Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Session 6

The Most Misunderstood Stories in the Bible Series

TONIGHT’S MISUNDERSTOOD STORY: Sowing Your Seed – Mark 4:3-9

“They are prophets of destruction, these are New Age heretics saying they’ll show the way to salvation, but their cross is a bloodless stick.”

-Steve Camp, “The Agony of Deceit”

Introduction: They are sly, sneaky, and crafty. They wear a mask and may look attractive on the outside, but inside, they are full of mischief. They seemingly have no fear and they love darkness. Your first thought may be of a raccoon – those clever mask-wearing creatures that are master scavengers, prowling in the night.

But truth be told, it is a description of the spiritually bankrupt but materially wealthy con artists known as prosperity gospel preachers. They are sly, sneaky, and crafty. They wear masks, like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are fearless, bold, and very good at what they do. Their hearts are full of darkness with a seared conscience, readily taking what doesn’t belong to them.

One of the cruelest schemes to come out of the United States is the “prosperity gospel.” This is the belief that God has plans for you in the here and now to receive all the health and wealth you deserve in response to the measure of your own giving and faith.

Prosperity preachers serve up a banquet of spiritual bunk at the expense of the weak, vulnerable, and desperate. They pad their own pockets by pulling the emotional heartstrings of those who want the American dream, with a spiritualized twist, calling you to give to their ministry so that a miracle of sizable proportion will come your way.

One might argue that the prosperity gospel has done more harm to the church of today than any other scandals, short comings, or cultural compromises. It is a deep perversion of the true gospel. What is the true gospel? It is the teaching of Jesus and the apostles that true spiritual life comes only through repentance from sin and faith and trust in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And for the one who believes in this true gospel, a life of obedience and faith shows itself in denying oneself, taking up your cross daily, and following Jesus.

SO WHERE DO THESE PROSPERITY PREACHERS GO TO IN THE BIBLE?

Mark 4:3-9 – And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” And He said to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The prosperity preacher uses this story to push through his health and wealth agenda and purposely misuses the story for personal gain. The wolf in sheep’s clothing preys on vulnerable sheep who are misinformed and misunderstand the story Jesus is telling. The monetary seed just needs to be continually sown (right into the prosperity preacher’s pocket), and sooner or later, at just the right time that God determines, the seed will produce wealth, maybe thirty, sixty, hundred-fold!

When one misunderstands this story (parable) that Jesus is telling in this way, it is easy to read into it and believe it from a skewed viewpoint, that this story (parable) is about sowing our seed and reaping an abundant crop of wealth.

The reality here is that Jesus is not talking about money. He is using an agricultural illustration to show the different kinds of reception the Word of God receives when it is proclaimed in a mixed company of people.

The prosperity preacher even has back up verses!

But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.

2 Corinthians 9:6–8

It is true from this passage that God does give back to the believer in proportion to what the believer gives. But, in no way does this passage advocate “sowing our seed” (giving our money) and waiting for God to pour out extravagant wealth on us. These verses are speaking of the Christian practicing New Testament tithing.

In its proper context, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 reiterates and supports what the Old Testament book of Malachi tells us in Malachi 3:10.

Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.

Sowing the seed or (proclaiming) God’s word and sowing (giving) our monetary seed to God are two entirely different things. One is of an eternal nature and the other is primarily of a temporal nature.

Back to the misunderstood story in Mark 4 and its true meaning

• The seed that fell on the path and was immediately eaten without any crop represents the hardened heart.
• The seed that fell on the rocky soil that doesn’t allow the seeds to take deep roots is the shallow heart.
• The seed that fell among the thorns that choked out, cut off, or stole the nutrients away from the seed represents the carnal or worldly heart.
• In each type of heart there is a lack of true saving faith in response to the seed sown (the Word of God).
• But the good soil or good ground represents the receptive, believing heart. This is the soil that receives the seed and allows it to take root and produce fruit. It describes the heart of a true believer in Christ.

Jesus explains it a little further:

And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.

Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Mark 4:13–20

This parable is about the Word of God being sewn as seed in the world where there is a spiritual battle taking place, where some hearts are hardened toward the things of God, some are distracted and experience-oriented without much depth, some are sucked into and seduced by the trappings of the world that is sold out to self-gratification and the lusts of the flesh, and others are hungry, thirsty, and open toward the truth of God found in the gospel.

Here is where the prosperity preacher twists the meaning of the parable for his own benefit. Many of them will say that Jesus teaches the principle of sowing seeds of faith with the promise of a monetary return. It’s true that the parable teaches that real faith will produce real fruit, but it is quite a stretch to take a story (parable) about the heart’s receptiveness to the Word of God and use it as a mechanism for weaseling money out of people.

The story (parable) is not about money at all. It is not about sowing the seed of faith in any monetary sense in order to get a return. Rather, it is about preaching the Word of God in mixed company, knowing the true believer who receives it by faith will walk away with a life that will bear fruit. The Word of God will bring forth a harvest of righteousness among those who truly receive it by faith.

RICHES ACCORDING TO GOD’S PERSPECTIVE

As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.

For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God, while, through the proof of this ministry, they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men, and by their prayer for you, who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:9–15

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

Conclusion: The misunderstanding and misuse of a Biblical story of seed sowing reminds us of the principle of reading Scripture in context with specific attention to the main point of the story, which thankfully Jesus makes abundantly clear without much need for guessing. Beware of those who extract Biblical phrases and reapply them to foreign contexts in a way that undermines the useful truth that comes from the original phrase in a passage of Scripture. As always, the Bible is the best commentary on the Bible.

Next Week, Session 7: The “Three” Wise Men – Matthew 2