The danger of a stubborn heart
April 19, 2011
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart.”
Matthew 13:19
In today’s passage, Jesus is explaining his parable in which a farmer went out and planted seed. Some seed landed in good soil and others landed in places where they never really had a chance to grow. He explains that the seed in this parable represents the Gospel of the Kingdom, and if the seed is not firmly planted in the fertile soil of the heart, then it will be snatched away.
Jesus is talking here specifically about a stubborn heart. There are people who have heard the Gospel over and over and yet have never truly accepted it. Their hearts are like hardened ground that has been trampled over and over by their unwillingness to humble themselves.
There are so many warnings in Scripture about the stubborn heart. The Scripture says, “Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:7-8). But there are people who live, work, and even go to church with you every day who have hardened their hearts and have become calloused to the message of Christ.
So when it comes to the Gospel, don’t ever feel like you’ve outgrown your need for it. If you’re in Christ, you need him as much today as you did on the day you first trusted in him. Don’t let your heart be hardened!
THE GOSPEL SHOULD MEAN AS MUCH TO YOU TODAY AS IT ALWAYS HAS. BE SENSITIVE TO GOD’S WORK IN YOU AND DON’T LET YOUR HEART BE HARDENED!
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