2020-02-02 The Parable of the Sower 撒种的比喻

Happy new year! 新年已经来到！A new year is supposed to bring expectations! 新的一年有新的盼望！At the beginning of the new year, 新年开始，what are your expectations for this year? 你有什么期待? What is God saying to you about this year? 新年神赐给你什么话?Every year during this period, 每年这个时候， I expect to hear from God what He is about to do for the year, 我都盼望从神领受祂对这一年的旨意，so that I may know how to prepare myself to follow His directions. 让我能够预备自己遵祂的命令而行。

Despite the impact of the WuHan coronavirus,尽管受武汉病毒影响, God will still grow us in faith and in numbers in 2020,神必会继续带领我们在2020信心成长、人数加增，as we continue to seek His face humbly. 我们也将继续谦卑寻求祂的面。And God will do new things in our midst,神会在我们当中做新事，what we need to do is to ourselves ready for God’s work. 所以我们需要预备自己。Don’t miss out when God is doing something new amongst us!  不要错过神在我们当中所做的新事！Today, we pray that God would speak something new to each of us through His words, 今天求神藉祂的话语赐下新的信息给我们每个人， as we continue to look at the book of Matthew, chapter 13,我们继续看马太福音13章， “The parable of the sower”.“撒种的比喻” (1-23节)

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.” 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them【太13:3-9,12】3他用比喻对他们讲许多道理，说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种。4撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了；5有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，发苗最快，6日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了；7有落在荆棘里的，荆棘长起来，把它挤住了；8又有落在好土里的，就结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。9有耳可听的，就应当听。”12凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余；凡没有的，连他所有的也要夺去。

1, The Summary of the Parable. 比喻的概要

The Parable of the Sower is recorded in three of the four gospels, “撒种的比喻”在四福音的三福音书里都有记载:Matthew 13, 马太福音13章，Mark 4, 马可福音4章and Luke 8. 和路加福音8章。I’m sure that many of us are familiar with the Parable that Jesus gave to his disciples. 我相信大家对耶稣讲给门徒的这段比喻都很熟悉。In the parable, 在这段比喻中, we see three things, 我们看见三件事：1, the sower sowed his seed; 1,撒种的人播下种子;2, the four types of different soils responded differently to the seed. 2,四种土对种子的反应不同。 3, Only the good soil produced a crop abundantly. 3, 惟有好土结出了丰盛的果实。 Apparently, 显然,the seed Jesus talked about refers to the gospel, 耶稣所说的“种子”是指福音, the Word of God.  神的道。And four types of soils represent four types of hearers’ hearts, 四种土预表四种听道者的心田，and how they react to the Word of God after hearing it. 以及他们听到神话语后的反应。

Type One - the hard heart. 第一种心田——硬土。“some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up”. “有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了”。This represents people who hear the Word of God, 预表人虽听了神的道，but don’t really believe it.却不肯信。

Type two – the shallow heart. 第二种心田——浅土。“some fell on rocky places, where it didn’t have much soil.” “有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，” This speaks of people who hear the Word of God,这是指人听了神的道， and receive it with joy, 当下欢喜领受，but they don’t spend time on God’s words themselves, 却不肯自己在神的话语上花时间，by reading, praying, meditating on them, and walking in them, 去读经、祷告、默想、操练， so there is no root to sustain their faith, 以至于信心的根基不稳，then, when troubles come, 患难一来，they quickly fall away. 立刻就跌倒了。

Type three – the thorny heart. 第三种心田—荆棘。 “Other seed fell among thorns”, “那落在荆棘里的，” it says that the one who hears the Word of God, 就是人听了神的道，but chokes it with worries and money matters,却被各样的思虑和钱财挤住了，instead of being interested in the things of God, 对神的事不感兴趣， is unable to yield fruit in the Christian life.不能在基督徒的生命中结出果子。

Type four – the good heart. 第四种心田—良善。 “The seed falls on good soil”, “种子落在好土里，” it talks about the man who hears the Word of God,比喻人听了神的道，and produces a rich harvest. 结出丰盛的果实。

I quite often hear people say, 我常听到有人说，“I’m like the rocky soil.” “我就像石头地那种人。”“I’m like the thorny soil.” “我就像荆棘地那种人。” “I want to be the good soil.” “我想成为好土。”After we read the parable. 我们读了这个比喻， We quickly turn “the parable of the sower” to “the parable of the soil”. 我们很快就把“撒种的比喻”理解成了“土地的比喻”。Because we pay too much attention to ourselves, 因我们太多关注自己，rather than focusing on the Saviour and His work. 却没有定睛在救主和祂的作为上。So today, 所以今天，first, let’s look a t the other side - the sower. 让我们先来看看比喻的另一面——播种者。

2, The generosity of the Sower. 播种者的慷慨。

V. 3, A farmer went out to sow his seed. 第三节，有一个撒种的出去撒种。As a farmer, if you went out to sow your seed, 一个农夫若出去撒种，where would you scatter the seed? 把种子撒在哪里好呢? “A good place 找一个好地方，which has fertile soil, 有肥沃的土壤，and no stones or weeds”. 没有石头和杂草。”Last month, when we were away on holiday, 上个月我们外出度假时，Caleb told Raymond that he wanted to help us to plant a plant in our backyard, Caleb告诉Raymond他想帮我们在后院种一棵植物，and he said that he would choose fertile soil to plant it in. 他说他会选择肥沃的土壤来种。That’s reasonable! 这是合理的！If you sow seed, 如果你播种，you would absolutely choose a rich soil, 你一定会选择肥沃的土壤，so you wouldn’t waste the seed. 你就不会浪费种子。And also, 同时， you won’t waste your time and energy to achieve nothing.你也不会浪费时间和精力而一无所获。

But strangely, 但奇怪的是,this sower wasn’t like a wise man, 比喻中的这个撒种者似乎不太明智,he didn’t do any research 他既不做研究，nor calculate the cost. 也不算成本，He just simply sowed his seed everywhere, 而是把种子撒在每个地方，even places where it was hard to achieve a harvest. 甚至撒在那些很难有收成的地方。And third quarters of the seeds he planted were unproductive. 他所撒的四分之三的种子都是无收成的。Some were eaten up by birds; 一些被鸟吃掉了;some fell on rocky places; 一些落在了石头上;some were crowded out by thorns, 一些被荆棘挤出，and couldn’t become fruitful. 不能结实。Don’t you think the sower was blind? 会不会觉得这个撒种人有些盲目?because most of what he did was unproductive! 因为他所做的大部分工作都是徒劳！Why didn’t he choose a good place to sow? 他为什么不选择好地方撒种?Why didn’t he count the cost? 他为什么不计算成本? Who was this farmer Jesus mentioned?耶稣所讲的这农夫到底是谁呢?

Verse 19 tells us what the farmer sowed is the word of the Kingdom of God. 19节告诉我们农夫所撒的种子就是天国的道理。Who came to sow the word of God in the world? 是谁来把神的道撒在世界上呢?Jesus! 是耶稣！the Son of God, 神的儿子，and also God Himself. 也是神自己。Secondly, 其次，the followers of Jesus who spread the good news. 是传福音的信徒。Why doesn’t Jesus only choose good soil to sow in? 为什么耶稣不单选择好土来播种呢？Because our God is more than generous! 因为神是超乎慷慨的神！In His generosity,在他的慷慨的恩典中，He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, 因为他叫日头照好人，也照歹人，and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 降雨给义人，也给不义的人。Matt 5:45马太福音5：45 Our God Jesus isn’t like us calculating people who sow seed carefully only into worthy soil. 我们的神耶稣不像我们这样会算计，只把种子小心翼翼地撒到我们觉得值得撒的土里。We like to talk to nice and gentle people about God. 我们喜欢和温和的人谈论上帝。 We don’t like to talk to those who are grumpy. 我们不喜欢和脾气暴躁的人说话。But Jesus tells us that this Sower generously scattered His seed everywhere, 但耶稣告诉我们，这个撒种的人，是大方地把他的种子撒在各处。to the hard hearted, 给硬心肠的人，the shallow hearted, 给浅薄的人，the thorny hearted, 给刺儿头，and the good hearted. 给善良的人。That’s God’s generosity! 这就是神的慷慨！

He treats everyone equally. 他不偏袒人。He gives everyone opportunity to hear the Word of God, 他愿人人都能听到神的道，so that they may be saved. 这样他们都能得救赎。Even though Jesus foreknows that some will refuse Him, 虽然耶稣知道有些人会拒绝他，some will have a shallow relationship with him,有些人只会很粗浅地认识神， some will still be interested in worldly things rather than in the things of God, 有些人喜欢世俗的事，不喜欢神的事， and only one fourth of His labour will produce a rich harvest, 他的劳力只有四分之一能大获丰收，He is still generously at work in His fields. 他仍在地里慷慨地劳作。That’s our God! 这就是我们的神！Full of mercy and love! 充满怜悯和慈爱！Slow to anger! 不轻易发怒！Humble enough to allow Himself to be rejected by His people! 谦卑到可以被自己的子民拒绝！ He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,祂没有照着我们罪所应得的报应我们， but graciously sent His Son Christ Jesus to suffer and die for the forgiveness of our sins. 但他施恩差派他的儿子基督耶稣来受苦，为我们的罪得赦免而死。Even for those who crucified him, 甚至为那钉他在十架的人死，He still gave them opportunity to have eternal life. 他也赐给他们永生的机会。Our God is an over-generous, 我们的神是超乎慷慨，non-calculating,从不算计， non-discriminating,不偏袒， incredibly risk-taking, 敢于冒险，and big-hearted God! 和拥有宽广心胸的神！As His sons and daughters, 作为神的子女，we’re gonna ask ourselves in the beginning of the year, 我们在这新年开始问问自己，are we generous like Him? 我们像神一样慷慨吗？Are we generous enough to give to those who are in need? 我们是否慷慨地给予那些需要帮助的人?Are we generous enough to spread the good news of Jesus everywhere and to everyone we can?  我们是否足够慷慨，把耶稣的福音传播到每一个地方，每一个人?

3, To be the good soil. 成为好土

Certainly, 当然，we can’t ignore the fact that there are four types of soil, 我们不能否认有4种土壤的存在，and only one fourth of the soil will be productive. 而且只有四分之一的土壤可有出产。How can we be the good soil? 如何才能成为好土壤呢？Some say,有些人会说， ‘I’m like the rocky soil. 我就像石头地上的浅土的，Because quickly turn to frustration, 因我很快灰心丧气，disappointment, 失望，or anger, 或恼怒，when persecution or trouble comes.当迫害或环境临到时。 Some say, 有些人说，“I’m worried about money all the time, 我常常忧虑没钱，which stifles (kills) the growth of my faith，以至于属灵生命不能成长， Then, we feel frustrated with ourselves.于是他们就灰心丧气。 Listen, 你听，our hope is not that we are naturally good soil! 我们的盼望不在于我们是天然的好土壤！Our hope is that we have an over-generous Sower who is mighty to change! 我们的盼望是，我们有一个超乎慷慨的播种者，他有改变生命的大能！What we should do is to turn to Him humbly and quickly!我们所能做的就是快快回转且谦卑放下自己！ Jesus has the transformative power to change us!耶稣有能力改变我们！ Many years ago, 许多年前，I challenged an evangelist who was from Los Angeles, 我戏弄了一位来自洛杉矶的传道人，and he was deeply troubled by the questions I had asked him. 他被我的问题给问倒了，答不出来。My heart was extremely hardened at that time. 那时候我的心特别刚硬。But years later, 但几年之后，I became a Christian and also a servant of God. 我成了基督徒，也是上帝的仆人。God changed my hard heart and gave me a fresh heart. 上帝改变了我刚硬的心，给了我一颗肉心。Throughout those years when I had a hard heart 那些心刚硬年间，I suffered manic depression.我患上躁狂抑郁症。 But like Nebuchadnezzar,但像尼布甲尼撒一样， after I was healed by God the first time I turned to Jesus, 在我被神医治之后，I acknowledged His sovereignty! 我承认耶稣的主权！Only God knows how to humble us. 只有上帝知道如何使我们谦卑。I love what Psa 119:67 says, Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. 我喜爱诗篇119：67的话，我为受苦以先走迷了路，现在却遵行你的话。

God promised us in Ezekiel 36:26,神在以西结书36:26中应许我们， “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you;我也要赐给你们一个新心，将新灵放在里面， and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.又从你们的肉体中除掉石心，赐给你们肉心。 Does that mean that God will do all things for us so that we don’t have to do anything? 这意味着神会做，所以我们什么都不需要做？Of course not. 当然不是。How we respond to God’s words determines whether we yield fruit or not. 我们如何回应神的话语，决定了我们是否结出果子。

When the disciples asked Jesus to explain the Parable, in verse 11, 当门徒要求耶稣在11节解释这个比喻时，Jesus replied, 耶稣回答说，“the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. “因为天国的奥秘，只叫你们知道，不叫他们知道。”It says that the knowledge of the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven are given to Jesus’ followers alone. 它说天国的奥秘只叫耶稣的跟随者知道。Jesus continued his reply in verse 12,耶稣在第12节继续回答， “whoever has will be given more, 凡有的还要加给他，and they will have an abundance.叫他有余。 Whoever does not have, 凡没有的，even what they have will be taken from them.连他所有的也要夺去。”

What does “whoever has” mean? “凡有的”是什么意思?Has what? 有什么？Whoever has money will be given more money?凡有钱的，还要给他更多钱？ Whoever has a house will be given more houses? 凡有房子的，给他更多房子？Of course not. 当然不是。Verse 9 says,第9节又说， “whoever has ears,有耳可听的， let him hear.就应当听。” “Faith comes from hearing, 信道是从听道来的，hearing through the word of Christ. 听道是从基督的话来的。Romans 10:17 罗马书10:17。 As Christians, 作为基督徒，without hearing the word of God, 如果不听神的话，faith can’t grow. 信心就不会增长。It’s all about hearing the Word of God, 这一切都是关于听神的话，understanding it, 明白神的话，and how we act on it. 以及如何去操练行出来。The disciples heard the words about the parable of the sower, 门徒们听到了关于撒种的比喻，they were interested, 他们很感兴趣，they thought about it, 他们思想这话，and they weren’t satisfied only to hear these words like the crowd was. 他们不满足于只是像众人那样仅仅是听了。The disciples wanted to understand it, 门徒渴望领受这话语，they wanted to live in the will of God. 他们渴望活在上帝的旨意中。Because just before speaking the parable, 因为在说这个比喻前，Jesus said to them,耶稣曾对他们说， “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” “凡遵行我天父旨意的人，就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了。”They pursued this way to have a close relationship with Jesus. 他们追求是为了与耶稣建立亲密的关系。And Jesus is willing to make His words known to those who desire to live in the will of the Father. 耶稣愿意让那些渴望活在天父旨意中的人明白神的话。

Whoever has will be given more! 凡有的还要加给他！ Along the way in following Jesus, 在跟随耶稣的路上，the disciples were worried about lots of things, 门徒有许多担忧，so Jesus taught them not to worry, 耶稣于是教导他们不要忧虑，for their Father in Heaven would meet their needs. 因天父必供应他们一切所需。The disciples once strived for recognition, 他们一度为得名誉彼此争大，“which of them was to be considered the greatest?”, “他们当中谁为大？”Jesus taught them that,耶稣教导说，the greatest in the Kingdom of God was the one who humbly served and was like the youngest.谦卑服事如同最小的，在天国里是最大的。

What is the secret of being good soil？什么是成为好土的秘诀? Jesus tells us: Whoever has will be given more! 凡有的，还要加给他！ The disciples prayed and repented. 门徒祷告悔改了。Although they had little faith to follow Jesus by forsaking the deception of wealth in this life, 尽管他们有一点点信，放下今世钱财的迷惑来跟随耶稣，when they saw Jesus’ provision out of His sovereignty, 但当他们看到耶稣供应众人的权能时，their faith increased. 他们的信就加增了。The same principle works for us! 这个法则对我们也一样有效！When they recognised that there was pride inside of them, 当他们认出自己心里的骄傲， they repented of their pride, and walked in humility, 于是悔改转向谦卑，they were given more humility. 更多的谦卑就加给他们。The same for us! 对我们也一样！ If we don’t embrace rejection, 如果我们不拥抱拒绝感，but embrace humility to forgive and love,却怀揣谦卑去饶恕和爱, we’ll be given more humility. 谦卑就会更多的加给我们。

When they prayed and saw insecurity, fear, 当他们祷告认出心里的不安全感、惧怕、and shame inside of their hearts, due to taking their identity from human culture – a shame culture, 羞耻感,是因为接受社会文化带来的身份认同感而生，in which they were judged ‘people of value or of no value’ by what they had on the exterior, 就是人断定人是否有价值或无价值是在于人的外在拥有什么，they turned to Jesus’ forgiveness, 他们认出了，他们转向耶稣的赦免， and they rooted themselves in Jesus’ love and truth, 扎根在耶稣的爱和真理中，and believed that they were who God said they were, 信神的断定关于他们是谁， and they learnt not to compare themselves with others, 并学习不把自己和他人比较， but to be united with others as members of Christ to support and love others, 而是与他人合一互为肢体，彼此相顾，彼此相爱，they were given more faith, 神就把更多的信心， more peace更多的平安, more love,和更多的爱就加给他们，tasted more the power of forgiveness.他们就更多的经历饶恕的大能。They gave, and they were given more! 他们施舍，所得的更多！ And they therefore discovered secret after secret about the Kingdom of God! 于是门徒们就认知了神国度的一个又一个的奥秘！The same for us! 对我们也一样！They therefore walked from grace to grace! They walked from strength to strength! 于是他们恩上加恩、力上加力！They therefore walked from being content with what they had to being content with Jesus! 他们因此行走在知足，因耶稣更知足的常乐里！They therefore walked from glory to glory until they had an abundance! 他们因此经历荣上加荣，直至丰盛有余！ If we follow in their footsteps, 我们若跟随他们的脚踪，we can experience exactly the same.也必经历他们所经历的。 Whoever has will be given more.凡有的，还要加给他。Our God is the unchangeable God! 我们的神永不改变！Who is the same Yesterday, Today, and forever more! 从昨日，今日，直到永远！But然而，Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 凡没有的，连他所有的，也要夺去。

Entering the new year, 进入新的一年，we all wish to have an abundance! 我们都盼望丰盛有余！Abundance comes from the abundant God! 丰盛有余来自丰富的神！By seeking to be good soil for the use of the Sower, 是借着寻求成为好土为撒种人所用，we will reap abundantly!我们才能丰盛有余！ How? 怎样成为好土？Have ears to Listen, 有能听的耳，have humble hearts to repent, 存谦卑悔改的心， have endurance to remain in the Word of God, 忍耐持守在神的话语中，seek His face in faith and never give up. 信心寻求祂的面而不放弃。Whoever has will be given more, 凡有的，还要加给他，and they will have an abundance!让他们有余！