the same way that some hang with the crowd today.

It’s the thing to do.

They aren’t interested so much in the life Jesus would call them to as they were interested in being seen with the crowd.

As a friend of mine used to say:

“The herd would have to be thinned.”

Jesus would never turn anyone away.

But the truth is we turn away all on our own.

Search the scriptures and you will find so many of the promises of God are to “...whosoever will.”

That is a door of opportunity for all of us.   

Are you hungry enough to search out the truth or is a parable alone enough for you?