THE MYSTERY OF THE THORNS

MARK 4:10-20

10 When Yeshua was alone, those around Him with the Twelve started asking Him about the parables. 11 And He told them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those who are outside, everything is in parables, so that12 ‘Seeing, they may se and not perceive, and hearing, they may hear and not understand,

so they may not turn back and be forgiven.’”(ISAIAH 6:9-10)

13 He said to them, “Don’t you grasp this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables?

14 The sower sows the word. 15 These are the ones beside the road where the word is sown. Whenever they hear, satan comes quickly and takes away the word that has been sown in them.

16 “These are the ones sown on rocky (STUBBORN) ground. When they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves but last only a short while. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away.

18 “And others are the ones sown among the thorns. They have heard the word; 19 but the worries of the world, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 “And those are the ones sown on the good soil. They hear the word and accept it and produce fruit, thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

· WORRIES OF THE WORLD

· SEDUCTION OF WEALTH

· DESIRES FOR OTHER THINGS

Worries or Cares: (merimina)to draw in different directions, distract," hence signifies "that which causes this, a care, especially an anxious care,

YLT: “the anxieties of this age”

GW: “but the worries of life”

KJ: “And the cares of this world”

Luke 21:34-35 CJB

34 “But keep watch on yourselves, or your hearts will become dulled (weighed down) by carousing (the giddiness and headache resulting from excessive wine-bibbing, a drunken nausea), drunkenness (methē-intoxicant) and the worries of everyday living, and that Day will be sprung upon you suddenly like a trap! 35 For it will close in on everyone, no matter where they live, throughout the whole world.

1 Peter 5:6-8 AMP

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God [set aside self-righteous pride], so that He may exalt you [to a place of honor in His service] at the appropriate time, 7 casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].

Luke 8:14 AMP

14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, but as they go on their way they are suffocated with the anxieties and riches and pleasures of this life, and they bring no fruit to maturity.

MATTHEW 13:22 AMP

22 And the one on whom seed was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the worries anddistractions of the world and the deceitfulness [the superficial pleasures and delight] of riches choke the word, and it yields no fruit.

WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED SO FAR ABOUT THE POWER OF THE THORNS?

THORNS DISTRACT AND DRAW YOUR ATTENTION AND FOCUS AWAY FROM GOD’S WORD TO THE CARES, WORRIES AND ANXIETIES OF EVERY DAY LIFE

THORNS WILL CHOKE OR SUFFOCATE THE WORD SO IT WON’T PRODUCE THE INTENDED RESULT

THORNS ARE IN OPPOSITION TO GOD’S PURPOSE & PLAN (WORD)

· WHERE DO THE THORNS REALLY COME FROM?

GENESIS 3:17-19 NKJV

17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it

All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.

19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat breadTill you return to the ground,For out of it you were taken;For dust you are,And to dust you shall return.

”A CURSE OF THORNS CAME ON THE GROUND BECAUSE ADAM LISTENED TO HIS WIFE AND REBELLED AGAINST GOD’S COMMANDMENT!

THORNS CAME OUT OF THE GROUND ABUNDANTLY & MORE RAPIDLY THEN ANY PLANTS OR HERBS.

FOR MAN TO EVEN EAT HIS BREAD IT WOULD COME WITH SWEAT, TOIL AND LABOR! (Pain, labor, hardship, sorrow, toil,)

AN INTERSTING NOTE: NOAH’S PARENT’S NAMED HIM PROPHETICALLY TO CONTEST THE CURSE OF THE GROUND AND IT’S CAUSE OF THE CONSTANT TOIL OF MAN’S HAND

NOAH MEANS, “REST”

GENESIS 5:29

And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

GENESIS 6:8

But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

WHAT ELSE HAVE WE NOW LEARNED ABOUT THORNS?

THORNS CAUSE YOU TO TOIL AND LABOR IN YOUR OWN STRENTH AND POWER INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE POWER OF GRACE!

THE THORNS MADE IT HARD FOR FRUITFULNESS AND THE GOOD PLANTS AND BREAD TO COME

THORNS AND THISTLES WERE ABUNDANT WHILE THE GOOD PLANTS AND THE BREAD WAS ONLY PRODUCED THROUGH TOIL & SWEAT.

I BELIEVE THORNS WERE A CURSE OF SIN AND IF ADAM & EVE NEVER SINNED MANKIND WOULD NEVER HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE THORNS

SO DID JESUS HAVE A SOLUTION FOR THE WORD SOWN ON THORNY GROUND?

LUKE 8:11

11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

DID JESUS BLAME THE SEED FOR THE PROBLEMS OR THE GROUND?

LUKE 8:14 YLT

And that which fell to the thorns: These are they who have heard, and going forth, through anxieties, and riches, and pleasures of life, are choked, and bear not to completion (telesphoreō “ou” ,telesphoreō),.

Telesphoreō: to bring to full term and birthing, to ripen to maturity or perfection not cannot in any way be Telesphoreō:

“The thorns of the anxieties of the age, the deceitfulness of riches & wealth as providing true security and happiness, the consuming nature of the pleasures of life will never allow the fruit of God’s word to be completed in a persons life. “

Luke 8:15YLT

15‘And that in the good ground: These are they, who in an upright and good heart, having heard the word, do retain [it], and bear fruit in continuance.

Luke 8:15 NHEB

That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

LUKE 8:15 GW

The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring.

LUKE 8:15 NLT

And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God's word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

WHAT IS THE RIGHT GROUND: AN HONEST AND GOOD HEART THAT DOES NOT LET GO OF THE WORD NO MATTER WHAT!