Jump Start # 3437

Luke 8:14 “And the seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.”

Our passage today comes from the Lord’s explanation of the parable of the Sower. Seed was scattered. Some landed on the hard road and nothing much happened. Some of the seed was eaten by the birds. And, in our verse, some of the seed fell among the thorns. The plant started, but it was quickly squeezed out by the weeds. There wasn’t enough room for the plant to grow. It was choked out, using the language of the passage.

And, of the three negative soils, the road, the rocky soil and the thorns, it’s this last one that seems to trip us up the most. Worries, riches and pleasures seem to fill our days and our hearts. There just isn’t enough time to get done all that needs to get done. The worries, riches and pleasures of this life do not have to be bad things. They can be, but the text doesn’t necessitate that they are wrong. One of the key expressions from the verse is, “of this life.” It’s the worries of this life. It’s the riches of this life. It’s the pleasures of this life. And, before one realizes it, they have spent a life time chasing after the things of “this life.”

Here are some things to remember:

First, “of this life” doesn’t last. It’s the next life, the spiritual life, that truly endures. The problems of this life that causes us to worry, will not last. Think about the things that bothered you years ago. Most of us have a hard time remembering what those things were. We stressed about paying for cars that today we no longer own. We worried about our kids in school, and now they are grown and out of school. We worried about economy, politics, wars and storms. And, those things have moved on.

The same is true about riches. We shopped and shopped to buy furniture that we no longer own for a house that we no longer live in. We bought clothing that has since been pitched, items that have been put in the trash.

The same is true of pleasures of this life. We’ve been to ballgames, concerts and vacations that have long become distant memories for us.

The things of this life simply do not last.

Second, worries, riches and pleasures of this life all consume time and energy out of us. There is only so much time and when we are pursuing the things of “this life” there is little time for the things of the next life. Too busy to attend services like we should have. Schedules too filled to have someone over to our home. Can’t teach a class this quarter because my plate is full.

When we are busy with “this life” it is easy to kick the can down the road of the next life. Not now, maybe later is what we say to the things of the next life. Pursuing the things of this life can leave us exhausted, run down and uneasy. Jesus tells the disciples multiple times in Matthew not to be anxious, or worried. Yet, we get worried. And, the more we worry, the less we trust and believe in God. Worry and faith are the opposites. The greater your faith, the less you will worry.

Third, the things of this life leave us none the better. Worries, riches and pleasures do not build character within us. Riches and pleasures, especially, may put a smile on our faces for a moment, but they will not bring lasting joy. Our faith in the Lord is not enriched by worries, riches and pleasures. Worries, riches and pleasures do not equip us to face what storms we encounter in life. Worries, riches and pleasures do not create a heart that is like Jesus.

We chase these rabbits all through the weeds of life and find out that the pursuit was not worth it. It was a waste of time. The Lord has always been there for us. The Lord has taken good care of us. The Lord loves us.

Weeds grow faster than plants. Weeds grow in the worst conditions. Dry and hot, the weeds grow. Rainy, the weeds grow. Cold, the weeds grow. And, unless one stays on top of things, weeds can take over. It’s a constant battle that every gardener faces, getting rid of the weeds.

Imagine the opposite of our passage. Instead of worries, riches and pleasures choking out the good word of God, the good seed of God chokes out the worries, riches and pleasures of this life. There is no room for worry, because my heart is filled with the Word of God. Riches and pleasures can’t take root within us because the Word of God is firmly planted there.

These are things that we face, struggle with and must overcome to be the people that Jesus wants us to be. Don’t be chocked by the things of this life. Become filled with the things of the NEXT life.

Roger