The main passage my pastor used in Sunday’s sermon was the parable of the sower from Mark. Here is Jesus’s explanation.

The farmer plants the Word. Some people are like the seed that falls on the hardened soil of the road. No sooner do they hear the Word than Satan snatches away what has been planted in them.

And some are like the seed that lands in the gravel. When they first hear the Word, they respond with great enthusiasm. But there is such shallow soil of character that when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it.

The seed cast in the weeds represents the ones who hear the kingdom news but are overwhelmed with worries about all the things they have to do and all the things they want to get. The stress strangles what they heard, and nothing comes of it.

But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.‬‬

Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭14‬-‭20‬ ‭MSG

What I want you to notice is neither the sower nor the seed are the issue. Only the ground. So what does this have to do with changing our minds? It has to do with the state of our soil—our mind and our heart—and what happens when we hear the Word.

One barrier to the growth of our seed is the Greek word metanoia that we translate as repentance. But what is repentance and how does it operate? If you look up metanoia you will see it means to change one’s mind. Another way to say it would be to think differently about something.

So often we think of repentance as telling God how sorry we are for something we’ve done or for an offense we’ve committed, promising we will do better. But if you have kids you know not all apologies are sincere. There are times we have no intention to change, we don’t want to change, or we haven’t the power to change.

I think it’s simpler than that. Repentance is not so much about feeling bad, but it is about seeing God in truth. It’s about opening up to who God is and how we fit in the big picture.

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent (metanoia), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”‬‬

Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV (parentheses mine) see also Mark 1:15

From the beginning of Jesus’ ministry he declared our need for repentance. He was informing us we were about to see things differently than what had been revealed in the past. Maybe differently is the wrong word. More clearly or more fully? He was saying we needed to change our minds from how we previously viewed ourselves.

The Bible talks about two responses to this message of repentance.

As a follower of the Lord, I order you to stop living like stupid, godless people. Their minds are in the dark, and they are stubborn and ignorant and have missed out on the life that comes from God. They no longer have any feelings about what is right, and they are so greedy they do all kinds of indecent things.

But this isn’t what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy.‬‬

Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭17‬-‭24‬ ‭CEV

The first response is a hard truth. Another translation refers to these people having hard hearts. They are like the hard soil in the parable of the sower. The soil that Satan has full access to. (shudder) The second group of people you can tell are struggling, otherwise there would be no need for Paul to admonish them. But look at what he says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person.” That is repentance and it is a work of the Spirit.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.‬‬

Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭2‬ ‭CSB

My pastor talked about the difference between receiving the Word and possessing the Word. Every type of soil received the seed, but not every seed took root.

So trust comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through a word proclaimed about the Messiah.

Romans (Rom)‬ ‭10‬:‭17‬ ‭CJB‬‬

Faith comes from hearing the Word. Hearing and faith or trust gel together from metanoia—changing how we think—the seed takes root and prospers. “But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.‬‬”

When we repent we see God for who he is and we see ourselves from his perspective instead of our own.

This was a tough one to get my thoughts to unwind, but I hope you gain a new perspective.

Grace & Peace,

Sandy

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