Daily Manna, Year Two · Day 149 · May 29
Choked With Cares
“And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”
We can discuss the first two soils at no cost to ourselves. Birds took one lot, and the other came up on rock and dried. The third is hard to say out loud, because nothing in it went wrong. We heard it, we agreed with it, and we got on with the week.
Luke is exact about the mechanism. Which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. The thorns arrive on the seed's own schedule: they sprang up with it, same soil, same rain, both doing well. Mark itemises them, the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in. Luke's verdict is almost gentle. The plant lives. It never finishes anything. The parable ends on the ground that does finish, and the word for how is patience: which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
We have heard the word and gone forth, Lord, and the going forth has been the whole trouble. There is no scandal in us. We are busy, and solvent enough, and comfortable enough, and there is nothing on the branch. Choke what is choking us, before we mistake a full week for a life. Amen.
Daily Manna runs on a two-year cycle. The year one reading for day 149 is Near to the Broken (Psalm 34:18).