Shining Fruit

I was reading in Luke 8 yesterday and connected some verses that I've not thought of as having much to do with each other before. I like how some of my Bibles divide the chapters sections with a topic heading above every few paragraphs. It helps me locate versed quickly and keep up with where I stopped reading last time.

The downside to this is that I think of the verses from one event as unrelated to another because there are several spaces separating them. I try to remember to take the last thought of the previous section and connect it with the beginning of the one I'm reading.

For instance, in Luke 8:5, Jesus starts telling a large group of people the parable of the sower then explains it after the disciples ask what it means:
(Paraphrased) A sower went out to sow his seed (the word of God). As he sowed some fell by the wayside and was trampled down and birds ate it.(Those who hear the word of God but the devil comes and takes the word out of their hearts lest they believe and be saved.) Some fell on rock and though it sprang up, it withered away for lack of moisture. (Those who joyfully receive the word but have no root and in temptation fall away.) Some fell among thorns and the thorns grew up with the plants and choked them. (Those who hear the word of God, go out and the cares riches, and pleasures of life choke them. They bring no fruit to maturity.) But others fell on good ground, sprang up, and produced a crop a hundredfold. (Those who heard the word with a good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience.)

The next heading said something like "Let your light shine" and said, "No one, when he has lit a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.
"For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light.
"Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given: and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."


There is no break in the red ink in this part of the chapter, so it was in the next breath after the parable of the sower.

I'm sure this has been picked apart and analyzed and cross-referenced by many commentators and theologians, but to my simple little brain it "clicked" that these two topics actually had something in common: Hearing the word of God, acting on it, not letting cares of self choke me and put out my light. The good ground produced a hundredfold more than what was planted in it. ("whoever, has to him more will be given") but the others died away and lost what they had ("and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken away from him.")

Another heading interrupts here and then the chapter continues with , "Then His mother and brother came to Him. . . "
But the crowd was so large they couldn't get to Him. Some of the crowd told Him His mother and brothers were standing outside wanting to see Him.
"But He answered and said to them, 'My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and do it."

Goodbye helpful heading. Now I can see another connection. Right after the sower parable and the light analogy, His family came looking for Him. Jesus used this distraction to tie it all back in to the first thought of "The word of God (seed sown)." He said His true family are the ones who hear His word and do it.

Those who hear the word, keep it and bear fruit are letting their lights shine to others which in turn produces more fruit. These are the true family of Christ because they are hearing and acting on His word. BING! (The light going on in my brain.)


~~~~~~~~~

Today Lissy and Micah were learning about the letter K. We discussed kings, kites, kisses, kittens, keys, kangaroos, kicking, karate, and Katie, their cousin. Lissy, who remembers reading about Abraham in our Bible story book suggested "Kaybraham". She's always hopeful about getting a word that starts with our chosen letter. Unfortunately, she usually chooses Abraham and substitutes the A with the needed sound.

Later I was reading a story to them about a deaf couple and their dog that was trained to alert them to the doorbell or phone ringing, baby crying, and smoke alarm sounding. I asked if they knew what a smoke alarm sounded like, and they didn't, so we gathered around while I pressed the test button on one to make it beep. They loved it. It was loud. It was something they didn't know was in the house. It was exciting, because I explained why we have smoke alarms.

I sent them to the playroom while I pressed the button again to see if they could hear it in there. They rushed back to tell me they could. So I sent them to the loft, to their bedrooms, then to mine and Matt's room with the door shut. They excitedly reported that they could hear it in every part of the house.

I've been wanting to have a sort of fire drill just so they know what to do in case we ever have a house fire. I wasn't sure how to go about it without scaring them, but this was the perfect opportunity. They were loving this "game" we were playing so far, so I explained that if there were ever a real fire, they should jump out of bed, not stop and grab any toys or get a drink of water (or play the piano, thank you Cassie for that little song) but rush to the door and run out to the yard. We chose a tree in the back yard as the meeting tree and then had a fire drill. Those kids didn't waste any time getting outside to safety. I grabbed Cassie and we were right behind them.

May we never need to do this, but if we do, I feel better about it, having given them some instructions. They had fun learning, but knew it was serious. Today I loved homeschooling. :) Lots of smiles and fun. Sort of like slipping spinach puree in the brownies. Getting stuff they need and not even realizing it. ;) (That recipe isn't one I've tried, but have gotten sneaky with some other foods.)

~Rose

A note about the header picture: Cassie is just a cute kid, and I like this picture of her from when she was 5 months old. :) And it seemed to go well with the saying.