Week 20 Daily Dose of Love
#134 (5/14)
The Kingdom
is Like Seed that Grows
Mark 4:26-29
He also said, “The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground,
and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how. The earth
produces of itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain
is ripe, at once he goes in with his sickle, because the harvest has come.”
Love grows naturally in the Kingdom of God.
The ground that accepts the seeds of our Creator’s love is soft and pliable so that grain grows and matures spontaneously
in a wondrous dance that merges life and love. There are no obstacles to love in the Kingdom of God - perfect
love reigns forever. Human love, on the other hand, requires some work.
The soil needs to be loosened so the seeds of God’s love have room to grow and spread. During
dry periods, water must be brought to the garden, which also needs to be kept clear of weeds and protected from browsing critters.
But when human love sets root, grows, and matures, it produces full, ripe grain, providing a taste of heaven.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we become more aware of the seeds
of God’s love that are planted in our hearts?
Principles of Love:
Nature; Opening
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#135 (5/15)
Weeds in the Wheat
Matthew 13:24-30
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone
who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then
went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well.
And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where,
then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said
to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering
the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest;
and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the
wheat into my barn.’ ”
Biblical scholar Joachim Jeremias speculated that Jesus might have been referring to an actual
event that was reported to have taken place in Palestine during this period. A weed, poisonous bearded
darnel, which is botanically related to wheat, and resembles it in the early stages of growth, was reported to have been planted
in a wheat field by the owner’s enemy. This is an apt metaphor for how popular culture depicts love. Songs, movies,
and novels use self-centered words like “want,” “need,” “desire,” and “passion”
to describe love. Love is proclaimed as something that brings us pleasure, satisfaction, and fulfillment.
This self-serving love is a toxic weed that may look like the real thing in the early stages of growth but ultimately
produces a seed that poisons rather than nurtures our heart.
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we keep the weeds of our culture form stifling God love in our hearts?
Principles of Love:
Commitment; Decision; Learning
Pray Through the Day:
Help us to love
When our will is weak
#136 (5/16)
The Kingdom Is Like a Mustard Seed
Matthew 13:31-32
He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed
in his field; it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree,
so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.”
Mark 4:30-32
He also said, “With what can we compare the kingdom
of God, or what parable will we use for it? It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground,
is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts
forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Luke
13:18-19
He said therefore,
“What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that
someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”
Love just keeps
on growing. Small, seemingly insignificant acts of love can have profound effects over the long
term. There is a true story of a man who had decided to kill himself, but while on his way to carry out
his plan passed a woman who smiled as he walked by. This stranger, whom he never saw again, planted a small
seed of hope that was enough to help him survive and ultimately transcend his crisis. We each have a heart filled with the seeds of love. Where shall we plant them today?
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we recognize tiny seeds in God’s
kingdom?
Principles of Love:
Nature; Learning
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
#137
(5/17)
The Kingdom is Like Leaven
Matthew 13:33
He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took
and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Luke
13:20-21
And again he said,
“To what should I compare the kingdom of God? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with
three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.”
Yeast that is mixed with ground wheat brings the entire loaf to life. The
yeast becomes an integral part of the dough as it rises into bread, which provides nourishment to all who are hungry. ...
Sounds just like love. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we mix the yeast of God’s love with the flour in our lives to make our daily
bread?
Principles of Love:
Nature
Pray Through the Day:
We were all created
From God’s love
#138 (5/18)
Jesus’ Use of Parables
Matthew 13:34-35
Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without
a parable he told them nothing. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet:
“I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”
Mark 4:33-34
With
many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it; he did not speak to them except in parables, but
he explained everything in private to his disciples.
The Aramaic word for parable also means, “riddle.” Understanding parables and solving riddles requires a shift in perception, a
different way of looking at things.
Love is a whole new way of looking
at our world. The logic of self-interest dissipates and diminishes as we understand the power of love to
unify and connect us.
Parables, like love, have meaning that is much deeper than the appearance of what is happening on the
surface. A story takes us in one direction and then the meaning creates a shift that leads to a new understanding
of both the story and life. It is impossible for us to view each other and our world as God does, but love constantly
challenges us to see others in new ways that open our hearts as well as our minds. Reflection/Discussion:
How can we become a little more aware
of the deeper meaning of life each day?
Principles of Love:
Learning; Vision
Pray Through the Day:
Open our hearts and minds
To your love and wisdom
#139 (5/19)
Explanation of the Parable of Weeds
Matthew
13:36-43
Then he left the
crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of
the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the
world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed
them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are
collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels,
and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of
fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
Jesus tells us to let the weeds grow with the wheat until the time of harvest at the
end of the world. We tend to view what we believe is evil in others as weeds that get in our way, something
to be rid of. But Jesus tells us that he will send his angels to judge weed from wheat. He tells us not to pull the weeds because we uproot his love from our hearts when we judge others.
Jesus makes it clear that it is not our job to rid the world of evil. Our job is to make sure that
the seeds of his love that have been planted in our hearts grow to full maturity so they can “shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father.”
Reflection/Discussion:
How can we maintain our focus on growing wheat and let God take care of the weeds?
Principles of Love:
Acceptance
Pray Through the Day:
Not my will
But thine be done
#140 (5/20)
Hidden
Treasure
Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in
his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”
Love can lie hidden and dormant, deep in our hearts, for long periods of time.
When we discover it’s true value, we recognize that all that we own, all that we have worked for, pales in comparison
with the wonderful gift that has been available to us all along. When
we recognize the true value of love, we let go of selfish desire for safety, esteem, pleasure, and material goods.
We gladly trade all of it for love.
Reflection/Discussion:
Where is there treasure hidden in our lives?
Principles
of Love:
Nature;
Decision
Pray Through the Day:
We were created
From God’s love
