Today I am going to talk about Matthew 13:23.

"But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

Amplified Bible writes: "As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the Word and grasps and comprehends it; he indeed bears fruit and yields in one case a hundred times as much as was sown, in another sixty times a much, and in another thirty.."

Interestingly enough, it is written that even the seeds which fall on good ground do not always bear fruit a hundredfold.

Amplified Bible has "what was sown."
Seeds are first planted and then they produce several times as much as the farmer planted.
Seeds need to be planted in good soil,
and good soil means our heart.

It is not easy for us to hear the Word and understand it.
"Desk theology" cannot bring about understanding.
It is the same as seeds which do not bear fruit unless they pass through the heat of summer and the cold of winter.

I once heard about tulip bulbs.
If you want the bulbs to produce good flowers, you put them in a refrigerator to make them cold.
In this way, in spring the bulbs will produce wonderful flowers...

The "seed" stands for the Word of God.
There is life in the seed.

The Word is Christ.
And Christ is life.

Being planted the seed of the Word in which Christ's life dwells,
How much fruit do you want to bear?
I would like the seed to bear fruit a hundredfold.

Is someone who says "30 times as much will do," truly modest?
Or, would you say that the golden mean is the best?
Not wanting to stand out, would you be satisfied with 60 times as much as the original seed?

As it is written in the scripture,
I pray to become the one who bears fruit a hundredfold.
Let us stand on the faith where not us but God shows His glory to the creatures of God.
Let us walk boldly.

* In order to understand the Word and wake to it, there are tests which God gives us - a way which we must take.

In 13:21, we find:
"yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles."

It is written clearly.
A person can keep going well for a while.
However, it is written that when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word, immediately he stumbles.
This is the way which all believers must go through.

What is written about next are.
1. the cares of this world,
2. the deceitfulness of riches.

In one version of the Bible, it is written that "choking the Word," meaning "covering the Word."
This means to cover the Word and not let it breathe.
Putting a lid on Christ...
What a frightening thing that would be!

"The Word is Christ."
This is clearly written in John.

We truly want to humble ourselves before the Word, without covering the seed of life which has been planted, and
to lead a Christian life in which we produces fruit a hundredfold.

I will conclude with the scriptures of Hosea.
Hosea 10:12;

"Sow for yourselves righteousness;
Reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground,
For it is time to seek the LORD,
Till He comes and rains righteousness on you."