Tag Archives: worries

worry, worries; the sower of, and the seed

16 Apr

The Parable of the Sower

His word

13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Jesus leaves words, as seeds, for the hearers’ hearts. But first they must be, must desire to hear. Those who refuse to hear; those who use silences as weapons; those who place their words within Jesus’ – these are not hearers or sowers of words, of Jesus’ seed. Alone; in very poor soil, the seed does.

But the disciples want to hear, go deeper. In private they ask for the parable’s meanings.

As one of these desiring disciples, I hear of the seed among thorns. Here is Jesus’ explanation of soil with thorns,

22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.

Worries choke.

So, my worries, stop by, his breathes. They choke.

My fear of my failing, – my poor choices, my hurtful past and future actions are embedded worries about relationships with people. These worries cost me daily in my relationship with God.

My worries and concerns choke my relationship with Him, with Jesus.

how can I produce good soil?

Hear; ask; receive; sit with His word.

Be a hearer of Jesus.

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Lent 2, worries, my lily

23 Mar
lilies, clothed

Lent’s end, 2021, approaches 2 ‘worries’ from Matthew 6

my lily, do not worry

25 “‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[e]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”’

Symbolizing humility and devotion, lilies point to life. As the flowers most often associated with funerals, lilies can symbolise that the soul of the departed has received restored innocence after death.

Jesus speaks of these flowers while teaching on a mountain, a field. But Jesus is not just speaking words, he is breathing his life into them. He is clothing us in love; his splendour; his words.

My lily is my life, my breathe; my walk. How another sees or views, respects or disdains me, even how my own heart and mind does, has no weight, no matter. Only this present breathe has weight, substance. Only how he covers, clothes me in a moment has meaning. Only how I breathe his words in, then out, in, can answer a life’s prayer.

Jesus will feed my hungers, quench my thirst.

my prayer, for lilies, for my lily…

‘Sate my worry, my worries. Breathe on me, in me my Lord. Let my family, friends, enemies and foes, feel your breathe deeply.

Grow lilies in your field…. grow me with others, with you…’

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