A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

JESUS – THE MASTER TEACHER      

Matthew 13:3-9 “ Then He told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”  

Jesus often taught using parables. A parable is a short fictitious story used to illustrate a moral attitude or a religious principle. It provides an instructive example or lesson. In today’s devotional verses Matthew recorded what many Bible scholars believe is the first parable spoken by Jesus.   

What then is the message Jesus intended to convey to His audience? Jesus’ audience was dependent in part upon wheat seeds being sown, growing, each seed producing many seeds which was then used in their daily diet. What was Jesus’ moral teaching? Or, was He presenting to them a religious principle?   

The last words of Jesus give the answer. He said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear.” He was aware that a person’s sinful human nature does not always receive God’s word and take it to heart. For some, the words of a sermon go in one ear and out the other. Others listen to the beginning of a sermon and if it does not get their attention fairly quickly, their mind wonders and they miss the application of the sermon to their personal life. Then there are those who listen intently, they store the message in their memory to recall it when its application is pointed to what is happening in their life at the moment. 

Luther wrote concerning the hearing of God’s word that it is important to “hear the word of God and keep it.” He meant to hear it or read it and then put it into practice. Your hearing of God’s word and retaining it is of great importance to your faith journey. 

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You called me to faith by means of the Holy Gospel. You keep me in the true faith to life everlasting. Grant therefore to me “ears to hear” God’s precious word. Amen. 

Blessed Jesus, at Your Word   
We are gathered all to hear You.  
Let our hearts and souls be stirred   
Now to seek and love and fear You,  
By Your teachings, sweet and holy,   
Drawn from earth to love You solely. 

All our knowledge, sense, and sight  
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded  
Till Your Spirit breaks our night  
With the beams of truth unclouded.  
You alone to God can win us;  
You must work all good within us. 

Gracious Savior, good and kind,  
Light of Light, from God proceeding,  
Open now our heart and mind;   
Help us by Your Spirit’s pleading.  
Hear the cry Your Church now raises;  
Hear and bless our prayers and praises. 

Father, Son, and Spirit, Lord,  
Praise to You and adoration!  
Grant that we may trust Your Word,  
Confident of our salvation,  
While we here below must wander,  
Till we sing Your praises yonder.  

Blessed Jesus, at Your Word // LSB 904