Two Parables

by J. Renfrew, Paisley | Category: General | Jan 1978

Close to a house we used to live in was a bush in which a thrush once made a beautiful nest and laid her eggs. The mother bird patiently sat on the eggs until they were hatched. We could see the baby birds being fed by their parents. One day we looked into the nest and it was empty. A cat had come during the night and killed all the baby birds! We were sorry to see this after all the care the mother bird had taken.

The Lord Jesus spoke a parable about a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat (see Matt. 13:24-30). When the wheat grew the tares (weeds) grew also. The servants asked why this had happened and were told, "An enemy hath done this".

We also have an enemy, called in the Scriptures, "your adversary the devil" (1 Pet. 5:8). Remember, it was the serpent which sowed doubt in the mind of the woman in the garden of Eden and sought to contradict the word of God. Eve was deceived by the serpent, disobeyed the word of God and brought sorrow on herself and Adam and the human race.

The Lord Jesus before His crucifixion said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan asked to have you, that he might sift you as wheat: but I made supplication for thee, that thy faith fail not" (Luke 22:31,32). Little did Peter realize that the maid in the judgement hall was being used by Satan to tempt him to deny his Lord. But so it was, and Peter failed in this temptation, but the Lord was gracious to him and granted him repentance.

We all meet with temptation from the world and the devil and need to be on our guard, but it is a comfort to know there is One in the presence of God who is making supplication for us, our Lord Jesus. May we have grace to be overcomers in our day and so bring glory to His Name.

J. Renfrew, Paisley | Jan 1978
General