Scripture: Luke 8:1-15; John 9:1-12; Luke 6:46-49
Speaker: Evan Polly
Date: 1.4.09
The Parable of the Sower
The parable is about a farmer sowing seeds, and how where the seeds fall
impact how much they will grow. Jesus ends the parable with “He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
Through the parable, Jesus was explaining that the word of God is always
being spread, but the degree to which it is heard depends on the heart of
each person. Class discussion highlighted the need to be “prepared to
hear” the many ways that God is actively trying to reveal his will to each
of us.
C.S. Lewis, the famed Christian author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was an
atheist until the age of 33. He fought greatly up to the moment of his
conversion, but eventually gave in and admitted that “God was God”. He
felt pursued, and could no longer deny the steady word of God that was
being received in his life. C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Reading from John 9: Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
When asked by his disciples why a man was born blind, Jesus replied, “but
this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
Was “the work of God” that was to be displayed the healing miracle that
Jesus performed, or was the work of God displayed in the way in which the
blind man led his life? How can God communicate to us if physical healing
doesn’t occur? Is He shouting in our pain to rouse a deaf world?
The Story of Victor
In October 2008, several New Beginnings Church members went to the Kansas
City Rescue Mission to volunteer. We assisted with preparing dinner. One
“client,” really stood out to me, partially because of the cast on his arm,
and partially because of his huge dreadlocks. But more importantly, it was
his demeanor that was different. He was so outgoing, and made such an
effort to create an atmosphere of comfort for the volunteers. I sat down
next to him, just because I was so drawn to his personality.
I introduced myself and learned his name was Victor, and I asked him, “so,
what did you do to your arm?” He said that he was shot, five times, and
told me where the bullets had come in and gone out of his body. One of them
was his arm, which caused the need for the cast. But others were through
his chest, and he said that one just barely missed his spinal cord, and
that three bullets had narrowly missed vital organs. Victor said this had
happened about three months ago, and that just a week ago, he ran into the
police officer who had found him after being shot and had delivered him to
the paramedics, and that the police officer was shocked and surprised to
see Victor walking, because the paramedics didn’t think he would make it.
I was amazed at his story already, and then Victor said, “I thank God for
this.” He said that he was leading his life in a destructive way, and that
getting shot brought him here, and surrounded him with positive Christian
influences. He said he was changing his life for the positive, and his
love of others was returning. Victor said that if he ran into the man that
shot him on the street, he would tell him thank you.
Reading from Luke 6: The Wise and Foolish Builders
In this passage, Jesus describes the differences between those who hear his
words and put them into practice (the wise builders with a foundation on
rock), as opposed to those who hear his words and do not put them into
practice (the foolish builder with no foundation whose home is destroyed
the moment the torrent struck). This underscores the importance of being
obedient to God's word once received.
Final Thoughts
Victor recognized God's loving hand at work through his painful situation.
He has faithfully acted to enter into lifechange as a result. May we each
have the ears to hear. Let us have the openness of heart to enhance our
relationship with God, and to perceive the many ways that God tries to
reveal Himself to each of us. Let us also strive to have the courage, and
faith, to put God's will into practice when it is revealed to us. May it
be so in our week…
The Parable of the Sower
The parable is about a farmer sowing seeds, and how where the seeds fall
impact how much they will grow. Jesus ends the parable with “He who has
ears to hear, let him hear.”
Through the parable, Jesus was explaining that the word of God is always
being spread, but the degree to which it is heard depends on the heart of
each person. Class discussion highlighted the need to be “prepared to
hear” the many ways that God is actively trying to reveal his will to each
of us.
C.S. Lewis, the famed Christian author of The Chronicles of Narnia, was an
atheist until the age of 33. He fought greatly up to the moment of his
conversion, but eventually gave in and admitted that “God was God”. He
felt pursued, and could no longer deny the steady word of God that was
being received in his life. C.S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
Reading from John 9: Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind
When asked by his disciples why a man was born blind, Jesus replied, “but
this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”
Was “the work of God” that was to be displayed the healing miracle that
Jesus performed, or was the work of God displayed in the way in which the
blind man led his life? How can God communicate to us if physical healing
doesn’t occur? Is He shouting in our pain to rouse a deaf world?
The Story of Victor
In October 2008, several New Beginnings Church members went to the Kansas
City Rescue Mission to volunteer. We assisted with preparing dinner. One
“client,” really stood out to me, partially because of the cast on his arm,
and partially because of his huge dreadlocks. But more importantly, it was
his demeanor that was different. He was so outgoing, and made such an
effort to create an atmosphere of comfort for the volunteers. I sat down
next to him, just because I was so drawn to his personality.
I introduced myself and learned his name was Victor, and I asked him, “so,
what did you do to your arm?” He said that he was shot, five times, and
told me where the bullets had come in and gone out of his body. One of them
was his arm, which caused the need for the cast. But others were through
his chest, and he said that one just barely missed his spinal cord, and
that three bullets had narrowly missed vital organs. Victor said this had
happened about three months ago, and that just a week ago, he ran into the
police officer who had found him after being shot and had delivered him to
the paramedics, and that the police officer was shocked and surprised to
see Victor walking, because the paramedics didn’t think he would make it.
I was amazed at his story already, and then Victor said, “I thank God for
this.” He said that he was leading his life in a destructive way, and that
getting shot brought him here, and surrounded him with positive Christian
influences. He said he was changing his life for the positive, and his
love of others was returning. Victor said that if he ran into the man that
shot him on the street, he would tell him thank you.
Reading from Luke 6: The Wise and Foolish Builders
In this passage, Jesus describes the differences between those who hear his
words and put them into practice (the wise builders with a foundation on
rock), as opposed to those who hear his words and do not put them into
practice (the foolish builder with no foundation whose home is destroyed
the moment the torrent struck). This underscores the importance of being
obedient to God's word once received.
Final Thoughts
Victor recognized God's loving hand at work through his painful situation.
He has faithfully acted to enter into lifechange as a result. May we each
have the ears to hear. Let us have the openness of heart to enhance our
relationship with God, and to perceive the many ways that God tries to
reveal Himself to each of us. Let us also strive to have the courage, and
faith, to put God's will into practice when it is revealed to us. May it
be so in our week…
2 comments:
Excellent lesson. Thanks for bringing in more C.S. Lewis. I always enjoy hearing some of his stuff.
Victor's story reminds me of the story Shane told about the woman who was burned by her boyfriend. I was thinking this week that the more we can get past our own hurt to a place where God can work through our tough situation the more Christlike we will become. I am reading "Searching for God Knows What" by Donald Miller and he is talking a lot about how we as humans need to be defined by something or someone outside of ourselves. The problem is we look to other people to define us rather than God. When we don't let God define us, we can let our own hurts define who we are. Victor could have let his "victim" status define him but instead he used that to be a blessing. Sorry this is so long, Great discussion Evan.
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