Why did Jesus do this?

• He had faith in the action of the Word
• He knew it was a seed that carries life in itself
• He knew the nature of his words
• “The words I have told you are Spirit and Life.” (John 6.63) “So she acts in you, the believers.” (1Thessalonicians 2.13)

Some facts and acts assimilated by memory, will find their application later: “First of all, his disciples did not understand these facts; but when Jesus had been brought up to glory, they remembered that Scripture had announced this about him and that what it said had been done for him.” (John 12.16) “I remembered then what the Lord had said: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 11.16).

Balance: “Thus Jesus gave his teaching using many such parables; he gave it according to what his listeners could understand. He did not speak to them without using parables; but when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything to them.” (Mark 4.33-34)

Jesus taught on two levels:

• parables for all listeners
• explanation only to the disciples

How does speech work?

It is a seed that can regenerate: “Indeed, you are born again, not of mortal fathers, but through an immortal seed, thanks to the living and eternal word of God.” (1Peter 1.23)

“Let the lawless man renounce his practices! Let the malevolent individual renounce his wicked thoughts! Let them all return to the Lord, for he will have mercy on them! May they return to our God, for He grants broad forgiveness! Indeed, says the Lord, what I think has nothing in common with what you think, and your ways of acting have nothing in common with mine. There is as much distance between my way of acting and yours, between what I think and what you think, as between heaven and earth. Rain and snow fall from the sky, but they do not return without watering the earth, without having made it fertile, without having germinated the seeds. This provides them with what it takes to sow and what it takes to feed themselves. Well, it is the same for my word, for my promise: it does not come back to me without having produced effect, without having achieved what I wanted, without having achieved the goal I had set for it.” (Isaiah 55:7 to 11)

1. A double observation:

• my different thoughts are of your thoughts
• my ways of acting are different from the way you act
• first the thoughts and then the ways.

2. A double order:

• renounce its practices
• then give up his thoughts
• it is easier to abandon certain acts, but the work must be done deeper in terms of thoughts.

3. A double heavenly blessing:

• rain: unpleasant, upsetting: God’s demands
• snow: a subject of joy, a promise of pleasant activities: heavenly promises.

4. A double action:

• watered and made fertile the land (land -heart)
• germinates the plants: it’s visible, outside
• the heart is changed first, it is hidden for now, an inner work. These are the acts that follow the transformation of the heart. Our work will always be focused on the heart, thoughts, actions and conduct will follow.

5. A double result:

• seed to sower: the seed is made for work, to be distributed the first result: it is to serve God
• bread: then comes personal satisfaction.

A formidable weapon: “it’s written”

1. To face temptations

Jesus knew the Word by heart, he could answer: “It is written …” (Matthew 4.4)

2. To defeat the Accuser

“For he was thrown out of heaven the accuser of our brethren, the one who accused them day and night before our God. Our brothers won over him thanks to the blood of the Lamb and the word they testified to.” (Revelation 12.10-11)

3. For the Holy Spirit to act, the Word must be

“… the word of God as a sword given by the Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 6.17). At Cornelius, Peter proclaimed the Word and God was able to pour out his Spirit. “While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Ghost descended upon all who listened to his speech.” (Acts 10.44)

4. Essential to succeed

“Repeat the teachings of the book of the law over and over again and meditate on them day and night in order to observe all that is written in them. Then you will carry out your projects and they will succeed.” (Joshua 1.8). That is why it will be necessary to arm the child for the future, by instilling in him the Word.

5. Its effectiveness

“Indeed, the word of God is alive and effective. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It penetrates to the point where it separates soul and spirit, joins and marrow. She judges the desires and thoughts of the human heart.” (Heb 4.12). It decides between sin and justice, it penetrates the conscience, it judges…

Our condition to bring it

1. Believing in its effectiveness

“For we received the Word of God just like those who were in the wilderness. Now they heard this message without any benefit, for when they heard it they did not receive it with faith. We who believe, we will enter into this rest…”. (Hebrews 4.2-3)

2. Loving God

3. Living the Word

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.” (Deuteronomy 6.5-9)

4. Loving the child…

… by our approach, our concern to satisfy his various needs, we work his heart to receive His Word well. “The farmer who has done the hard work must be the first to receive his share of the harvest.” (2 Timothy 2.6)