Back in July, I mentioned that I had gone to the Caladium Festival in Lake Placid. While I was there I bought three bags of caladium bulbs. I could tell they were ready to sprout, so I hurried and planted them. One by one they began to break through the ground like a sleepy child stretching out its arms awaking the beauty that was coiled up within it. There must be something supernatural about the soil in which the living seed was planted, because after only seventeen days, my caladiums are bursting with color and beauty. When you’re planting the seeds of God’s Word, the ground may or may not be ready, but you are to plant the seed anyway. The seed may fall onto rocky ground, or possibly get choked out by thorns, but that’s not for us to decide, we are to spread the seeds of salvation through Jesus, just as He commanded. It’s He who determines whether they receive it or not.
Today, we are seeing very vocal believers falling away, getting choked out by the thorns of riches. Don’t be alarmed by this, Jesus said it would happen. Those are the ones getting tangled in the wiry thorns of fame and fortune. If you want an explanation of what’s going on, read Matthew 13:1-23. Jesus taught the parable, and gave an explanation.
As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is 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;22-23