Birds, Stones, and Thorns

What Do These Have in Common?

  I just went to a nearby hardware store this morning with a five-dollars-off coupon. They happen to have one of the lowest prices around for wild bird seed. So, I went to the seed dispensers and got several pounds of mixed wild bird seed, and about a pound of additional black oil sunflower seed. (I think the birds in my area like the sunflower seed best.) I brought the seed home, poured both kinds into the same metal popcorn canister, and rolled the canister around to mix the extra sunflower seed in with the mixed seed.

  You see, my wife and I like to watch birds outside our living and dining windows. (So do our two cats, Callie and Maggie.) In fact, there are four bird feeders hanging from the lower limbs of the tree we share with three neighboring apartments. Of those four bird-feeders, three are ours. Our area is also known for majestic Bald Eagles, which we love to watch soar over the nearby lake.

One of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior, is not too far from us, and has beautiful rocky shores, and much more. The Great Lakes are home to old historic lighthouses, such as Split Rock Lighthouse, which is high on the rocks near the shore in Two Harbors. Also nearby is a mix of farmland, rocks, and hills. I find it interesting to see how some of the roadways here are occasionally cut through stone hills.

In the apartment complex where we live some of the residents have beautiful flowers in the small space between the common sidewalks and their apartment. At one time my wife and I had some beautiful white lilies. But I did not winter them properly, and I had to toss them. I had to resist getting jealous of a neighbor who seemed to do a great job with both orange and red lilies.

—That is, until his health went downhill. Then, within just a year or two, his flower bed was overgrown with giant weeds that looked like dandelions on steroids! You couldn’t see the lilies because of the weeds. And those crazy weeds had big pollen balls that rolled across the grass. Some of the individual pollen separated from the pollen head and floated on air currents across the grounds. Other gardens are becoming infested with them.

All this might seem like aimless rambling, but suffice it to say most have experienced something about birds, stones, and thorns. And most have experienced something about trying to grow something. Perhaps that’s why Jesus used these in a story to help us understand something extremely important.

It is said that, when you are listening to a teacher, and they repeat something, you’d better take note, because it is especially important. You likely need that information. God repeats an important teaching story from Jesus that includes birds, stones, and thorns. God gives it at least three times in His Word, the Bible. It is found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. If you don’t care and take note, you’ll easily miss out. But, if you might care, let’s look at the story and how Jesus explained it to his disciples.

We’ll skip to the end of the story first, because it is vital you know what it is that is so very important. At the end of each account, some of the seeds the farmer sowed fell on good ground, grew, and produced something good. If you want to produce something good and lasting, let the Farmer sow the Good News about Jesus into your heart. Your heart needs to be a great place for that Good News to grow.

The rest of the story just tells about all the things that can keep the Good News about Jesus from growing in your heart —all the things that can give your heart trouble if you let them:

· The birds: Somebody tries to tell you about Jesus, and you or someone else right away discredits it. Maybe they trample it. Somehow they take it away like a bird takes away the seed. Don’t let anyone take away your chance with Jesus. (If you’re not sure what your “chance with Jesus” is, also known as becoming “saved”, please see the free video “Why and How to Become a Christian”. Or, if you know someone who is a Christian, be brave enough to ask them privately how to “be saved” through Jesus. Then try to let them help you. God sometimes helps through people.)

· The stones or rocks: Keep your heart soft toward Jesus. His love for you can’t grow well if you harden your heart toward him like a rock. Don’t start out well, and then be afraid to put your roots down —or your love for Him will dry out.

· The thorns or weeds: There are many things pulling for your attention. Some are necessary. Some are thorns or weeds. They can suck the life out of your relationship with Jesus. Don’t get “choked out”! Stay in love with Jesus and plugged in to Him. Friend other Christians to stay strong. Jesus loves you so much He died for you and rose again! —and He’s coming back for you!

The teaching in Matthew reads like this:

· ^​1 On that day Jesus went out of the house, and sat by the seaside. ² Great multitudes gathered to him, so that he entered into a boat, and sat, and all the multitude stood on the beach. ³ He spoke to them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, a farmer went out to sow. ⁴ As he sowed, some seeds fell by the roadside, and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Others fell on rocky ground, where they didn’t have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ When the sun had risen, they were scorched. Because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them. ⁸ Others fell on good soil, and yielded fruit: some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty. ⁹ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” ¹⁰ The disciples came, and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” ¹¹ He answered them, “To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them. ¹² For whoever has, to him will be given, and he will have abundance, but whoever doesn’t have, from him will be taken away even that which he has. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they don’t see, and hearing, they don’t hear, neither do they understand. ¹⁴ In them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says, ‘By hearing you will hear, and will in no way understand; Seeing you will see, and will in no way perceive: ¹⁵ for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again; and I would heal them.’ ¹⁶ “But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For most certainly I tell you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them. ¹⁸ “Hear, then, the parable of the farmer. ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word of the Kingdom, and doesn’t understand it, the evil one comes, and snatches away that which has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown by the roadside. ²⁰ What was sown on the rocky places, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy receives it; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while. When oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. ²² What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³ What was sown on the good ground, this is he who hears the word, and understands it, who most certainly bears fruit, and produces, some one hundred times as much, some sixty, and some thirty.” Matthew 13:1-23

· See also Mark 4:1-20, and Luke 8:1-15, to know this vital teaching is repeated.

By the way, don’t wait until you have your act together to come to Jesus, or you’ll never get there. Jesus knows that. He loves you. Just show up, reach out, and let Him help. As I’ve said before, it is God’s love, and Jesus’ love, for you and me, that caused them to make the tremendous sacrifices they’ve made for us. Their love for us is a special love called “agape”. It is a self-sacrificing love that is not dependent on how good we are, or whether or not we return the love. It is reflected in verses such as Romans 5:8, which reads:” ⁸ But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Why not love them both back?   See the birds, stones, and thorns!  And May God Bless You!