Conquering the Enemies of Discipleship

Matthew 13:19-23 (NRSV): Conquering the Enemies of Discipleship

19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; 21 yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. 23 But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit . . .

Jesus teaches us to beware of three common enemies that thwart our Christian living: Doubt and skepticism, trouble and persecution, and the world and lure of wealth.

The first enemy is the “evil one,” Satan himself. As much as we try to laugh off the existance of the devil, he is very real and does exist. Most of his work is done in stealth, worming his way into our subconscious by encouraging our doubt and skepticism. Skepticism and doubt, moreover, snatch away God’s truth that is sown in our hearts (19).

The second enemy is “trouble and persecution” (21). When we are threatened and made to feel uncomfortable as Christians in public, the temptation to back off, grow tepid, and fall away is very real. Many Christians living in ISIS occupied countries, for example, confront this same enemy daily. And although we hear about the martyrs who have kept their faith and paid the price with their lives, there are many who have fallen away or renounced their faith due to the threat of violence to themselves and their families.

The third enemy, “the cares of the world and lure of wealth” (22), dissolves our internal motivation toward loving God and neighbor by replacing it with a motivation for wealth, power, and notoriety. This enemy banks on our pride and ego and encourages us to build a tower of personal accomplishments that yield temporal comfort in this world. The pursuit of world and wealth, moreover, leads us into a trap of false thinking: All that truly matters is what we have and gain for ourselves in this world.

Doubt and skepticism, trouble and persecution, and the world and lure of wealth are imminent, but often ignored, threats to Christian discipleship. However, I continue to experience each one of these threats in my walk with Christ. Earlier in Matthew 13, Jesus tells his disciples that they have been given a great gift: “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (16). We, too, are given the gift of open eyes and ears to God’s word, but we must combat the threats to our taking in, being changed by, and acting on God’s word in love. When, through grace, we combat these enemies and cooperate with God’s will in our lives, we reach the “good soil” Jesus mentions (23), hearing and understanding God’s word. But even more than that, we bear and yield good fruit by imitating God’s love and mercy in the world.

I pray that we both recognize and combat the comfortable enemies of doubt, persecution, and worldly gain. And in that victory we stand in the light of Jesus Christ, radiating his word, mercy, and love in our world.

Have a blessed week.

Stan