Life Recovery Bible - Flipbook - Page 30
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account on judgment day for every idle word
you speak. 37 The words you say will either
acquit you or condemn you.”
The Sign of Jonah
38
One day some teachers of religious law and
Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Teacher,
we want you to show us a miraculous sign to
prove your authority.”
39
But Jesus replied, “Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous
sign; but the only sign I will give them is the
sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was
in the belly of the great fish for three days
and three nights, so will the Son of Man be
in the heart of the earth for three days and
three nights.
41
“The people of Nineveh will stand up
against this generation on judgment day
and condemn it, for they repented of their
sins at the preaching of Jonah. Now someone
greater than Jonah is here—but you refuse to
repent. 42 The queen of Sheba* will also stand
up against this generation on judgment day
and condemn it, for she came from a distant
land to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Now
someone greater than Solomon is here—but
you refuse to listen.
43
“When an evil* spirit leaves a person, it
goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to the
person I came from.’ So it returns and finds
its former home empty, swept, and in order.
45
Then the spirit finds seven other spirits
more evil than itself, and they all enter the
person and live there. And so that person is
worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”
The True Family of Jesus
46
As Jesus was speaking to the crowd, his
mother and brothers stood outside, asking
to speak to him. 47 Someone told Jesus, “Your
mother and your brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak to you.”*
48
Jesus asked, “Who is my mother? Who
are my brothers?” 49 Then he pointed to
his disciples and said, “Look, these are my
mother and brothers. 50 Anyone who does the
will of my Father in heaven is my brother
and sister and mother!”
C H A P T E R 13
Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed
Later that same day Jesus left the house and
sat beside the lake. 2 A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then
he sat there and taught as the people stood
on the shore. 3 He told many stories in the
form of parables, such as this one:
“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some
seeds. 4 As he scattered them across his
field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and
the birds came and ate them. 5 Other seeds
fell on shallow soil with underlying rock.
The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil
was shallow. 6 But the plants soon wilted
under the hot sun, and since they didn’t
have deep roots, they died. 7 Other seeds
fell among thorns that grew up and choked
out the tender plants. 8 Still other seeds fell
on fertile soil, and they produced a crop
that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred
times as much as had been planted! 9 Anyone with ears to hear should listen and
understand.”
10
His disciples came and asked him, “Why
2:42 Greek The queen of the south.
1
12:43 Greek unclean.
12:47 Some manuscripts do not include verse 47.
Compare Mark 3:32 and Luke 8:20.
12:43-45 Incomplete recovery can leave a person “worse off than before.” To be rid of what afflicts
us is only half the battle. Once we kick an addiction or dependency, there is a void in us that was
once filled with our old behavior. We must fill that emptiness with God’s Spirit and godly attitudes
and actions through prayer and reading God’s Word. Otherwise, new addictions or dependencies
can move in and cause further problems in our lives.
13:1-9, 18-23 The story about the farmer and the four soils applies directly to recovery. The varied responses to the “seed” of the gospel are like the many responses to recovery. Some embrace
recovery wholeheartedly, some only halfheartedly or temporarily, and some pass up the opportunity, denying they need it. Generally, various trials clarify which recovery category we fit into. If
we hope to succeed in recovery and experience new life, we must allow God to prepare the soil of
our hearts, making it ready to receive his healing message.
13:10-17 Jesus’ explanation for teaching with stories and illustrations fits well with the dynamics
of recovery and denial. Those of us who respond in faith to what we already know will be given
more insight as we progress in recovery. Those who do not respond properly will become more
and more spiritually blind and hardened in denial. Amazingly, God continues to offer recovery
even to those who have turned their back on him in denial. When we are ready to ask God for
wisdom about what to do, he will be there with the answer (see James 1:5).
