Check your eyes, ears and heart | 检查眼睛、耳朵和心灵

When you hear God’s Word, do you understand?

当你听见神的话语，你是否明白？

Whoever has ears, let them hear
有耳可听的，就应当听

That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.
Matthew 13:1-2 NIV

当那一天，耶稣从房子里出来，坐在海边。有许多人到他那里聚集，他只得上船坐下，众人都站在岸上。 马太福音 13:1-2

That same day…. What was the writer Matthew referring to? On that same day, Jesus had been challenged and accused 4 times by the religious leaders. And on that same day, His accusers began to plot to kill Him.

当那一天…作者马太在这里指的是什么？在那一天，耶稣四次被宗教领袖挑战和指控；在那一天，祂的控诉者们开始图谋杀害祂。

After facing the accusations and challenges, Jesus went outside to sit by the lake. Maybe He just needed a break. A little time alone to look out across that peaceful lake and talk to His Father. We can only guess why He went out to the lake, but what we do know is what happened next. A large crowd followed Him and He spoke one of His most famous parables. It is a familiar story to most of us – the story of the farmer who scattered the seed. In Jesus’ story, the seed that represents the Word of God fell on four types of soil that represented four types of hearts.

在面对控告和挑战后，耶稣走出去坐在海边。也许祂只是需要片刻歇息，需要一点单独的时间凝望平静的海水并且与祂的天父说话。我们只能猜测祂为何走去海边，但我们确实知道接下来发生了什么。众人都跟随祂，祂讲述了祂最有名的一个比喻，我们大多数人都很熟悉：撒种的比喻。在耶稣的故事里，种子代表神的话，落在代表着我们心灵的四种土壤上。

A mysterious story
一个神秘的故事

On that same day that Jesus was accused 4 times, on that very same day that His accusers began to plot to kill Him, Jesus told this story depicting the hearts of all people. It was a mysterious story not understood by all those who heard it. His disciples actually thought it was a bit cryptic, who could understand this symbolic story? Jesus said to them: “Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

在耶稣被控告四次的同一天，就在祂的控告者开始图谋杀害祂的同一天，耶稣讲述了描绘人心的故事，这是一个神秘的故事，不是所有听到它的人都能明白。事实上祂的门徒们也觉得有些隐秘，谁可以明白这有象征意味的故事？耶稣告诉他们：“有耳可听的，就应当听。”

Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.” Matthew 13:3-9 NIV

他用比喻对他们讲许多道理，说：“有一个撒种的出去撒种。 撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了；有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，发苗最快，日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了；有落在荆棘里的，荆棘长起来，把它挤住了；又有落在好土里的，就结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。有耳可听的，就应当听。” 马太福音 13:3-9

If you were in the crowd that day along the lake, would you have understood the meaning? The disciples weren’t so sure what He was talking about and wondered why His teaching was so hard to understand. As it turns out, Jesus had a very good reason to speak in hidden parables. It was a way for Him to share the secrets of Heaven with only those who really wanted to know those precious truths. The story was all about eyes, ears and hearts. Perceiving, hearing, understanding, turning and being healed.

如果那天你也在海边的人群中，你会明白它的意义吗？门徒们不确定祂在谈论什么，纳闷为什么祂的教导那么难理解。后来表明，耶稣有充分的理由讲述隐藏的比喻。这是祂把天国的奥秘分享给那些真想明白这宝贵真理的人们的方式。这个故事全然关乎眼睛、耳朵、心灵；看见、听见、理解、回转和被医治。

Eyes, Ears and Heart
眼睛、耳朵、心灵

The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: “Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” Matthew 13:10-17 NIV

门徒进前来，问耶稣说：“对众人讲话为什么用比喻呢？” 耶稣回答说：“因为天国的奥秘，只叫你们知道，不叫他们知道。凡有的，还要加给他，叫他有余；凡没有的，连他所有的也要夺去。所以我用比喻对他们讲，是因他们看也看不见，听也听不见，也不明白。在他们身上，正应了以赛亚的预言，说：‘你们听是要听见，却不明白；看是要看见，却不晓得。因为这百姓油蒙了心，耳朵发沉，眼睛闭着；恐怕眼睛看见，耳朵听见，心里明白，回转过来，我就医治他们。’但你们的眼睛是有福的，因为看见了；你们的耳朵也是有福的，因为听见了。我实在告诉你们：从前有许多先知和义人要看你们所看的，却没有看见；要听你们所听的，却没有听见。” 马太福音 13:10-17

What kind of person can receive the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven? The answer is in the eyes, ears and heart. The reason Jesus told parables was hidden in this particular parable. The person who can receive the message of the kingdom needs eyes that are open and perceive, ears that hear and hearts that are soft and able to understand and turn towards God.

什么样的人可以领受天国奥秘的知识？答案就在于眼睛、耳朵和心灵。耶稣讲比喻的原因也藏在这则比喻里面。能领受天国信息的人需要睁开眼睛来看，打开耳朵来听，心灵柔软来明白并且回转归向神。

Are your eyes able to perceive what God is doing? Do your ears hear God’s message? Is your heart soft and willing to turn to God? If you would like to receive the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, check your eyes, ears and heart.

你的眼睛可以看到神正在做什么吗？你的耳朵能听到神的信息吗？你的心足够柔软并且愿意回转归向神吗？如果你愿意领受天国奥秘的知识，检查你的眼睛、耳朵、心灵。

Listen to the secret meaning of the parable
倾听比喻中隐藏的意义

“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” Matthew 13:18-23 NIV

“所以，你们当听这撒种的比喻。凡听见天国道理不明白的，那恶者就来，把所撒在他心里的夺了去，这就是撒在路旁的了：撒在石头地上的，就是人听了道，当下欢喜领受，只因心里没有根，不过是暂时的，及至为道遭了患难，或是受了逼迫，立刻就跌倒了；撒在荆棘里的，就是人听了道，后来有世上的思虑，钱财的迷惑，把道挤住了，不能结实；撒在好地上的，就是人听道明白了，后来结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。” 马太福音 13:18-23

The seed is the message of the kingdom of heaven. There are four types of people who will receive this message. A seed in nature contains all of the DNA necessary to grow a full and fruitful plant. Likewise, the message of the kingdom of heaven contains all that is needed to lead to a fruitful life in God. All four people hear this message. But what happens next is unique for each person and the results in each person’s life are dramatically different from one another.

种子是天国的信息，接受到这信息的有四种人。种子本质上包含着它长成和结果所需要的所有DNA。同样的，天国的信息也包含着在神里拥有丰盛生命所需要的一切。虽然这四种人都听到了这信息，但是接下来发生在每个人身上的却不同，导致每个人的生命也彼此截然不同。

What does each person do with the seed and what is the result?
每个人对种子做了什么？结果是什么？

The first soil: the message is stolen and has no effect
第一种土壤：信息被偷 毫无果效

The first person doesn’t understand the message and the result is that the enemy steals the message from their heart. There is no plant, no fruit.
第一个人不明白信息，结果就是仇敌来把信息从他们的心里偷走了。没有庄稼，没有果实。

The second soil: a life of quick but not lasting growth
第二种土壤：短暂却不持久的成长

This person receives the message with joy. But the message does not go deep into their life. Jesus said there are rocks that block the roots. When troubles and persecution come, this person falls away. Internally, this heart does not give much space to the message of the kingdom. There is no plant, no fruit.

这个人带着喜悦领受了信息，但是信息却没有进入他们生命深处。耶稣说有石头把根挡住了，当患难和逼迫来临时，这个人就跌倒了。内在来看，这颗心没有给天国的信息多少空间。没有植物，没有果实。

The third soil: a fruitless life grows
第三种土壤：不结果的生命生长

This person also receives the message. But it gets choked out by the worries of life and the deceitfulness of wealth. The external pressures cause unfruitfulness. Interestingly, the plant continues to grow, but there is no fruit. It is a useless plant.

这个人也领受了信息，但是被世上的思虑和钱财的迷惑把道挤住了。外在的压力导致不结果实。有意思的是，这棵庄稼能继续生长，但是却不结果实，是一株没有用的庄稼。

The fourth soil: a life bursting with multiplying fruit
第四种土壤：多结果实的生命

This person has one thing that the rest do not: understanding. Because of understanding, the seed grows and becomes very fruitful. There is not just one plant growing in this life, there is multiplication and much fruit.

这个人有一样东西是其他人没有的：明白。因着明白，种子生长，结实累累。这个人的生命里不仅长出了一株庄稼，而是成倍结果。

All four of these people hear the message of the kingdom. All four have the same seed in their life. But what they do with this seed makes all of the difference. If you have heard the message of the kingdom of God, you have the seed in you. What will happen to that seed? Will it be stolen by the enemy? Will it quickly grow but then quickly fall away? Will it get choked out and become fruitless? Will it multiply in you and produce great fruit?

这四个人都听到了天国的信息，在他们生命里四个人也都有同样的种子。但是他们如何对待种子带来了不同的结果。如果你听过天国的信息，就有种子在你里面。这颗种子会怎么样呢？会被仇敌偷去吗？会快速生长快速跌倒吗？会被挤住而不结果实吗？会在你里面成倍结果吗？

What do we need?
我们需要什么？

The first thing you need to seek after is understanding. Your heart must be soft, willing to turn to God.
我们首先需要寻求的是明白。你的心必须柔软愿意回转归向神。

Then take a look internally. Is there space in your heart for the message to grow? If there are other things taking up space, beware! How do you know if you have given Jesus much space in your heart? Take an honest look at how you spend your time and money. What do you think about? What do you talk about with others? What are your life goals? What inspires you to move forward in life? If most of your answers are connected to the things of the world and your own personal desires, you might want to ask yourself how much space have you given Jesus. You might be in danger of falling away when trouble and persecutions come.

接下来审视内心。你的心中有信息生长的空间吗？如果有其他的事务占据了你的心，要小心！你怎么知道你把心中大量的空间给了耶稣呢？诚实地看一下你如何安排时间和金钱。你都在思考什么？你和他人交谈什么？你人生的目标是什么？什么激励你继续往前？如果你大部分的答案都和世上的事情和自己的私欲有关，你也许需要问问自己到底给了耶稣多少空间。也许当患难和逼迫来临时，你会有跌倒的危险。

Finally, consider the external pressures that drive you. Do you have worries that affect your decision making? Are you chasing after wealth? Jesus called wealth a deceiver; have you been deceived into believing that money will take care of your problems and bring you peace? The truth is, worries of the world and a focus on money will cause you to be a fruitless Christian.

最后，思想一下驱动你的外在压力。在做决定的时候，有思虑影响你吗？你在追逐财富吗？耶稣把钱财称为迷惑者，你有没有被欺骗钱财可以解决你的问题并给你带来平安？真理就是这个世界的思虑和钱财的追求会让你成为一个不结果实的基督徒。

The good news is that you have the seed and you have an opportunity now to prepare the soil of your heart. The parable is not over, it is alive right now in you. Is the seed growing in you today? Check your eyes, ears and heart.

好消息是你已经有了种子，并且现在有机会来预备你心灵的土壤。这个比喻没有结束，它现在就活在你的里面。今天种子在你里面生长吗？检查你的眼睛、耳朵和心灵吧。