Facing the World, the Flesh, and the Devil

Read:
Matthew 13:1-23

To be founded on the Rock that is Christ is to listen to his words and act on them. This starts with hearing the word. “Blessed are …. your ears, because they hear.” (v.16). But it goes beyond hearing. We need to understand what is heard. Many do not. “You shall  indeed hear but not understand” (v.14b). To be blessed, we must hear the word, understand it, and act on it, thus bearing good fruit. “The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (v.23).

In this we face challenges. Jesus is constantly sowing the seed, which is the word of God. 1  People do hear, but there are obstacles that stand in the way of the seed taking root. We need to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. All conspire to keep us from being founded on Rock

There is the world. “The seed sown among thorns is the one who hears the word, but then worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke the word and it bears no fruit.” (v.22). Anxiety and avarice are stumbling blocks to the word. Anxiety is the fear of having less and less. Avarice is the desire to have more and more. What is the solution? It is to know that God is more than enough. In Jesus is sufficiency and security.

Then there is the flesh. “The seed sown on rocky ground is the one who hears the word and receives it at once with joy. But he has no root and lasts only for a time. When some tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, he immediately falls away.” (v.20-21). The sinful flesh is not rooted in God. It is in rebellion to God. While man can hear the word and, being good news, even rejoice in it, that initial burst of enthusiasm fades away when difficulties or oppression arises. Then the fleshly desire for instant gratification or immediate escape from challenges takes over.

Finally, there is the devil. “The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom without understanding it, and the evil one comes and steals away what was sown in his heart.” (v.19). The devil opposes Jesus and especially the proclamation of the word of salvation in Jesus. The devil knows that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ. 2  So when the word is proclaimed and heard, the devil immediately goes to work to deceive or distract the hearer, not allowing the word to take root in the heart.

So in our work of evangelization, we must know what we face. Our work is challenged by the world, the flesh and the devil. All the more, we must keep on sowing. “But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (v.8).